Date B.C. | Event |
753 | Rome founded by Romulus and Remus, twin descendants of Aeneas. |
715-674 | Reign of Numa Pompilius (Updated calendar, established system of worship). |
673-642 | Reign of Tullus Hostilius (Conquest of Alba). |
616-579 | Reign of Tarquin the Elder (Built sewer, circus, forum). |
579-535 | Reign of Servius Tullius (Built Servian Wall, organized classes). |
535 | Tarquin Superbus murders his father-in-law and assumes the throne. |
| —Sibylline Books acquired from a Greek priestess. |
| —War with Volscians; besieged city of Gabii. |
| —Built Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill. |
510 | Death of Lucretia. Tarquin Superbus and family exiled from Rome. |
Date B.C. | Event |
510 | The last king of Rome, Tarquin Superbus, is expelled; Roman republic is founded. |
510-496 | Wars against Tarquin and his allies. |
508 | Horatius repels the army of Lars Porsena at the Battle of Sublican Bridge. |
496 | Final defeat of Tarquin at the Battle of Lake Regillus. |
494 | Office of the tribune is established to protect plebian rights. |
491 | Coriolanus is sent into exile but returns with an army to threaten Rome. |
458 | Cincinnatus rescues a Roman army caught in a trap. |
451 | Laws of the twelve tablets created; Virginia is killed to save her from a tyrant. |
443 | Censorship established. |
396 | War Against Veii—Romans conquer Veii, the foremost Etruscan city. |
390 | Battle of Allia, Gauls invade and sack Rome. |
343-341 | First Samnite War—Etruria and Campania annexed to Rome. |
326-304 | Second Samnite War—Roman humiliation at Battle of Caudine Forks. |
312 | Via Appia—famous Roman road started. |
312 | Aqueduct building project started. |
298-290 | Third Samnite War—Roman victory at the Battle of Sentium. |
280-275 | Pyrrhic Wars in southern Italy—First encounter between Greek and Roman armies. |
269 | First Roman coins minted. |
Date B.C. | Event |
264-241 | First Punic War. |
260 | —Roman naval victory at Battle of Mylae. |
243 | —Defeat and Capture of Regulus at Battle of Bagrades. |
250 | —Regulus defies Carthage and is murdered. |
218-201 | Second Punic War. |
216 | —Roman disaster at Battle of Cannae. |
212 | —Death of Archimedes at the Battle of Syracuse. |
209 | —Romans conquer Nova Carthago, take control of Carthaginian Spain. |
207 | —Hasdrubal Barca killed at the Battle of Metaurus River. |
202 | —Carthage decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama. |
214-205 | First Macedonian War. |
200-196 | Second Macedonian War—Roman victory at Battle of Cynoscephalae. |
190 | Antiochus III of Syria defeated at Magnesia. |
168 | Third Macedonian War—Roman victory at Battle of Pydna. |
149-146 | Third Punic War—Carthage destroyed. |
146 | Rome destroys Corinth, dominates Greece. |
Date B.C. | Event |
143-133 | Numantine War—Conquest of the interior of Spain. |
133-131 | Conquest of Hellenistic empires in East. |
133-127 | Civil unrest due to land reforms of the Gracchi. |
111-106 | Jugurthine Wars in Africa. |
112–101 | Cimbrian War—Romans repel two Germanic tribe that were invading northern Italy. |
107-100 | Marius elected consul six times, reforms army. |
102 | Teutone tribe defeated at the Battle of Aix. |
101 | Cimbri tribe defeated at the Battle of Vercelli. |
90-89 | Roman Social War—Close allies win rights of Roman citizenship. |
88-84 | First Mithridatic War—instigates conflict between Marius and Sulla. |
88 | Marius attempts to take over the army and is exiled from Rome |
87 | Sulla victorious over Mithridates at the Siege of Athens. |
86 | Marius returns to Rome, takes vengeance on enemies. |
83–82 | Civil War of Marius and Sulla: Sulla returns, overthrows Marians, murders enemies. |
74-63 | Third Mithridatic War. Lucullus pacifies Asia Minor. |
73-71 | Spartacus leads a slave revolt |
67 | Pompey conquers the pirates of the Mediterranean. |
63 | Cicero puts down the Catiline Conspiracy. |
60 | Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar form the first triumvirate. |
58-51 | Gallic War: Caesar conquers all of Gaul |
52 | Victory over Vercingetorix at the Battle of Alesia. |
49 | Caesar crosses the Rubicon and instigates a Civil War between Caesareans and Republicans. |
48 | Caesar defeats Pompey at Battle of Pharsalia. |
48 | Caesar puts Cleopatra on throne of Egypt at Battle of Alexandria. |
46 | Suicide of Cato (the younger) after Republicans are defeated at the Battle of Thapsus. |
44 | Assassination of Julius Caesar |
Date | Event |
43 BC | Octavius and Antony form the second triumvirate; agree to murder of Cicero. |
42 BC | Defeat of Republican Army at Battle of Philippi. |
31 BC | Antony defeated at Battle of Actium. |
27 BC | Octavius appointed imperator for life: becomes Augustus Caesar. |
27 BC | Gates of Janus shut. Beginning of Pax Romana. |
0 BC | Birth of Christ. |
11 BC–16 AD | Roman Germanic Wars Germans frustrate Rome's ambition to expand its territories beyond the Rhine. |
9 AD | Hermann annihilates Romans at the Battle of Teutoberg Forest. |
14 AD | Death of Augustus. Begin reign of Tiberius. |
31 AD | Failed conspiracy of Sejanus, captain of the Praetorian Guard. |
33 AD | Death of Jesus Christ. |
41 AD | Assassination of imperial madman, Caligula. |
41-54 | Reign of Claudius: Romans reconquer Britain. |
54-68 | Reign of Nero. |
61 | Revolt of the Britons under Boadicea: Battle of Watling Street. |
64 | Nero "fiddles" while Rome burns. |
68 | Nero driven from throne by Praetorian Guards. |
69 | Year of Four Emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian. |
70 | Fall of Jerusalem |
70-81 | Reign of Vespasian and Titus. |
79 | Destruction of Pompey |
80 | Dedication of the Coliseum |
70-81 | Persecution of Christians under Domitian. |
98-117 | Trajan conquers Dacia |
117-138 | Hadrian builds wall in Britain at the Scottish border. |
138-161 | Antoninus Pius exceptionally long and benevolent reign. |
161-180 | Marcus Aurelius, philosopher emperor, fights the Alemanni. |
Date | Event |
180-193 | Reign of Commodus, degenerate son of Marcus Aurelius. |
193-211 | Reign of Septimus Severus. |
211-239 | Reign of the later Severans: Caracalla, Elagabalus and Alexander. |
239 | Murder of Alexander Severus—throne usurped by the barbarian Maximinus. |
239-284 | Military anarchy. |
270 | War with Zenobia of Palmyra, Queen of Palmyra. |
268–378 | Romans repel invasion of Alemanni. |
306 | Constantine proclaimed Augustus by his legions after the death of his father. |
312 | Constantine gains sole control of west at Battle of Milvian Bridge. |
313 | Edict of Milan: Christianity is made legal in empire. |
324 | Constantine becomes sole ruler of entire empire. |
325 | First Council of Nicaea is held to combat the Arian heresy. |
337-361 | Empire languishes under warring sons of Constantine. |
362 | Julian the Apostate tries to restore paganism. |
379-395 | Theodosius reigns in the east. Fends off usurpers in the west and briefly reunites the empire. |
406 | Waves of German barbarians cross the Rhine and migrate into Roman territory. |
407 | The last Roman legion leaves Britain. |
410 | Alaric the Visigoth invades Rome. |
451 | Europe saved from Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons. |
455 | Genseric and his Vandals sack and plunder Rome. |
476 | Imperial leadership passes to a barbarian king, Odoacer. |
Date | Event |
455 | Genseric and the Vandals Sack Rome |
460 | Failed expedition against the Vandals of Africa |
476 | Fall of the Western Empire in Italy to Odoacer |
493 | Theodoric reigns in the Ostrogoth Kingdom of Italy |
527-565 | Reign of Justinian in the Eastern Roman Empire |
533 | Belisarius reconquers Vandal kingdom of Africa |
538 | Belisarius besieges Ravenna; regains Italy for Eastern Kingdom |
620 | Heraclius becomes Emperor. Byzantine Empire administered in Greek, not Roman. |
636 | Most of Syria Lost to the Moslems at the Battle of Yermuk. |
694 | North Africa lost to the Moslems at the Battle of Utica. |