roman history key events

c. 393

Rome captures and destroys Etruscan Veii

c. 390

Rome temporarily occupied by marauding Senonian Gauls

390s–380s

M. Furius Camillus’ political career at its height

367

Licinian-Sextian laws

356

First plebeian ‘dictator’

351

First plebeian censor

340–338

Rome at war with the Latins

338

Foundation of the first citizen colony, at Antium

334

Foundation of the first ‘Latin’ colony, at Cales

327

Beginning of Rome’s constant wars outside Latium

321

Battle of the Caudine Forks

313?

Abolition of debt-bondage

312

Via Appia

311

Doubling of number of legions

c. 305

Friendship with Rhodes

295

Battle of Sentinum

c. 287

Secession of the plebs; Lex Hortensia

273

Foundation of the Latin colonies of Cosa and Paestum

272

Tarentum succumbs to Rome

264–241

First Punic War

c. 244

Extra praetorship created

241

Battle of Aegates Islands

218–202

Second Punic War

218–206

Scipios in Spain

216

Battle of Cannae

215–205

First Macedonian War

202

Battle of Zama

200–197

Second Macedonian War

190

Battles of Myonnesus and Magnesia

188

Treaty of Apamea with Antiochus III

186 B C

Suppression of the cult of Bacchus

179

Lex Voconia

173

First year in which both consuls were plebeians

168

Battle of Pydna

167

Mass enslavement in Epirus

160s to 130s

Polybius’ history of Roman expansion

146

Destruction of Carthage and Corinth

143–71

Era of major slave rebellions in Italy and Sicily

139–130

Ballot laws

133

Tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus

133–129

Establishment of direct Roman rule in Asia Minor

123–122

Tribunates of Gaius Gracchus

107

Marius opens legions to all citizens

91–89

Social or Marsic War

90

Lex Iulia enfranchises many peninsular Italians

82–80

Dictatorship of Sulla

73–71

Rebellion of Spartacus

67–62

Pompey’s eastern wars

59–58

High water of popular power at Rome

58–50

Caesar’s conquest of Gaul

48

Battle of Pharsalus

44

Caesar ‘perpetual dictator’; assassinated

42

Battles of Philippi

31

Battle of Actium

30

Roman occupation of Egypt

27

Octavian becomes ‘Augustus’

20

Settlement with Parthia

19

Death of Vergil

12

Beginning of Rome’s attempt to conquer east of the Rhine

A D 14 –37

Reign of Tiberius

16

Tiberius brings German war to a halt

27–37

Tiberius rules from Capri

41–54

Reign of Claudius

43

Invasion of Britain

54–68

Reign of Nero

67

Nero orders the suicide of his best general Domitius Corbulo

69

Year of the Four Emperors

69–79

Reign of Vespasian

A D 79

Vesuvius destroys Pompeii and Herculaneum

81–96

Reign of Domitian

92

First Roman consul from the Greek world

98–117

Reign of Trajan

101–2, 105–6

Conquest of Dacia

110s

Tacitus writing Annals

115–17

Roman Empire reaches its maximum extent

117–38

Reign of Hadrian

131–5

Bar-Kochva revolt in Judaea

138–61

Reign of Antoninus Pius

161–80

Reign of Marcus Aurelius

166–75, 178–80

German wars of Marcus Aurelius

167

Beginning of Great Pestilence

175

Revolt of Avidius Cassius

180–92

Reign of Commodus

193–211

Reign of Septimius Severus

211–17

Reign of Caracalla

212

Caracalla extends citizenship to almost all free inhabitants of the Roman Empire

217

Reign of Macrinus

218–22

Reign of Elagabalus

222–35

Reign of Alexander Severus

226–42

Ardashir ruler of Persia

244–9

Reign of Philip the Arab

248

1,000th birthday of Rome

249–51

Reign of Decius

251

Goths defeat Romans at Abrittus

253–68

Reign of Gallienus

260

Christians tolerated

270–5

Reign of Aurelian

293–305

Rule of the Tetrarchs

301

Diocletian’s Price Edict

312

Battle of Saxa Rubra brings Constantine to power in Rome