291 BC

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Events

By place

Greece

* Demetrius Poliorcetes joins his son, Antigonus, in the siege of Thebes. As the Thebans defend their city stubbornly, Demetrius forces his men to attack the city at great cost. Demetrius finally takes the city after using siege engines to demolish its walls.

Roman Republic

* The Romans storm and take the Samnite city of Venusia.

Births

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Deaths

* Menander, Athenian dramatist, considered to be a master of Greek New Comedy (b. c. 342 BC)
* Dinarchus, Athenian speech writer whose work is generally thought to reflect the gradual decline of Attic oratory (b. c. 361 BC)