CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
Reading edition
YEAR DOMESTIC EVENTS EXTERNAL EVENTS
B.C.
753 Legendary date of the foundation of Rome
510 Legendary date of the expulsion of Tarquin, and establishment of the Republic
508 Legendary date of the Etruscan invasion under Lars Porsena
494 Legendary date of the First Secession of the Plebeians
480 Possibly authentic date of first treaty between Rome and the Latins, drawn up by Sp. Cassius
474 Defeat of the Etruscans by Syracuse
450 Legendary date of the Twelve Tables
387 Conquest of Rome by the Gauls
367 Licinian Laws. (1) forbid large holdings of public land; (2) compel landlords to employ a certain proportion of free labour
351 Conquest of S. Etruria by Rome Cære becomes the first civitas sine suffragio
348 First treaty of commerce between Rome and Carthage
343 to 266 Samnite Wars, involving subjugation of the Latins, and eventually of all Central Italy
321 Great defeat of the Romans at the Caudine Pass
312 Censorship of Appius Claudius including (1) publication of the laws; (2) construction of Via Claudia
281 to 275 War with Tarentum and Pyrrhus involving conquest of South Italy
268 First coinage of silver
264 to 241 First Punic War, involving conquest of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica—first transmarine provinces
264 First gladiatorial games at Rome
240 Livius Andronicus. Beginning of Roman literature
222 Defeat of the Cisalpine Gauls
220 Via Flaminia to Ariminum
218 to 201 Second Punic War
218 Lex Claudia forbids Senators to engage in commerce
216 Romans severely defeated at Cannæ
205 Introduction of Phrygian worship of Magna Mater
202 Victory of Scipio at Zama
201 Peace with Carthage involving cession of Spain
200 to 194 Second Macedonian War
196 Flaminius proclaims the liberty of Greece
190 Defeat of Antiochus the Great of Syria at Magnesia
186 7000 Romans condemned for the Bacchic orgies
184 Censorship of Cato the Elder. Death of Plautus. Basilica of Cato constructed
171 to 168 Third Macedonian War. Egypt accepts Roman suzerainty
165 1000 Greeks, including Polybius the historian, brought to Italy as hostages
161 Greek orators and philosophers expelled (vainly)
160 Adelphi of Terence performed
148 Macedonia becomes a province
146 On destruction of Carthage, Africa becomes a province
Great influx of Greek Art Corinth destroyed
133 Tribunate and agrarian programme of Tiberius Gracchus Kingdom of Attalus bequeathed to Rome, becomes province of Asia
123 Tribunate and agrarian programme of Gaius Gracchus. Establishment of the Equites as a political power
121 Province of Gallia Narbonensis, formed by conquest of S Gaul
112 to 106 War with Jugurtha: triumph of Marius
113 to 101 Army reforms and political power of Marius War with Cimbri and Teutons
91 War against the Italian allies (Social War)
88 Conquest of Rome by Sulla, and restoration of the Senate War with Mithradates of Pontus. Massacre of Romans
87 Revolution of Cinna and Marius with great massacre of nobles
82 Return of Sulla and proscription of the democrats Defeat of the Samnites at the Colline Gate of Rome
81 Sulla dictator. Cornelian Laws improve the judicial system. Cicero’s first speech Cisalpine Gaul becomes a province. Rome refuses Egypt
78 Date of extant buildings at Rome (1) the Tabularium, (2) the Temple of Fortuna Virilis
75 Bithynia and Cyrene made provinces (both bequeathed to Rome)
73 Insurrection of slaves under Spartacus
67 Pompeius defeats the pirates
63 Consulship of Cicero, who crushes the conspiracy of Catiline Pompeius ends the Mithradatic War. New provinces organised Cilicia, Bithynia with Pontus, Syria, and Crete
60 Union of Pompeius, Cæsar, and Crassus, “the First Triumvirate”
59 Consulship of Cæsar, and grant of the province of Gaul
58 Banishment of Cicero. Theatre of Curio built Cæsar defeats the Helvetians
57 Recall of Cicero Cæsar defeats the Nervu
56 Renewal of the “Triumverate” at Lucca Cæsar defeats the Veneti by sea
55 Dedication of theatre of Pompeius Cæsar invades Britain
54 Second invasion of Britain
53 Defeat of Crassus by the Parthians. Cæsar subdues the Treveri, and crosses the Rhine
52 Senate-house burnt in a riot. Pompeius passes laws against Cæsar Great revolt of Gaul under Vercingetorix crushed at Alesia
51 Final subjugation of Gaul Cicero governor of Cilicia
49 Cæsar begins the Civil War
48 Battle of Pharsalus, defeat of Pompeius Cæsar regulates Egypt, leaving Cleopatra as queen
46 Final defeat of Pompeians at Thapsus in Africa. Cæsar dictator. Dedication of new Forum Julium, and temple of Venus Genetrix
45 Cæsar enlarges the Senate and regulates the municipal constitutions of the Italian towns
44 Assassination of Cæsar. M. Antonius in command of Rome. Cicero’s Philippics
43 Octavian, Cæsar’s heir, with the consuls defeats Antony at Mutina, and is elected consul. Second Triumvirate formed, Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus. Proscription of the tyrannicide party, including Cicero
42 Battles of Philippi. Defeat of Brutus and Cassius. Temple of Saturn rebuilt
41 War at Perusia, in which Octavian crushes the revolt of L. Antonius M. Antonius with Cleopatra in Egypt
37 Library of Pollio founded. Octavian marries Livia
36 Sextus Pompeius defeated. Lepidus deprived of his army Antony defeated in Parthia
31 Defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium by Octavian
30 Publication of Horace’s Epodes Conquest of Egypt
29 Triumph of Cæsar Octavianus
28 Census and restoration of Senate. Mœsia made a province
Dedication of temple and library of Palatine Apollo, eighty-two temples restored
27 “Restoration of the Republic” really the beginning of the Empire. Octavian receives the title of Augustus. Pantheon of M. Agrippa built Provinces divided between Cæsar and Senate. Cæsar takes Spain, Gaul, Syria, and keeps Egypt
23 Augustus resigns the consulship. Death of Marcellus. Vergil’s Æneid, Horace’s Odes, i, ii, iii Failure of expedition to Arabia
20 Augustus in Asia. Submission of Parthians
19 Death of Vergil Conquest of North Spain
17 Julian “Laws of Morality”. Secular games. Horace as laureate. Augustus adopts Gaius and Lucius his grandsons
16 German invasion of Gaul. Defeat of Lothus
13 Theatre of Marcellus built Drusus in Gaul for conquest of Germany
12 Dedication of Ara Pacis Augustæ
9 End of Livy’s History Death of Drusus after four campaigns in Germany
8 Death of Horace and Mæcenas Tiberius in Germany
4 Death of Herod. Probable date of birth of Christ
2 Banishment of Julia
A.D.
2 Death of Lucius and mortal wounding of Gaius. Tiberius adopted
4 Building of “Maison Carrée” at Nismes Tiberius’s annual campaigns in Germany
6 Establishment of military chest at Rome. Temple of Castor rebuilt Judæa becomes a province (census of Quirinius) Great revolt in Pannonia
8 Banishment of Ovid Subjection of Pannonia
9 Defeat of Varus by Arminius in Germany
14 Death of Augustus. Succession of Tiberius. Political extinction of the comitia. Extension of law of treason and growth of informing (delatio) Revolt of Rhine and Danube armies quelled by Germanicus and Drusus
16 Germanicus defeats the Germans under Arminum’i at Idistavisus
27 Tiberius retires to Capri. Sejanus in command of Rome
37 Gaius Cæsar (Caligula), murdered by Prætorian guard Futile expedition towards Britain
41 Claudius New provinces incorporated Mauretania, Lycia, Thracia (46), and Judæa. Conquest of Britain begun (43)
54 Nero
55 Poisoning of Britannicus
61 Revolt of Boadicea in Britain
64 Fire at Rome, and first persecution of the Christians
68 Revolt of Vindex in Gaul and Galba in Spain
68 to 69 Year of the Four Emperors Galba, June-Jan. 69 Otho, Jan-April Vitellius, April-Dec.
69 Vespasian, “The Flavian Dynasty” Revolt of Batavians under Civilis
70 Erection of Colosseum, Arch of Titus, and Baths of Titus Siege and destruction of Jerusalem
79 Titus Eruption of Vesuvius Herculaneum buried in mud and Pompeii in ashes. Death of Elder Pliny
81 Domitian Progress of Agricola in Scotland. Construction of Rhætian limes
86 Wars against Dacians
96 Murder of Domitian
96 Nerva, repealed law of treason and reduced taxes
98 Trajan, built Forum Trajani, Basilica Ulpia, and Column of Trajan (101-102) First Dacian War. (105-107) Second Dacian War. Dacia becomes province (114-116) Invasion of Parthia, capture of Ctesiphon. New provinces: Armenia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Arabia
118 Hadrian, built Moles Hadriani, Temple of Venus and Rome, Pantheon, Villa at Tivoli, and Temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens Abandoned Armenia, Mesopotamia and Assyria. Grand tour of the empire. Hadrian’s wall in Britain. Revolt and destruction of the Jewish nation
138 Antoninus Pius, “The Antonine Dynasty.” Built Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
161 Marcus Aurelius. Plague in Italy. Statue and column of M. Aurelius War against Parthia. War with Marcomanni and Quadi. Emperor died at Vienna
180 Commodus
193 Pertinax murdered by soldiers Didius Julianus bought the throne
193 Septimius Severus proclaimed by the Illyrian legions. Great jurist Papinian flourishes Expedition to Britain. Emperor died at York. Strengthening of walls
211 Caracalla All inhabitants of provinces (except Egypt) become citizen
217 Baths of Caracalla finished
218 Elagabalus. Attempt to introduce Sun-worship
222 Severus Alexander. The jurist Ulpian and the historian Dio Cassius flourished New Persian Empire of the Sassanidæ begun
235 Maximinus Thrax
237 Gordianus I. and II. and III.
244 Philippus, the Arabian
249 Decius Persecution of Christians Defeat of the Goths in Thrace Decius fell in the fighting
251 Gallus
253 Æmilianus
253 Valerianus Wars against German invaders, Franks, Alemanni, and Goths. Expedition to Persia. Emperor capturedDecius fell in the fighting
260 Gallienus. Time of great confusion owing to pretenders. “The thirty tyrants” Tetricus sets up a rival empire in Gaul and Spain. Odenathus sets up an independent kingdom at Palmyra in Syria
268 Claudius Gothicus Defeats German invaders
270 Aurelian (“Restitutor Orbis”). Wall round Rome Sacrifices Dacia across the Danube to the Goths. Repulses Alemanni and Marcomanni from Italian soil. Defeats Zenobia and destroys Palmyra. Defeats Tetricus
273 Temple of the Sun constructed at Heliopolis (Ba’albek)
275 Tacitus (choice of the Senate)
276 Probus Drives back the Barbarians and restores the defences
282 Carus, then Numerianus, then Carinus
284 to 305 Diocletian resided chiefly at Nicomedia in Asia Minor, leaving the west to Maximian, Constantius and Galerius appointed Cæsars. Persecution of Christians Persians defeated, Egyptian and British revolts crushed
307 Six “Augusti” claiming the purple, Constantine of Britain among them
323 to 337 Constantine the Great (sole emperor). to Christianity recognised by the State
325 Arian conflict, Council of Nicæa
330 Building of Constantinople
361 to 363 Julian the Apostate endeavours to revive Paganism
375 Beginning of the great German folk-wanderings
379 to 395 Theodosius After Theodosius the division of the Empire becomes permanent Visigoths received in Mœsia if Christians Massacre of Thessalonica (St. Ambrose of Milan)
395 Arcadius rules the East. Honorius rules the West
WEST
400 Alaric invades Italy
402 Imperial residence transferred from Rome to Ravenna
410 Capture and sack of Rome by Alaric
415 Visigoths found a kingdom at Toulouse
429 Vandals found a kingdom in Africa
449 Anglo-Saxons begin to settle in Britain
451 Attila and the Huns defeated by Aetius and the Goths near Châlons
452 Foundation of Venice
476 Odoacer, barbarian general, deposes the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus
EAST
527 Justinian, emperor. Victories of Belisarius. Codification of law