阳金鼠年 (male Iron-Rat) 407 or 26 or −746 — to — 阴金牛年 (female Iron-Ox) 408 or 27 or −745
Year 281 (CCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Tiberianus (or, less frequently, year 1034 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 281 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Dominicalendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. The year comes after 280 and Comes before 282.