| 753 | Traditional, mythological date: foundation of Rome. |
|---|---|
| 450 | Constitution, The Twelve Tables, First written constitution in Western civilization. (Greek city-states did not have written constitutions) |
| 264 | Rome fights first Punic War (Punic= Phoenicia) with
Carthage. Carthage controls coast of North Africa. Rome wins Sicily. |
| 234 | Birth of Cato.
Symbol of early Roman Republic. (virtue, simplicity, selflessness). |
| 218 | Scipio Africanis vs. Hannibal. (Second Punic War). |
| 214 | Success of plays of Plautus. Old Republican virtues. |
| 205 | First Macedonian War. Rome vs. Greece. |
| 202 | Scipio defeats Hannibal. Battle outside Carthage. |
| 186 | Old Republican Rome of Cato. (Cicero memorializes as great time). |
| 167 | Polybius (Greek) to Rome,
Sign that Rome now new cultural center Praise Rome in history. |
| 160 | Scipio Africanis. Old Republican virtues. |
| 155 | Greek philosophy comes to Rome.
Polybius part of this "Greek" school. |
| 149 | Death of Cato. (death of "old" Republic). |
| 146 | Rome sacks Corinth and Carthage. (decline of morality?). |
| 133 | Revolt of Gracchi (Populist revolt). Rome politics in trouble. |
| 106 | Birth of Cicero.
Birth of Pompey. |
| 100 | Birth of Julius Caesar.
(d. 44 BC) |
| 94 | Birth of Lucretius.
(d. 55 BC) |
| 82 | Dictatorship of Sulla, Republic in crisis.
Cicero and Caesar born into crisis. |
| 77 | Success of young general Pompey.
Rival to Julius Caesar. |
| 70 | Birth of Virgil.
Born near Mantua. |
| 73 | Revolt of slaves under Spartacus.
Pompey puts them down. 6000 crucified along Via Appia. |
| 66 | Cicero prominent. Supports Pompey. |
| 63 | Cicero elected Consul (key executive position of Roman constitution). Catiline Conspiracy (Dec). Cicero speaks for death penalty. Makes lifelong enemies in this attempted coup against the republic. |
| 62 | Scandal of Clodius & Caesar's wife (Caesar
divorces). Cicero makes more enemies with his wit (Clodius). |
| 60 | First Triumvirate: Pompey, Caesar, Crassus. |
| 59 | Julius Caesar elected Consul. |
| 58 | Caesar: Conquest of Gaul.
Clodius effects exile of Cicero from Rome(to Greece). |
| 54 | Invasion of Britain.
Cicero: De Republica. |
| 51 | Cicero pushed out of Rome. Goes to Cilicia as governor. |
| 49 | (Jan 7) Senate passes ultimatum to Caesar: "Disband army."
(Jan 10) Caesar crosses the Rubicon, changes all of Roman history. (Mar) Caesar meets with Cicero, asks Cicero to join him. (Jun) Cicero turns against Caesar, joins Pompey . |
| 48 | (Aug 9) Caesar defeats Pompey (Battle
of Pharsalus, Greece). Pompey: 48,000 infantry, 7000 cavalry. Caesar: 22,000 infantry, 1000 cavalry. Plutarch: "Some few of the noblest Romans, standing as spectators outside the battle . . .could not but reflect to what a pass private ambition had brought the Empire . . .The whole flower and strength of the same city, meeting here in collision with itself, offered plain proof how blind and mad a thing human nature is when passion is aroused." Pompey flees to Egypt, murdered by Egyptians thinking this will gain them advantage with Caesar. Head presented to Caesar upon his arrival in Egypt. Caesar cries as contemplates sad end of his friend & competitor . Caesar with Cleopatra in Alexandria (makes her Queen of Egypt) . Cleopatra gives birth to Caesar's child. Later comes to Rome. |
| 47 | (Sep) Caesar returns to Italy.
Met at Taranto by Cicero, they make peace. (Oct) Caesar in Rome. |
| 45 | Cicero "retires from politics."
(Dec) beloved daughter Tullia dies. Caesar dines at Cicero's country home on Italian coast (see Letters). |
| 44 | (Ides of March)assass of Julius Caesar (Cicero present
at theater). Brutus confers with Cicero, now grand old man of Roman politics. Cicero opposes idea of assass but approves after the fact then laments nothing achieved by it. Cicero: De Senectute. Cicero: De Amicitia. Cicero: De Officiis (On Duties). Mark Antony seizes gov. (Aug)Cicero returns Rome, huge ovation, greeted by thousands as the only remaining Republican hero left in Rome, his moment of glory, greater fame and power than at any other time in his life . (Sep) Cicero launches First Philippic oration against Mark Antony. Cicero overnight becomes rallying point of old republican Rome. His enemy: Mark Antony. |
| 43 | (Aug) Second Triumvirate: Mark Antony, Lepidus, Octavian.
(Dec 7) Antony's men find Cicero, Cut off his head and hands and bring them to Forum in Rome. Mark Antony orders that they be nailed up in Forum Wants all to see within sight of Senate. And so ends the Republic of Rome. |
| 31 | Battle of Actium. Octavian(Augustus) defeats Antony. |
| 30 | Antony commits suicide thinking Cleopatra dead.
Octavian in Alexandria, Cleopatra tries to seduce, then suicide. Octavian (Augustus) supreme, begin of "Roman Empire." |
| 27 | Octavian becomes Caesar Augustus. Principate 27-14 AD . |
| 14 A.D. | Death of Augustus.
stepson succeeds. |
| 14 | Emperor Tiberias. Stepson of Aug & wife Livia succeeds Augustus. This was not the plan Augustus had in mind. |
| 29 | John the Baptist preaching.
foreshadowing of message of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| 33 | (April 3) Crucifixion. (see article, Humphreys, Nature: Dec 22 1983). |
| 37 | Caligula becomes Emperor. |
| 41 | Claudius succeeds as Emperor. |
| 51 | Paul in Athens.
Speading Christianity among the Gentiles. |
| 54 | Nero succeeds Claudius. Becomes Emperor. |
| 64 | Burning of Rome while Nero fiddles.
Blame Christians, massive persecutions, executions. Death of Peter and Paul in Rome. |
| 66 | Revolt in Judea.
Vespasian goes to quell rebels, destroy Temple(70 A.D.) |
| 67 | Nero makes "artistic" tour of Greece.
Rome still fascinated with Greece. |
| 68 | Army and Senate turns on Nero. Nero commits suicide at villa. |
| 69 | Vespasian Emperor. Son of humble tax collector. |
| 70 | Build Colosseum.
Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. |
| 79 | Titus succeeds Vespasian. Emperor Titus, son of Vespasian (Arch of Titus). |
| 476 | Last Emperor in the West to rule in Rome. (later Emperors rule in Ravenna as part of eastern Empire) |
Roman Colosseum. Photo by Nat Collins. Enlarge Image
