Year 197 (CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 197 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.

• February 19 – Battle of Lugdunum: Emperor Septimius Severus defeats the self-proclaimed emperor Clodius Albinus at Lugdunum (modern Lyon). Albinus commits suicide; legionaries sack the town.
• Septimius Severus returns to Rome and has about 30 of Albinus's supporters in the Senate executed. After his victory he declares himself the adopted son of the late Marcus Aurelius.
• Septimius Severus forms new naval units, manning all the triremes in Italy with heavily armed troops for war in the East. His soldiers embark on an artificial canal between the Tigris and Euphrates.
• Legio I, II, and III Parthica are levied by Septimius Severus for his Parthian campaign.
• The Roman army marches east to repel a Parthian invasion of Mesopotamia; they loot the royal palace at Ctesiphon and capture an enormous number of its inhabitants as slaves.
• Septimius Severus reconstitutes the Province of Mesopotamia under an equestrian governor commanding two legions.
• Septimius Severus, who had spared the Senate at the beginning of his reign, now excludes it from controlling the Roman Empire by declaring a military dictatorship.

• Battle of Wancheng: Zhang Xiu launches a surprise attack at Cao Cao.
• Yuan Shu declares himself emperor of the short-lived Zhong dynasty.
• Sansang becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.^[1]

• Galen's major work on medicines, Pharmacologia, is published.

• A Christian council is held in Edessa.

• Cao, Chinese empress of the Han Dynasty (d. 260)
• Deng Ai, Chinese general of the Cao Wei state (d. 264)

• February 19 – Clodius Albinus, Roman general and usurper
• Cao Ang (or Zixiu), eldest son of Cao Cao (b. 177)
• Dian Wei, Chinese general serving under Cao Cao
• Gaius Julius Erucius Clarus Vibianus, Roman politician
• Gogukcheon of Goguryeo, Korean ruler of Goguryeo
• Guo Si (or Guo Duo), Chinese general and regent
• Li Jue, Chinese general serving under Dong Zhuo
• Liu Chong, Chinese nobleman and Prince of Chen
• Titus Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus, Roman statesman
• Yang Feng, Chinese general serving under Li Jue