Roman History for Dummies-a very abbreviated timeline of important events
Pre-history
Brutus and Collatinus- led the
overthrow of the monarchy and
Aeneas, Trojan hero journeys around
established the Republic; became first
the Mediterranean, comes to Italy and consuls
becomes king of the Latins; his
Republic (509-27BC)
descendants are Romulus and Remus
2nd- 218- 201- Hannibal brings
elephants to Italy, wins Battles of
Trebia River, Lake Trasimene, Cannae
Scipio Africanus and Rome- later win
at the Battle of Zama; Carthage
effectively destroyed
42 BC- Battle of Pharsalus between
Brutus’ followers and Caesar’s
followers (Antony, Octavian)
Livy- Roman historian who writes Ab Early war with Etruscans in an
urba condita (From the founding of the attempt to restore the monarchy;
city); important source of information notable events in the war:
about Roman legends and heroes
Horatius- single-handedly defended a
bridge over the Tiber; allowing the
Monarchy (753-509 BC)
Romans to retreat back to the city
Romulus and Remus- twin sons of
Mucius Scaevola- captured after
Rhea Silvia and Mars; abandoned to
sneaking into the Etruscan camp;
die but raised by wolf; grow up and
burns off his right hand to prove
decide to found a new city; they fight
over where it should be; Romulus kills bravery; earns the nickname “Lefty”
3rd- 149-146 BC- Carthage literally
destroyed; Rome wins
31 BC- Battle of ActiumAntony/Cleopatra versus OctavianOctavian begins
Remus and the city is called Rome.
Cloelia- taken hostage by Etruscans
and leads a group of girls across the
Tiber River to safety
Rape of the Sabine Women- Rome
needed women, so they invited the
Sabines to a festival and kidnapped all
Other important events:
their women.
458 Cinncinnatus becomes dictator
but after the war is over, gives up
Seven Kings of Rome:
power and returns to his farm
1. Romulus
2. Numa Pompilius – religion
3. Tullus Hostilius- war
4. Ancus Marcius- building projects
5. Tarquinius Priscus
6. Servius Tullius- was a slave
7. Tarquinius Superbus- very bad; son
raped the Roman matron Lucretia- led
to the overthrow of the monarchy
390- Gauls Sack Rome; sacred geese
alert Romans of the attack attack
Punic Wars: (All versus Carthage)
1st- 264- 246- Rome wins, becomes
major player in the Mediterranean;
gets its first province- Sicilia
130s/120s BC- Gracchi brothers try to
bring out economic, social, and
political reform but they are killed
100s BC- Rivalry between Sulla and
Marius; republic begins to disintegrate
Second Triumverate (legal)Octavian, Marc Anthony, Lepidus
Empire (27BC- 476 AD)
Julio-Claudians (27-68): Augustus,
Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero
73-71 BC- Spartacus’s revolt
69 AD: Year of the Four Emperors
(Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian)
63 BC- Cicero is consul and exposes
the Catalinarian conspiracy
Flavian Dynasty (69-96): Vespasian,
Titus, Domitianus
First Triumverate- not legal; Julius
Caesar, Pompey, Crassus;
79 AD: Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
49 BC- Julius Caesar crosses the
Rubicon and marches on Rome
civil war between Pompey and
Caesar
44BC- Julius Caesar assassinated,
led by Brutus and Cassius
96-180 AD: The Five Good
Emperors: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian,
Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
312- Battle of Milvian BridgeConstantine sees “in hoc signo, vinces”
in the sky and later converts to
Christianity
330- capital moved to Constantinople
395- the emperor splits in two
476- Rome sacked, end of empire
Actual Roman History Questions from the National Latin Exam
___________1. Which happened first according to Roman history and tradition?
A) Rome defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars B) Octavian defeated Marc Antony at Actium
C) Julius Caesar marched on Rome D) Horatius defended Rome from the Etruscans
___________2. Rome’s first province was Sicily, won in the First Punic War against
a. Egypt
b. Britain
c. Gaul
d. Carthage
__________3. Chronologically, which occurred first? a. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and destruction of
Pompeii b. Caesar’s conquest of Gaul
c. Octavian took the name Augustus
d. Hannibal cross the Alps into Italy
__________4. The first emperor of Rome who brought about a legnth period of peace known as the Pax
Romana was a. Romulus
b. Augustus
c. Constantine
d. Aeneas
__________5. Scipio Africanus the Elder is best remember for
a. writing de Bello Gallico b. expelling the last king of Rome
c. revising the calender
d. defeating Hannibal
__________6. What leader of the early Roman republic became dictator in an emergency and later
returned to farming?
a. Horatius
b. Tiberius
c. Cincinnatus d. Romulus
__________7. What Carthaginian general led his troops across the Alps to Italy during the Second
Punic War? a. Pyrrhus
b. Jugurtha c. Hannibal d. Mithridates
__________8. What emperor moved the capital of the Empire to Byzantium, renaming the city after
himself?
a. Constantine
b. Tiberius
c. Nero
d. Trajan
__________9. According to Roman legend, the shepherd Faustulus found the twins Romulus and
Remus being nursed by a(n):
a. bear
b. wolf
c. lion
d. snake
__________10. Which emperor, who built the Domus Aurea, was blamed for the great fire of Rome in
A.D. 64?
a. Augsuts
b. Vespasian
c. Trajan
d. Nero
_________11. In 510 BC, Brutus and Collatinus were responsible for the
a. destruction of Alba Longa
b. defeat of Hannibal
c. expulsion of Rome’s last king
d. kidnapping of the Sabine women
_________12. Romulus: Monarchy::_____________: Empire
a. Cicero
b. Brutus
c. Aeneas
d. Augustus
__________13. In the battles of Trasimene, Cannae, and Zama, the Roman army fought against
a. the Gauls
b. the Carthaginians
c. the army of Cleopatra
d. the assassins of Julius Caesar
__________14. What foreign invaders sacked Rome in 390 BC and were finally defeated by Julius
Caesar in their own homeland in 52 BC?
a. Gauls
b. Etruscans
c. Greeks
d. Germans
__________15. Five Roman armies were defeated by a force of slaves led by this escaped gladiator:
a. Hannibal
b. Pompey
c. Scipio
d. Spartacus
__________16. The legendary Roman patriot who helped depose the last king of Rome and who was
elected first consul of the Roman Republic was:
a. Brutus
b. Appius Claudius c. Cincinnatus
d. Romulus
__________17. Quis sum? Eram rēgina ultima Aegyptiōrum. Duō imperātorēs mē amāvērunt.
a. Caesar
b. Dīdō
c. Antonius
d. Cleopatra
__________18. Which Roman emperor, fighting under the sign of the cross and the words in hōc signō
vinces, was the first to accept Christianity?
a. Romulus b. Constantine
c. Augustus
d. Aeneas
__________19. During which period of Rome’s history did Augustus Caesar, Nero, and Trajan rule?
a. Prehistoric
b. Monarchy
c. Republic
d. Empire
__________20. Horatius Cocles, Mucius Scaevola, and Cincinnatus were
a. members of the First Triumvirate
b. early Roman patriots
c. Julius Caesar’s lieutenants
d. well-known Roman writers
__________21. Which of these emperors was at one time known as Octavian?
a. Augustus b. Tiberius
c. Caligula
d. Nero