32 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar, corresponding to year 722 Ab urbe condita (AUC) in the traditional Roman dating system. In the modern Gregorian calendar it is placed 32 years before the start of the Common Era.
Historical context
- Roman Republic – The year fell during the final phase of the power struggle between Octavian (the future Augustus) and Mark Antony. After the dissolution of the Second Triumvirate in 33 BC, diplomatic and military preparations intensified, setting the stage for the decisive confrontation at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
- Egypt – Cleopatra VII’s political alliance with Mark Antony continued to influence Roman‑Egyptian relations, although no specific legislative acts or treaties from 32 BC are documented in surviving sources.
- Parthia – The Parthian Empire, a major eastern power, remained a significant external factor in Roman foreign policy, but no recorded campaigns or treaties are specifically dated to 32 BC.
Chronology and dating
- In the Roman system, the year was known as the consulship of Octavian and Scribonius—Roman years were traditionally identified by the names of the serving consuls.
- The Anno Domini (AD/BC) era, devised in the 6th century by the monk Dionysius Exiguus, retroactively assigned the designation “32 BC” to this year.
Notable births and deaths
- No surviving contemporary records attribute notable births or deaths to the year 32 BC with certainty.
Overall significance
While 32 BC itself did not witness a single defining event recorded in surviving historical accounts, it constitutes a pivotal interval in the sequence of political developments that led to the end of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the Principate under Augustus.
