Timeline of Ancient Rome

Kingdom of Rome Early Republic Punic Wars Decline of Republic Early Empire Fall of the West Byzantine Empire

Kingdom of Rome (753 to 510 B.C.)

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.

Early Republic (510 to 275 B.C.)

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.

Punic and Macedonian Wars (274 to 146 B.C.)

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.

Decline of Republic (146 to 44 B.C.)

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

Early Empire (44 B. C. to 180 A.D.)

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.

Fall of the Western Empire (180 to 476 A.D.)

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.

Byzantine Empire (476 to 1453 A.D.)

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.