Ancient Rome

Historical founding of Rome, exact date unknown.

Legendary founding of Rome by Romulus.

Rome rebels against the Etruscan kings and establishes a republic.

Plebeians revolt against the patrician class in Rome.

Invasion of the Guals (French)

Wars with the Etruscans, Samnites, and Guals.

Plebeians withdraw from Rome to gain equality under Roman law.

First Punic war against Carthage.

Rome seizes the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica.

Second Punic war-Hannibal uses elephants to cross the Alps and invade Rome

Roman provinces established in Spain, Southern France, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, and Northern Africa.

Third Punic War-Roman Army destroys Carthage.

Civil wars between warlords

Sparticus leads slave uprising against the Roman Army.

Julius Caesar conquers Gaul.

Rome controls entire Mediterranean region.

Julius Caesar and troops cross the Rubicon River, causing and winning a civil war; Caesar declares himself dictator of Rome for life.

Caesar assassinated; in Rome, Octavian shares the control of the Roman Empire with Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra, in Egypt.

Civil war begins anew.

Octavian defeats Mark Antony.

Mark Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide to prevent being taken back to Rome.

Reign to Octavian, first emperor and now called Augustus Caesar; end of the Republic.

Pontius Pilate orders the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (around A.D. 30).

Reign of Caligula.

Reign of Claudius, conquest of Britain.

Reign of Nero, great fire in Rome blamed on the Christians.

Civil wars

Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroys the city of Pompeii.

Pax Romana; peaceful and prosperous period.

Trade declines; chaos in the Empire; wars with Persians and Germans; civil wars.

Worship of the emperor and Roman gods made compulsory, Christians who refused were killed.

Goth invasion; Corinth and Sparta sacked.

Reign of Diocletian; division of Empire into Western (Rome) and Eastern (Byzantine); peaceful time.

Reign of the Constantine the Great, who reunites the Empire; first Christian emperor, makes Christianity tolerated throughout the Empire; establishes Constantinople as the capital of the Empire.

Pagan religions forbidden and followers persecuted.

Empire permanently divided into East and West.

Roman Empire invaded and weakened by invasion of barbarians in 406; Invasion of the Rhine frontier; Germans overrun Gaul (France).

Invasion and capture of Rome by Visigoth barbarians.

Invasion by Attila and the Huns

Romulus Augustulus deposed, Western Roman Empire ends; Dark Age begins; Eastern Empire unaffected.

Eastern Emperor Justinian reconquers Italy and North Africa.

Eastern (Byzantine) Empire loses Egypt and Syria to Islamic armies.

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks ends the Holy Roman (Byzantine) Empire.