Antiochus III had by 212 BCE invaded…

After pacifying Asia Minor, Antiochus undertakes his campaign for recovery of the high satrapies—a project his father, Seleucus II, had planned and never carried out.

At this time, his kingdom in the east does not stretch farther than Media, Persis, Susiana, and Carmania.

The Carthaginians attempt to relieve Syracuse after Marcellus returns to the city and continues the siege, but they are driven back.

The Romans overcome formidable resistance and the ingenious devices of Archimedes to finally take the city in the summer of 212 BCE.

Plutarch wrote that Marcellus, when he had previously entered the city for a diplomatic meeting with the Syracusans, had noticed a weak point in its fortifications.

He made his attack at this fragile spot, using a night attack by a small group of hand-picked soldiers to storm the walls and open the gates.

During the attack, Archimedes was killed, an act Marcellus regretted.

Plutarch writes that the Romans rampaged through the city, taking much of the plunder and artwork they could find.

This has significance because Syracuse was a Greek city filled with Greek culture, art and architecture.

Much of this Greek art was taken to Rome, where it was one of the first major impacts of Greek influence on Roman culture.

Though declining slowly by the years, Syracuse will maintain the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the praetor.

The Romans have heavily garrisoned the city of Tarantum during the Second Punic War for fear that it might go over to Hannibal.

However, a group of Tarentine hostages held in Rome are caught trying to escape and thrown from the Tarpeian Rock as traitors; probably because of this, anti-Roman feeling in the city increases greatly.

Two members of the pro-Carthage faction in the city enable Hannibal to enter the city in 212 BCE, although he is not able to capture the citadel of the city, which is defended by Roman troops.

Because of Hannibal's failure to capture the citadel, he is not able to use Tarentum as a major port and staging area for the invasion of Italy.

The army is forced to portage boats across the city in order to sail from the bay.

Arcases' successor Artabanus I (sometimes known as Arsaces II, who reigned from about 211 BCE to 191 BCE, continues the work of consolidation of the  Parthian realm.

Being already solidly established in Parthia and Hyrcania, Artabanus tries to extend his possessions toward Media, but events in the neighboring Greco-Bactrian kingdom work against him.

Attalus, with help from Rome and the Aetolians, fights also against Philip V of Macedon during the inconclusive First Macedonian War (215-205 BCE).

The Aetolians of south-central Greece fight with Rome against Philip in 211 BCE.

The Roman Republic first issues the silver coin known as the denarius in 211 BCE at the time of the Second Punic War, with a weight of 4.5 grams on average (denarii will be in use until the mid-third century CE when their replacement by the replaced by the antoninianus).

The earliest denarii feature the head of Diana on the obverse and the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) on the reverse.

The younger Publius Cornelius Scipio, had survived the disastrous battles at Ticinus, Trebia, and Cannae, the third of these having claimed the life of his would-be father-in-law Lucius Aemilius Paullus.

On hearing that Lucius Caecilius Metellus and other politicians were at the point of surrender, Scipio had gathered with his followers and stormed into the meeting, where at sword-point he forced all present to swear that they would continue in faithful service to Rome.

The Roman Senate, being of like mind, had refused to entertain thoughts of peace despite the great losses Rome has taken in the war—approximately one-fifth of the men of military age had died within a few years.

After serving as aedile in 213, the twenty-four-year-old Scipio had run for the office of quaestor, the most junior magistrate who was entitled to enter the Senate, apparently to assist his less popular cousin, Lucius Cornelius, who was also standing for election.

The Tribunes of the Plebs (elected representatives from the Plebeian Assembly) had objected to his candidacy, saying that he could not be allowed to stand because he had not yet reached the legal age (curule aediles were automatically entitled to enter the Senate and the legal age for Senate membership was 30).

Already known for his bravery and patriotism, Scipio was elected unanimously and the Tribunes abandoned their opposition.

Both Scipio's father, Publius Scipio, and uncle, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, are killed in battle against Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal Barca, in 211.

In the following year, Scipio offers himself for the command of the new army which the Romans have resolved to send to Hispania, and is unanimously elected to be sent there as proconsul.

According to Livy, Scipio was the only man brave enough to ask for this position, and no other candidates wanted the responsibility, considering it a death sentence.

The importance of Capua during the third century BCE has increased steadily, and at the beginning of the Second Punic War it was considered to be only slightly behind Rome and Carthage themselves, and was able to furnish thirty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry.

It had remained faithful to Rome until after the defeat of Cannae, but, after demanding in vain that one of the consuls should always be selected from it or perhaps in order to secure regional supremacy in the event of a Carthaginian victory, it had defected to Hannibal, who made it his winter quarters: he and his army were voluntarily received by Capua.

Livy and others have suggested that the luxurious conditions were Hannibal's "Cannae" because his troops became soft and demoralized by luxurious living.

Historians from Bosworth Smith onward have been skeptical of this, observing that his troops gave as good an account of themselves in battle after that winter as before.

After a long siege, it is taken by the Romans in 211 BCE and severely punished (Second Battle of Capua); its magistrates and communal organization are abolished, those inhabitants not killed lose their civic rights, and its territory is declared ager publicus (Roman state domain).

Marcellus, following his victory at Syracuse, moves to defeat a Carthaginian force near Himera.

He remains in Sicily, where he defeats more Carthaginian and rebel foes.

The important city of Akragas is still under Carthaginian control, though there is now little the Carthaginian leadership can do to support it as the campaigns against the Romans in Spain and Italy now take precedence.

Shi Huangdi dies prematurely in 210 BCE, leaving control in the hands of his son Zhao Huha, a weak heir incapable of dealing with the problems he faces.

Strife erupts immediately.