The Romans
Founding of Rome
• 753 BC Traditional
date of Rome’s
founding in Latium
• Romulus and Remus
• Rape of the Sabine
Women
• Aeneas
Etruscans
• Greeks established
themselves in Italy in the
7th Century BC
• Tarquinius Priscinus
became first king of
Rome in 7th Century BC
• Etruscans contributed
many of the amenities
that Romans enjoyed
• 510 BC Last of the
Etruscan kings defeated
after Junius Brutus
avenged the rape of
Lucretia
Political Structure
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Senate
Consuls
Praetor
Centuriate Assembly
Council of the Plebs
(471 BC)
Struggle of the Orders
• Patricians and Plebeians
• 494 BC First secession of
the plebeians; creation of
the office of tribune of the
plebs
• 471 BC Creation of the
Council of the Plebs
• 450 Publication of the
Twelve Tables
• 445 Canuleian law: right
of plebeians to marry
patricians
• 367 Licinian-Sextus laws:
one consul may be a
plebeian
• 342 One consul may be a
plebeian, but one must be
• 287 Hortensian law: laws
passed by Council of the
Plebs are binding to both
classes
Conquest of Italy
• 493 Latin alliance
• 396 Fall Veii
• 390 Rome sacked by
Gauls
• 343-290 Samnite Wars
• 340-338 Revolt of Latin
allies
• 338 Creation of the
Roman confederation
• 281-267 Pyrrhic War
The Early Republican Army
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Roman legions
Citizen soldiers
Quincunx
Velites
Hastati
Principes
Triarii
Centurion
Cavalry
First Punic War 264-241
• Began as a result of
Rome sending an army to
support the city of
Messina in Sicily
• 262 Battle of Agrigentum
• Siege and naval warfare
• 260 Battle of Mylae
• 255 & 253 Fleets lost to
storms
• 241 Battle of Aegates
Islands
• Results
Second Punic War 218-201BC
• 238 Sardinia and
Corsica seized
• Hamilcar Barca
began conquest of
Spain
• Hannibal Barca
• 218 Siege of
Saguntum
• War declared
War
• Hannibal crossed the
Alps
• Nov 218 Battle of
Ticinus River
• Dec. 218 Battle of the
Trebia River
• June 24, 217 Battle of
Trasimene
• Dictatorship of Fabius
Crucial Events
• Gaius Varro
• Lucius Paullus
• Aug. 2, 216 Battle of
Cannae
• Macedonia joins
Hannibal as do
numerous Gallic and
Italian cities
• Change in strategy
Turning Points
• Scipio invaded Spain
• Hannibal recalled to
Africa
• Oct. 19?, 202 Battle
of Zama
• Carthage besieged
• Surrender
• Aftermath
Third Punic War 149-146
• “Ceterum censeo
Carthaginem esse
delendam”
• False provocation
• Siege of Carthage
• End of Carthaginian
independence
Rome vs. Macedonia
• First Macedonian War 215-205
Inconclusive
• Second Macedonian War 200196
• 197 Battle of Cynoscephalae
• Greece came under Roman
control
• Third Macedonian War 172167
• Macedonia divided into 4
republics
• Fourth Macedonian War 151146
• Macedonia annexed to Rome
Rome in Transition
• Pergamum annexed
in 133
• Latifundia
• Reforms of Tiberius
Gracchus 163-133
• Reforms of Gaius
Gracchus 153-121
Gaius Marius 157-86
• Jugurthine War 112105
• Novus homo
• First consulship 107
• Held six more in his
lifetime
Marian Reforms of the Roman
Army
• Legionary eagles
• Removed property
requirements
• Professional army
• Foreign auxiliary
• Allegiance given to
commanding general
Marius vs. Sulla
• Lucius Sulla 138-78
• Social War 91-88
• War with Mithridates
VI of Pontus
• Marius allied himself
with a tribune and had
Sulla replaced in 88
• Sulla marched on
Rome; Marius fled to
Africa
Roman Civil War 84-82
• 84 Marius returned to
Rome; died 2 weeks
later
• Proscription lists
• 83 Sulla and Pompey
the Great
• Nov 82 Battle of the
Colline Gate
• 83-80 Sulla as
dictator
Pompey and Crassus
• Pompey 106-48 sent
to Spain
• Marcus Crassus 11553
• 73-71 Spartacus
Revolt
• 70 Pompey and
Crassus as consul
• 63 Pompey took
Jerusalem
Julius Caesar
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Born July 100
Early life
Political career
62 First Triumvirate;
Pompey, Crassus,
Caesar
• Caesar in Gaul 58-51
Caesar and Pompey
• 53 Crassus killed at
Carrhae
• 52 Pompey ruled as sole
consul due to social
unrest
• 50 Caesar requests
second consulship in
absentia
• 49 Pompey declared for
the Senate and Caesar
recalled to stand trial
Great Civil War 49-44
• Jan. 11, 49 Rubicon
• Pompey to Greece;
Caesar to Spain
• Jan. 4, 48 Caesar in
Greece
• Aug. 9, 48 Battle of
Pharsalus
• Pompey to Egypt
Great Civil War
• Oct. 2, 48 Caesar in
Egypt
• Cleopatra
• Aug. 2, 47 Battle of
Zela
• April 46 Battle of
Thapsus
• 45 Battle of Munda
Caesar in Power
• Dictator for life
• Twice offered
kingship
• Reforms
• Ides of March 44 BC
• Assassination
Marc Antony and Octavian
• Funeral of Caesar
• Octavian named
Caesar’s heir
• Second Triumvirate
• Oct. 3 & 23, 42 Battle
of Philippi
• Antony to the east;
Octavian Rome
Civil War
• 31 War between
Octavian and Antony
• Sept. 2, 31 Battle of
Actium
• Antony and Cleopatra
commit suicide
• Octavian sole ruler of
Rome