Roman History Timeline (11th Century BCE - 117 CE)

A collection of 33 vocabulary flashcards covering key dates, figures, and events in Roman history from the founding to the peak of the empire.

Trojan War

An ancient conflict with an approximate date of the $11^{th}$ century BCE.

Romulus

The person responsible for the legendary founding of Rome in $753\,BCE$.

Tarquinius Superbus

The final King of Rome who was expelled from the city in $509\,BCE$ by Brutus and Collatinus.

Brutus and Collatinus

The individuals who expelled Tarquinius Superbus, the final King of Rome, in $509\,BCE$.

Tribune

A Republican office established in the $450s\,BCE$ to advocate for the people after the plebeians successfully seceded.

First Punic War

A conflict between Rome and Carthage from $264 - 241\,BCE$ that was fought mostly over Sicily.

Hannibal

The Carthaginian general who invaded Italy over the Alps during the Second Punic War ($218 - 202\,BCE$).

Scipio Africanus

The Roman general who defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, establishing Rome as the major power in the Mediterranean.

Battle of Zama

The engagement where Hannibal was defeated by Scipio Africanus, marking the end of the Second Punic War.

Third Punic War

The final conflict between Rome and Carthage from $148 - 146\,BCE$ which resulted in Carthage being razed to the ground.

Gracchi brothers

Officials who used the office of tribune between $133 - 121\,BCE$ to initiate reforms such as land redistribution and citizenship to help the poor.

Marius

A leader who held seven consulships in the $100s\,BCE$ and instituted military reforms that professionalized the army and shifted soldier loyalty to generals.

Social War

A rebellion from $91 - 88\,BCE$ where Rome’s Italian allies successfully fought to obtain new rights.

Sulla

A conservative advocate for Senatorial control who marched on Rome in the $80s\,BCE$, installed himself as dictator, and reverted Gracchan reforms.

Pompey the Great

A powerful leader in the $70s\,BCE$ who acquired new territories and cleared the Mediterranean of pirates.

Novus homo

A term meaning 'new man' applied during the rise of Pompey the Great as the Republic began giving way to powerful individuals.

Cicero

The consul who thwarted the Catilinarian Conspiracy in $63\,BCE$.

Catilinarian Conspiracy

A plot against the Roman state that was thwarted by Cicero during his consulship in $63\,BCE$.

Octavian

The grand-nephew of Caesar born in $63\,BCE$ who later became the first emperor of Rome.

Battle of Pharsalus

The $48\,BCE$ battle where Caesar defeated Pompey the Great to become the sole ruler of Rome.

Marc Antony

The lieutenant of Caesar who fought a Civil War against Octavian in the $30s\,BCE$ to Determine the ruler of Rome.

Battle of Actium

The $31\,BCE$ battle where Octavian defeated Antony, effectively ending the Roman Republic.

Augustus

The title taken by Octavian, who ruled from $27\,BCE - 14\,CE$ and began the Pax Romana.

Princeps

A title meaning 'first citizen' that Augustus used for himself as Rome’s first emperor.

Vergil

The author who wrote the Aeneid between $29 - 19\,BCE$ as a panegyric of Augustus and Rome.

Tiberius

The emperor who reigned from $14 - 37\,CE$ and was characterized by historical sources as brooding and suspicious.

Caligula

A young emperor ($37 - 41\,CE$) whose brief reign included absurd episodes like making his horse a senator.

Claudius

The emperor from $41 - 54\,CE$ who conquered Britain and married Agripinna.

Nero

An unconventional emperor ($54 - 68\,CE$) who built the Domus Aurea and a massive statue of himself following a Great Fire.

Pliny the Younger

An author living from $61 - 113\,CE$ whose letters provide accounts of Vesuvius' eruption and life under the emperor Trajan.

Year of the Four Emperors

The period from $68 - 69\,CE$ following the fall of the Julio-Claudian dynasty when multiple generals fought for power.

Vespasian

The emperor who emerged from the Civil War in $69\,CE$ to begin the Flavian dynasty and the construction of the Colosseum.

Trajan

The emperor from $98 - 117\,CE$ whose praised reign expanded the Roman Empire to its largest territorial borders.