30 BC

The year 30 BC was either a common year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Thursday. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Octavian and Crassus.

 Events 
 Roman Republic 
 Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian becomes Roman Consul for the fourth time. His partner is Marcus Licinius Crassus the Younger.
 Octavian leads his army to the Dardanelles. He marches into Syria. Herod the Great sends him vows of loyalty and troops to help.
 Gaius Cornelius Gallus arrives in Cyrene and occupies Paraetonium. 
 Mark Antony retreats with his army to Egypt.  He learns that Pelusium opened its gates to Octavian without resistance.
 Octavian Caesar captures Alexandria. This marks the official annexation of Ancient Egypt to the Roman Republic.
 Cleopatra evacuates to Berenice on the west coast of the Red Sea. King Malchus of Nabatea attacks from the desert and burns the Egyptian ships.
 The children of Cleopatra are spared by Octavian. Octavia Minor raises Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene and Ptolemy Philadelphus in her house in Rome.

 Asia 
 Common date given for Thiruvalluvar to write the Tirukkuṟaḷ
 First possible date for the invention of the wheelbarrow

 Births 

 Maroboduus, king of the Marcomanni (d. AD 37)

 Deaths 

 Mark Antony, Roman consul and general  (b. 83 BC)
 Marcus Antonius Antyllus, son of Mark Antony and Fulvia (b. 47 BC)
 Hyrcanus II, king and high priest of Judea until 40 BC
 August 12 – Cleopatra VII, last queen of Ptolemaic Egypt (b. 69 BC)
 August 23 – Ptolemy Caesar, son of Julius Caesar and pharaoh of Egypt (b. 47 BC)