Timeline of the Roman Empire

Timeline of the Roman Empire

753 BC – Traditional date for the founding of Rome by Romulus; Rome as a kingdom
753/715 BC – reign of Romulus
715/673 BC – reign of Numa Pompilius: creation of the Roman senate and the priestly offices

7th century BC
673/642 BC – reign of Tullus Hostilius: building of the Curia Hostilia – the senate-house
642/617 BC – reign of Ancus Marcius
617/578 BC – reign of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus: building of the Circus Maximus, Rome gets the first system of sewers

6th century BC
Timeline of the Roman Republic 578/534 BC – reign of Servius Tullius: defined the sacred boundary of Rome - the pomerium; first census
534/509 BC – reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last Roman king: builds temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
509 BC – Roman Republic begins: expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus: first consuls are Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus
508 BC – The office of pontifex maximus (high priest) is created

5th century BC
496 BC – Rome defeat the Etruscans at the battle of Lake Regillus
494 BC – Two tribunes of the plebs and two plebeian aediles are elected for the first time
459 BC – The college of the tribune of the Plebs is raised from two to ten tribunes
451 BC – The Decemviri publishes the Twelve Tables of Roman law
447 BC – Assembly of the People created: two quaestors elected for the first time
445 BC - Marriage between patricians and plebeians allowed
443 BC
The office of consul is replaced by an assembly of military tribune with consular powers, the Tribuni militum consulari potestate for this year.
Office of Censor created. Duties of Censor were Consular duties until this point, where consuls are replaced.
421 BC – Number of quaestors raised from 2 to 4; office opened to plebeians
408 BC – Consul replaced with Tribuni militum consulari potestate .

4th century BC
396 BC
Rome captures and sacks the Etruscan city of Veii after a 10-year siege, the final assault was conducted by Marcus Furius Camillus
Roman soldiers earn their first salary
394 BC – Office of consul replaces Tribuni militum consulari potestate.
391 BC – Office of Tribuni militum consulari potestate replaces office of consul.
390 BC – The Gauls defeat the Roman army at the battle of the Allia; sack of Rome by the Gauls
375/371 BC – Anarchy years: no magistrates elected
367 BC – Office of consul replaces Tribuni militum consulari potestate for last time.
366 BC –
Elected the first non-patrician consul: Lucius Sextius Sextinus
Office of Praetor urbanus created
351 BC – Elected the first non-patrician censor
343 BC – Beginning of the First Samnite war
342 BC
Battle of Mount Gaurus.
Lex Genucia passed: no man can hold the same office before 10 years have elapsed from the first election
341 BC – Rome withdraws from the conflict with the Samnites. End of First Samnite war.
340 BC – Rome enters the Latin War on the side of the Samnites.
338 BC – End of the Latin War. Latin League dissolved, and territory placed under Roman control.
326 BC – Second Samnite war begins.
321 BC – Battle of the Caudine Forks.
316 BC – Battle of Lautulae.
311 BC – Etruscans join the Samnites against Rome.
310 BC – Battle of Lake Vadimo between Rome and the Etruscans.
308 BC – The Second Samnite war escalates when the Umbrians, Picentini, and Marsians join the war against Rome.
306 BC – The Hernici revolt against Rome (Livy ix. 42).
305 BC – Battle of Bovianum ends with Samnite defeat and the end of main Samnite resistance.
304 BC – Aequi defeated.
304 BC – End of the Second Samnite War. Rome establishes many new colonies and gains control over much of central and southern Italy.
300 BC – Lex Ogulnia passed: priesthoods opened to plebeians

3rd century BC
298 BC – Third Samnite war begins
298 BC – The Romans capture the Samnite cities of Taurasia, Bovianum Vetus and Aufidena.
297 BC – Consul Fabius Maximus Rullianus defeats the Samnites near Tifernum (Liv. 10.14).
295 BC – Battle of Sentinum.
294 BC – Samnite victory at Luceria.
293 BC – Battle of Aquilonia.
291 BC – The Romans storm the Samnite city of Venusia.
290 BC – End of the third Samnite War.
283 BC – Rome defeats the Etruscans and the Boii (a Gallic tribe) in the Battle of Lake Vadimo
281 BC - Mounting tensions between Rome and Tarentum. Tarentum appeals to Pyrrhus of Epirus for aid.
280 BC
Pyrrhus lands army in Italy. Beginning of the Pyrrhic War.
Battle of Heraclea
279 BC – Battle of Asculum.
275 – Battle of Beneventum.
272 BC
Pyrrhus withdraws to Epirus, end of the Pyrrhic War.
Tarentum surrenders to Rome.
267 BC – Number of quaestors raised from 4 to 6
264/241 BC – First Punic War against Carthage
242 BC - Office of Praetor peregrinus created
241 BC – Following the defeat of Carthage, Sardinia and Corsica becomes the first Roman province
229 BC – First Illyrian War begins.
227 BC
First Illyrian War ends with the surrender of Queen Teuta.
Number of quaestors raised from 6 to 8; number of praetors raised from 2 to 4
224 BC – Rome defeats invading Gallic army at the Battle of Telamon
223 BC – Rome defeats Gauls in Cisalpine Gaul
220 BC – Second Illyrian War begins.
219 BC – Second Illyrian War ends.
218/201 BC – Second Punic War against Carthage. Rome is defeated at the Battle of the River Trebia.
216 BC – Hannibal inflicts a disaster for Rome at the Battle of Cannae
214/205 BC – First Macedonian War, Romans defeated
213/211 BC – Siege of Syracuse, Rome captures the city
204/202 BC – Scipio Africanus Major invades Africa, Hannibal recalled and defeated in the Battle of Zama in 202 BC
202/196 BC – Second Macedonian War, Roman victory

2nd century BC
197 BC
Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Tarraconensis become Roman provinces
Number of quaestors raised from 8 to 12; number of praetors raised from 4 to 6
192/189 BC – Syrian war against the Seleucid dynasty
180 BC – Lex Villia annalis: established minimum ages for the cursus honorum offices; determined an interval of two years between offices
172/167 BC – Third Macedonian War, Roman victory
154/138 BC – War against the Lusitanians
149/146 BC – Third Punic War against Carthage
149/148 BC – Fourth Macedonian War
149 BC – A permanent extortion court is established by Lex Calpurnia
146 BC – Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (Scipio Africanus the Younger) puts an end in the Punic and Macedonian threat by destroying the cities of Carthage and Corinth; Macedonia and Africa are annexed as provinces
133 BC – The tribune Tiberius Gracchus is murdered after approving an agrarian reform
121 BC
Rome acquires the province of Transalpine Gaul (south of modern France) and a safe land route to Hispania
The Senate approves the first Senatus consultum de re publica defenda to deal with the threat of violence started by tribune Gaius Gracchus
112 BC – Jugurthine War against king Jughurta of Numidia begins.
107 BC
Gaius Marius elected consul based on election promise to end the war in one year.
Marian reforms of the Roman Legions put into effect.
106 BC
Gaius Marius elected consul a second time, and in absentia, to continue the Jugurthine War.
105 BC
Jugurthine War ends with the capture of Jughurta.
The invading tribe of the Cimbri inflict a major defeat on the Roman army in the battle of Arausio
104/102 BC - Gaius Marius elected consul for three years in a row
102 BC - Consular armies under Gaius Marius defeat Teutons in the Battle of Aquae Sextiae
101 BC - Romans under Marius (proconsul) and Quintus Lutatius Catulus (consul) defeat the Cimbri in the Battle of Vercellae
100 BC
Gaius Marius elected consul for a 6th time.
Political scandal surrounding Lucius Appuleius Saturninus forces Gaius Marius to retire from public life.

1st century BC
A graphical timeline is available here:
Timeline of the Roman Empire91/88 BC – Social wars, the last rebellion of the Italian nations against Rome
88 BC – Sulla crosses the pomerium with his legions and invades Rome
88/85 BC – First Mithridatic War against Mithridates VI of Pontus
83/82 BC – First Roman civil war, between Sulla and the popular faction; Sulla wins and becomes dictator; censor office abolished (to be recreated in 70 BC)
83/82 BC – Second Mithridatic War; Sulla returns to Rome and is nominated dictator
82/72 BC – Sertorius, the last Marian general continues the civil war in Hispania
74/66 BC – Third Mithridatic War, eventually won by Pompey
67 BC – Pompey clears the Mediterranean of pirates
63 BC –
Fall of Jerusalem
consulship of Cicero; Catiline conspiracies The Roman Julius Caesar epic era
59/54 BC – An informal coalition is formed by Gaius Julius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus to govern the Roman republic. This coalition is often referred to as the First triumvirate, even though it did not have the official sanction of law required for a legal triumvirate.
58/50 BC – Caesar fights the Gallic wars, acquiring the province of Gallia Comata,
54/53 BC – First campaign against the Parthian Empire; Crassus utterly defeated and killed
49 BC – Caesar crosses the Rubicon (alea iacta est) and begins the Second Roman civil war against the Optimates, the conservative faction of the senate, led by Pompey
48/45 BC – Caesar pursues and defeats the Optimates in Greece and Africa
44 BC – Caesar is assassinated in the Ides of March
44/42 BC – Third Roman civil war, between the assassins of Caesar (led by Cassius and Brutus) and Caesar's heirs, Octavian and Mark Antony
43 BC – Octavian, Antony and Lepidus form the second triumvirate
36 BC – Antony's Parthian campaign ends in failure
32 BC – End of peaceful relations between Octavian and Antony
31 BC – In the battle of Actium, Octavian decisively defeats Antony and Cleopatra
30 BC – Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide; Egypt becomes a Roman province
27 BC – End of the Republic, beginning of the Roman Empire: Octavian is now called Augustus Caesar and becomes the sole ruler of Rome
28/24 BC – Augustus' campaigns against the Cantabrians in Hispania Tarraconensis (see Cantabrian Wars)
16/15 BC – Augustus' campaigns against the Alpine tribes
12/7 BC – Tiberius and Drusus conquer Pannonia and campaign against the Germanic tribes

1st century. In this age of empires rise of rome, becomes more a slower growth, but still massive gains.
5 – Tiberius conquers Germania Inferior
6 – Judaea becomes a Roman province
6/9 – Rebellions in Pannonia and Dalmatia suppressed by Germanicus
9 – Three Roman legions are ambushed and massacred by the Germans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
11 – Germania Inferior and the Rhine secured by Germanicus
14 – Death of Augustus, Tiberius becomes emperor
14/15 – Germanicus campaigns against the Germanic tribes
25 – Caesar Germanicus adopts his nephew Castor as his heir
26 – Tiberius retires to Capri, governing Rome by proxy
28 – The tribe of the Frisii rebel because of taxes
31 – The fall of Sejanus
37 –Caligula becomes emperor
41 –Claudius becomes emperor
43 – Claudius orders the Roman invasion of Britain
54 –Nero becomes emperor
58/63 – Nero orders war then peace with Parthia. Armenia is secured.
60/61 – Boudica, queen of the Iceni, leads a rebellion in Britain
64 – Great Fire of Rome
66/74 – Jewish rebellions in Judea
68 – military coup leads to Nero's suicide – end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty; succeeded by Galba
69 – Year of the four emperors: after the assassination of Galba, Otho and Vitellius briefly become emperors before Vespasian's accession to power in the end of the year; Flavian dynasty begins
69/70 – Civilis leads the Batavian rebellion in Germania Inferior; defeated by Quintus Petillius Cerialis
71/84 – Pacification of Britain, conquest of modern Wales and Scotland
79 –
Titus Flavius becomes emperor
August 24, An eruption of Vesuvius destroys much of Pompeii and Herculaneum
80 – Rome partially destroyed by fire
81 – Domitian becomes emperor
85 – King Decebalus of Dacia rebels and invades Moesia
89 – Rebellions in Germania Inferior and Pannonia force peace with Decebalus of Dacia
96 – Domitian killed – end of Flavian dynasty; succeeded by Nerva, the first of the Five good emperors
98 – Trajan becomes emperor

2nd century
101/102 – First Dacian War
105/106 – Second Dacian War; king Decebalus commits suicide and Dacia becomes a province
106 – Building of Trajan's Forum and construction of Trajan's column
113/117 – Trajan's successful campaigns against the Parthian Empire
115/117 – Jewish rebellions in Egypt
117 – Hadrian becomes emperor
121/125 – Hadrian travels through the Northern Empire
122 – construction of Hadrian's Wall begins
128/132 – Hadrian travels through Africa and the Eastern Empire
131/135 - Jewish rebellions led by Simon bar Kokhba
138 – Antoninus Pius becomes emperor
140/143 – After a rebellion Antoninus conquers Scotland; construction of Antonine Wall begins
150/163 – rebellions in Scotland, Antonine Wall is abandoned and reoccupied several times
161 – Marcus Aurelius becomes emperor
162/166 – Lucius Verus successful campaigns against the Parthian Empire
167 – The tribe of the Marcomanni crosses the Danube and invades Dacia
168/175 – Marcus Aurelius' campaigns against the Marcomanni
180 – Death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Five good emperors; Commodus becomes emperor
184 – Antonine Wall abandoned for the last time
193 – Commodus is murdered. After the short two and a half month reign of Pertinax, Septimius Severus becomes emperor. There is opposition from first from Pescennius Niger, then from Clodius Albinus
197 – Septimius Severus secures the empire after the battle of Lugdunum
198 – Septimius Severus invades Parthia

3rd century
208/211 – Severus campaigns against the Caledonians
211 – Severus dies. His son Caracalla becomes emperor
217 – Caracalla murdered; Macrinus becomes emperor
218 – Elagabalus usurps the throne
222 – Elagabalus is murdered. Alexander Severus becomes emperor
231-3 – War against Persia
235 – Alexander killed in a soldier mutiny. Maximinus Thrax becomes emperor.
238 – After revolts in Africa and Rome, Gordian III becomes emperor.
241 – Victory over the Persians at Resaina.
244 – Romans defeated at Misiche. Philip the Arab becomes emperor.
249 – Decius usurps the throne with support from the Danubian legions.
251 – Decius defeated and slain by Cniva, king of the Goths. Gallus becomes emperor.
252 – King Shapur I of Persia defeats the Romans at Barbalissos.
253 – Valerian and his son Gallienus become emperors. Shapur captures Antioch.
257 – Valerian retakes Antioch. The Franks invade Gaul and Spain. The Alemanni invades Italy but are defeated at Milan.
258 – Goths invade Asia Minor
260 – Valerian is taken captive by the Persians. Retreating Persian army attacked by Odaenathus of Palmyra. Postumus proclaimed emperor in Gaul. He is also supported in Spain and Britain.
267 – Odaenathus assassinated. His widow Zenobia takes control of Palmyra
268 – Gallienus defeats Gothic invasion, but is later assassinated. Claudius II becomes emperor.
269 – Postumus is killed. Victorinus proclaimed emperor in Gaul and Britain. The Palmyrenes takes Egypt and Syria. Claudius defeats the Goths at Naissus in Moesia.
270 – Claudius dies of plague. Aurelian becomes emperor.
271 – Aurelian campaigns against the Vandals, Juthungi and the Sarmatians. Victorinus is murdered and his soldiers proclaim Tetricus I emperor
272 – Aurelian defeats Zenobia at Antioch and Emesa and takes Palmyra. Zenobia is captured. The province of Dacia is abandoned.
273 – Palmyra revolts. The city is destroyed by Aurelian.
274 – Aurelian defeats the army of Tericus at the Catalaunian fields.
275 – Aurelian is murdered. Tacitus becomes emperor.
276 – Tacitus dies. Probus becomes emperor.
277 – The Burgundians, Longiones, Alemanni and Franks defeated.
279 – Probus campaigns against the Vandals in Illyricum.
282 – Carus proclaimed emperor. Probus killed by his own troops.
283 – Carus dies during an invasion of Persia. His son Numerian becomes emperor.
284 – Numerian dies. Diocletian becomes emperor.
285 – Diocletian appoints Maximian co-emperor and assigns to him the western half.
286 – Carausius revolts in Britain.
293 – Diocletian appoints Constantius I and Galerius as caesars. Carausius murdered by Allectus who proclaims himself emperor.
296 – Allectus defeated and slain.
299 – Galerius defeats the Sarmatians and the Carpi

4th century
301 – Diocletian issues the Edict on Maximum Prices.
303 – Diocletian orders the persecution of Christians.
305 – Diocletian and Maximian abdicates. Constantius and Galerius becomes Augusti. Maximinus is appointed Caesar in the east and Severus in the west.
306 – Constantius dies at York. His son Constantine I proclaimed emperor. Maxentius, son of Maximian, proclaims himself emperor in Rome.
307 – Maxentius reinvest his father Maximian with the purple. Severus is put to death. Galerius lay siege to Rome.
308 – Conference of Carnuntum. Diocletian convinces Maximian to step down. Licinius appointed Augustus.
310 – Maximian again proclaims himself emperor, but is captured by Constantine. He commits suicide.
311 – Galerius dies at Sardica. Maximinus and Licinius split his realm between them.
312 – Constantine defeats and kills Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. Licinius marries Constantine's sister Constantia
313 –
Licinus defeats Maximinus twice. Maximinus dies at Tarsus.
Constantine issues Edict of Milan, making all religions legal.
314 – Constantine defeats Licinius at Cibalae
316 – Diocletian dies.
317 – Constantine defeats Licinius on the Campus Ardiensis. Licinius forced to cede all his European provinces except Thrace.
318 – Excommunication of Arius.
324 – Constantine defeats Licinius at the Hebrus River and at Chrysopolis. Licinius abdicates.
325 – The Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.
326 – Constantine orders the death of his oldest son, Crispus.
330 – Constantine makes Constantinople the capital.
332 – Constantine campaigns against the Goths.
334 – Constantine campaigns against the Sarmatians.
337 – Constantine dies at Nicomedia. His three sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans become emperors.
338 – Constantine II defeats the Alemanni. War with Persia.
340 – Constantine II invades Italy. He is ambushed and slain by Constans at Aquileia.
341 – Constans and Constantius II issues a ban against pagan sacrifice.
347 – The Donatists revolt in Africa.
348 – Constantius defeats the Persians at the Battle of Singara.
350 – Magnentius proclaims himself emperor in the west. Constans is captured and killed. Julius Nepotian attacks Rome with a band of gladiators
351 – Constantius appoints his cousin Constantius Gallus as Caesar. Magnentius is defeated at Mursa.
353 – Constantius defeats Magnentius at Mons Seleuci. Magnentius commits suicide.
354 – Gallus is put to death.
355 – Julian is appointed Caesar in Gaul.
357 – Julian defeats the Franks at Strasbourg.
360 – With a Persian war imminent, Constantius orders Julian to send several legions east. The troops mutinies and proclaims Julian Augustus.
361 – Constantius dies of illness, naming Julian his successor. Julian openly declares himself a pagan, but his attempt at creating a pagan rejuvinal leads to nought.
363 – Julian invades Persia, but forced to retreat, he is mortally wounded during a skirmish. the soldiers hail Jovian as emperor.
378 – Valens is defeated and killed by the Goths at the Battle of Adrianople.
395 – Theodosius I divided the empire into two halves.

Get a Mousemat of the Roman Empire of 395 AD

5th century The Roman Empires fall begins. You could say empires, as it it split up so much.
410 – Rome is sacked by Alaric I A site telling the story of the fall of Rome, and how it affected Britain, this is the traditional date for the leaving of Rome from Britain.
447 – Eastern Rome loses to Attila the Hun
455 – Rome is plundered by the Vandals
457 – Majorian becomes western emperor.
461 – Majorian is deposed by the magister militum Ricimer. Libius Severus becomes western emperor.
465 – Libius Severus dies possibly poisoned by Ricimer.
467 – Anthemius becomes western emperor with the support of Leo I.
468 – War against the Vandals by the joint forces of both empires. Naval expedition ends in failure.
472 –
Ricimer kills Anthemius and makes Olybrius new western emperor.
Both Ricimer and Olybrius dies of natural causes. Gundobad becomes magister militum in Italy.
473 – Gundobad makes Glycerius new western emperor.
474 –
Gundobad leaves Italy to take part in a succession struggle among the Burgundians.
Glycerius deposed by Julius Nepos who proclaims himself western emperor.
475 – Julius Nepos forced to flee to Dalmatia by his magister militum Orestes. Orestes proclaims his own son Romulus Augustus western emperor.
476 – Germanic general Odoacer kills Orestes, forces Romulus Augustus to abdicate and proclaims himself King of Italy. Traditional date for the fall of the western Roman Empire.
480 – Julius Nepos, still claiming to be emperor, is killed in Dalmatia. De jure end of the western Roman Empire.

6th century and beyond
533 – Justinian I begins to restore the empire in the west; Belisarius defeats the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimum and the Battle of Ticameron
536 – Belisarius recaptures Rome from the Ostrogoths
552 – Narses defeats the Ostrogoths at the Battle of Taginae
553 – Narses defeats the Ostrogoths at the Battle of Mons Lactarius
568 – The Lombards invade Italy; no further attempts to restore the empire
607 – Emperor Phocas donates The Pantheon to the Pope and has a column erected in the Forum.
663 – Constans II is the last emperor to visit Rome, and the city gradually slips out of imperial control.

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