700 BC

The year 700 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as year 54 Ab urbe condita . The denomination 700 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Africa

 * Construction of the Temple of Yeha in Ethiopia (approximate date.)

Europe

 * Founding of Poseidonia by the Dorians as a colony of Sybaris.

Middle East

 * Assyrian king Sennacherib launches another campaign into the Chaldean region, where the Babylonian rebel Merodach-Baladan II has been conspiring against him. Merodach-Baladan takes refuge in Elam, north of the Persian Gulf.
 * Babylon's Assyrian-raised puppet king Bel-ibni is deposed after a 3-year reign and sent into exile. He is replaced by Sennacherib's son, Ashur-nadin-shumi.

Agriculture

 * China's minister of agriculture teaches the peasants crop rotation. He also teaches them to dig drainage ditches, rents them farm equipment, and stores grain surpluses to provide free food in time of famine (approximate date).
 * Laws against animal slaughter are relaxed in India (approximate date.)

Environment

 * Cities developing in the Near East build aqueducts to keep their residents supplied with water (approximate date).

Sport

 * Atheradas of Laconia wins the stadion race at the 20th Olympic Games.

Births

 * Mentuemhat, Egyptian government official.