104 BC

By place

Roman Republic

• Rome enacts a state of emergency, as the way to Italy lays open to the Germanic invaders. Gaius Marius, the conqueror of Jugurtha, is elected consul for the second time. He celebrates his triumph over Jugurtha, who is led in the procession and thrown into the Tullianum where he dies of starvation.
• Second Servile War: Athenion starts a slave rebellion in Segesta.

  Judea

• Aristobulus I succeeds John Hyrcanus, becoming king and high priest of Judea, until 103 BC.

  Asia

• Emperor Wu of Han maintains large armies of occupation and burdens the Chinese economy. Landowners expand their holdings, but farmers are forced to borrow at usurious rates and pay 50 percent of their crops as rent. Homelessness and banditry increases, and agricultural productivity declines.
• Sima Qian starts writing his Shiji.