Principal Events of Roman History and Legend,

(all dates BC unless otherwise noted)

c. 1180: legendary fall of Troy, Aeneas sails to Italy

753: legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus

7 Kings of Rome:

Romulus

Wolf, Rape of Sabine Women, Alliance with Sabines and Titus Tatius

Numa

started many of Rome's religious practices

Tullus Hostilius

conquest of Alba Longa; Horatii and Curiatii

Ancius Marcius

beginning of ritual of fetiales for declaring war

Tarquinius Priscus

from Etruria; wife Tanaquil

Servius Tullius

born a slave; taken in by Tanaquil and Tarquinius; Servian wall, census

Tarquinius Superbus

kills Servius at instigation of wife Tullia; conquest of Gabii; building of cloaca maxima

509: Rape of Lucretia by Sextus Tarquinius: Romans under Lucius Brutus expel kings

287: lex Hortensia ends centuries-long strife between patricians and plebeians over such matters as intermarriage, magistracies, and distribution of grain.

major figures in this period: Coriolanus, Cincinnatus

wars in this period with Latins, Aequi, Volsci, and Samnites

281-272: War with Pyrrhus finishes Rome's conquest of Italy south of Po

major figure: Appius Claudius Caecus

264-241: First Punic War brings Rome Sicily; Corsica and Sardinia taken shortly thereafter

major figures: Hamilcar, Regulus

218-201: Second Punic War brings Rome Spain

major figures: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Marcellus, Scipio Africanus

most important battles: Trasumene, Cannae, Zama

200-196: Second Macedonian War:

Rome becomes most powerful force in Greece

major figures: Philip V of Macedon, Flamininus

major battle: Cynoscephalae

2nd century: continual controversy about how best to respond to Greek culture and new wealth

major figures: Cato the Censor, Scipio Aemilianus

192-188: War with Antiochus the Great: Rome gets foothold in Asia Minor

major battle: Magnesia

171-167: 3rd Macedonian War: Rome controls Greece

major figures: Perseus of Macedon, Aemilius Paullus

major battle: Pydna

149-146: Third Punic War: Carthage destroyed, Africa a province

major figure: Scipio Aemilianus

133: Kingdom of Pergamum willed to Rome: becomes province of Asia

133: Tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus

123-22: Tribunate of Gaius Gracchus

111-105: Jugurthine War: Jugurtha defeated after showing corruption of Roman aristocracy; first glory of Marius and Sulla

102-101: Marius defeats Cimbri and Teutones

90-88: Social Wars: Rome's Italian allies rebel and gain citizenship

89-85: First Mithridatic War: Mithridates of Pontus troubles Asia and Greece

87-82: Civil War between Marians and Sullans

82-81: Dictatorship of Sulla

74-63: Third Mithridatic War

major figures: Lucullus, Pompey

63: Revolt of Catiline

major figures: Catiline, Cicero, Julius Caesar, Cato

63-49: repeated strife and violence between factions

major figures: Cato the Younger, Cicero, Publius Clodius

60: "First Triumvirate": Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus

59: Caesar's first consulship

58-50: Caesar conquers Gaul

49-46: Civil War between Caesareans and Pompeians

major battle: Pharsalus

44: Assassination of Caesar:

major figures: Cassius, Brutus, Marc Antony

44-42: War between Caesar's successors and his assassins

major figure: Octavian

major battle: Philippi

43: Second triumvirate: Octavian, Antony, Lepidus

31: Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at battle of Actium

27: Octavian becomes princeps and Augustus

The Julio-Claudian emperors:

Augustus: 27-AD 14

creation of principate; trouble over succession, exile of daughter Julia, urban renewal in Rome, defeat of Quinctilius Varus by Germans means empire will stop at Rhine (AD 9)

Tiberius: AD 14-37

death of Germanicus (19); conspiracy and fall of Sejanus (31),

trials for maiestas

Caligula: AD 37-41

Claudius: AD 41-54

conquest of southern Britain: AD 43

Nero: AD 54-68:

Great fire at Rome and first persecution of Christians (AD 64), Pisonian conspiracy (AD 65)

AD 68: Nero overthrown: end of Julio-Claudian dynasty

AD 69: "Year of the Four Emperors": it becomes clear that the armies can control who is emperor

AD 79: Eruption of Vesuvius buries Pompeii

AD 96-180: "The Five Good Emperors": Rome's period of greatest stability and

prosperity

AD 235-285:Chaos and economic decline caused by civil wars and invasions by barbarians

AD 285: Diocletian establishes order through more autocratic and bureaucratic government

AD 324-337: Reign of Constantine, first Christian emperor

AD 330: Constantine moves capital to Constantinople (now Istanbul)

AD 476: Last Roman emperor in West deposed by a German king

AD 1453: Eastern Roman Empire ends as Constantinople falls to Turks

3

Brief outline of Roman history