Roman History

Romulus and Remus

Twin brothers raised by wolf who founded city of Rome in 753 BCE. Romulus killed Remus and became first king of Rome.

Aeneid

Epic poem by Virgil. Tells story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who escaped the fall of Troy and became the ancestor of the Roman people.

Founding of Rome

753 BC. Supposedly Romulus/Remus founded Rome as a small farming village on Tiber River.

Roman Republic

Began 509 BC. Romans overthrow last king and create government led by elected officials and a Senate.

Law of the Twelve Tables

Rome’s first laws - written on bronze tablets. Protected poor citizens from unfair treatment by rich leaders

First Punic War

264BC - 241BC. Rome fought Carthage over who would control Sicily. Rome won and built powerful navy.

Battle of Zama

202 BC. The Roman general Scipio defeated the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal. Rome becomes top power in western Mediterranean.

Destruction of Carthage

146 BC. Rome burns Carthage to the ground during Third Punic War. Survivors sold into slavery.

Caesar Crosses the Rubicon

49 BC. Julius Caesar led army across Rubicon River to start a civil war. This broke Roman law and led to his ultimate power. Famous term “Crossing the Rubicon” - means point of no return.

Assassination of Julius Caesar

44 BC. A group of senators stabbed Caesar to death on the Ides of March. They wanted to save the Republic, but instead caused more civil wars.

Battle of Actium

31 BC. Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle. Octavian became the sole ruler of the Roman world.

Beginning of Pax Romana (Empire)

27 BC. Octavian took title “Augustus” and became first Roman emperor. Long period of peace and trade across Mediterranean.

Great Fire of Rome

64 AD. Massive fire destroys much of Rome. Emperor Nero blamed Christians (new religious group) and started harsh punishments.

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

79 AD Volcano erupted and buried Roman city of Pompeii under ash. Ruins preserved today.

Colosseum completed

80 AD. Emperor Titus opened Flavian amphitheater, known as the Colosseum. It hosted gladiator games and public shows

Roman Empire reaches peak

117 AD. Under Emperor Trajan, the Roman Empire reaches its largest size. It stretched from Britain to Middle East

Edict of Caracalla

212 AD. Emperor Caracalla gave free male inhabitants in the empire full Roman citizenship

Crisis of the Third Century

235 AD - 284 AD. Rome suffered from civil wars, bad economy and foreign invasions. The empire almost collapsed before strong emperors restored order.

Edict of Milan

313 AD. Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal in Rome. Christians could now worship openly without fear of death.

Founding of Constantinople

330 AD. Constantine moved the capital of the empire to the east. He named the new capital Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)

The Sack of Rome

410 AD. Visigoths (a Germanic tribe) broke into Rome and looted the city. It shocked ancient world because Rome had not fallen to an enemy for 800 years.

Fall of Western Roman Empire

476 AD. Germanic leader Odoacer forced last western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, off the throne. Historians use this date to mark end of ancient Rome in the west.