A History of Rome to 565 A.D.

Chronological Table

Note. Owing to the uncertainty of the chronological record of early Roman history it must be admitted that little reliance can be placed upon the accuracy of most of the traditional dates prior to 281 B. C. For this period I have followed, in the main, Diodorus.

B. C.	?	Paleolithic Age.
	?	Neolithic Age. Ligurian settlement in Italy.
	2500–2000	Beginning of the Age of Bronze. Palafitte Lake Villages. Terramare villages.
	1000	Beginning of the Iron Age.
	IX–VIII cent.	Etruscan settlement in Etruria.
	814	Founding of Carthage.
	VIII cent.	Greek colonization of Sicily and South Italy begins.
	VII–VI cent.	Etruscan expansion in the Po Valley, Campania and Latium.
	508	Overthrow of Etruscan supremacy at Rome. End of the early monarchy. The first consuls appointed. Dedication of the Capitoline temple. Commercial treaty with Carthage.
	486	Alliance of Rome and the Latins.
	466	Four tribunes of the plebs appointed.
	444–2	The Decemvirate. Codification of the Law.
	437	Lex Canuleia.
	436	Office of military tribune with consular powers established.
	435	Censorship established.
	392	Capture of Veii.
	387	Battle of the Allia. Sack of Rome by the Gauls.
	362	The praetorship established.
	339	Lex Publilia.
	338–6	The Latin War.
	334	Alliance of Rome and the Campanians.
	325–304	Samnite War.
	318	The Caudine Forks.
	309–7	War with the Etruscans.
	310	Appius Claudius Censor.
	300	Lex Ogulnia.
	298–290	War with Samnites, Etruscans and Gauls.
	295	Battle of Sentinum.
	290	Subjugation of Samnium.
	287	Secession of the Plebs. Lex Hortensia.
	285	Occupation of the Ager Gallicus. Defeat of Gauls and Etruscans at Lake Vadimo.
	281–272	War with Tarentum and Pyrrhus.
	280	Battle of Heraclea.
	279	Battle of Ausculum. Alliance of Rome and Carthage.
	278	Pyrrhus invades Sicily.
	275	Battle of Beneventum.
	264–241	First Punic War.
	263	Alliance of Rome and Syracuse.
	260	Naval Victory at Mylae.
	256–5	Roman invasion of Africa.
	250	Roman naval disaster at Drepana.
	242	Battle of the Aegates Is. Office of praetor peregrinus established.
	241	Sicily ceded to Rome.
	241–238	Revolt of the Carthaginian mercenaries. Sardinia and Corsica ceded to Rome.
	237	Hamilcar in Spain.
	232	Colonization of the ager Gallicus.
	229–8	First Illyrian War.
	229	Hasdrubal succeeds Hamilcar in Spain.
	227	Provinces of Sicily, and Sardinia and Corsica organized.
	226	Roman treaty with Hasdrubal.
	225	Gauls defeated at Telamon.
	224–22	Conquest of Boii and Insubres.
	221	Hannibal Carthaginian commander in Spain.
	220?	Reform of the Centuriate Assembly.
	220–19	Second Illyrian War.
	219	Siege of Saguntum.
	218–201	Second Punic War.
	218	Hannibal’s passage of the Pyrenees and the Alps. Roman invasion of Spain.
	217	Battle of Trasimene Lake. Q. Fabius dictator.
	216	Cannae. Revolt of Capua.
	215	Alliance of Hannibal and Philip V of Macedon. First Macedonian War.
	214	Revolt of Syracuse.
	212	Syracuse recovered. Roman Alliance with the Aetolians.
	211	Capua reconquered. Roman disasters in Spain.
	210	P. Cornelius Scipio Roman commander in Spain.
	207	Battle of the Metaurus.
	205	Peace between Philip of Macedon and Rome.
	204	Scipio invades Africa.
	202	Zama.
	200–196	Second Macedonian War.
	201	Annexation of Carthaginian Spain. Provinces of Hither and Farther Spain organized.
	197	Battle of Cynoscephalae.
	196	Flamininus proclaims the “freedom of the Hellenes.”
	192–189	War with Antiochus the Great and the Aetolians.
	191	Antiochus defeated at Thermopylae.
	190	Battle of Magnesia.
	186	Dissolution of the Bacchanalian societies.
	184	Cato the Elder censor.
	181	Lex Villia annalis.
	171–167	Third Macedonian War.
	168	Battle of Pydna.
	166	Achaean political prisoners held in Italy.
	149–146	Third Punic War.
	149	Lex Calpurnia.
	149–148	Fourth Macedonian War.
	148	Macedonia a Roman province.
	147–139	War with Viriathus in Spain.
	146	Revolt of the Achaeans. Sack of Corinth. Dissolution of the Achaean Confederacy. Destruction of Carthage. Africa a Roman province.
	143–133	Numantine War.
	136–132	Slave War in Sicily.
	133	Kingdom of Pergamon willed to Rome. Tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus.
	129	Province of Asia organized.
	123–122	C. Gracchus tribune.
	121	Province of Narbonese Gaul organized.
	113	Siege of Cirta.
	111–105	Jugurthine War.
	105	Romans defeated by Cimbri and Teutones at Arausio.
	104–100	Successive consulships of Marius. Slave war in Sicily.
	104	Lex Domitia.
	102	Teutones defeated at Aquae Sextiae.
	101	Cimbri defeated at Vercellae.
	100	Affair of Saturninus and Glaucia.
	91	Tribunate of Livius Drusus.
	90–88	Italian or Marsic War.
	90	Lex Julia.
	89	Lex Plautia Papiria. Lex Pompeia.
	89–85	First Mithradatic War.
	88	Massacre of Italians in Asia. Mithradates invades Greece.
	87	Marian revolt at Rome.
	87–6	Siege of Athens and Peiraeus.
	86	Seventh consulship of Marius. Chaeronea and Orchomenus.
	83	Sulla’s return to Italy.
	82–79	Sulla dictator.
	77–71	Pompey’s command in Spain.
	75	Bithynia a Roman province.
	74–63	Second Mithradatic War.
	74–66	Command of Lucullus in the East.
	73–71	Revolt of the gladiators.
	70	First consulate of Pompey and Crassus. Trial of Verres.
	67	Lex Gabinia.
	66	Lex Manilia.
	63	Cicero consul. The conspiracy of Cataline. Annexation of Syria. Death of Mithradates.
	60	Coalition of Pompey, Caesar and Crassus.
	59	Caesar consul. Lex Vatinia.
	58	Cicero exiled.
	58–56	Subjugation of Gaul.
	57	Cicero recalled. Pompey curator annonae.
	56	Conference at Luca.
	55	Second consulate of Pompey and Crassus.
	55–54	Caesar’s invasions of Britain.
	53	Death of Crassus at Carrhae.
	52–1	Revolt of Vercingetorix.
	52	Pompey sole consul.
	49–46	War between Caesar and the Senatorial faction.
	48	Pharsalus. Death of Pompey.
	48–7	Alexandrine War.
	47	War with Pharnaces.
	46	Thapsus.
	45	Munda. Lex Julia municipalis.
	44	Assassination of Julius Caesar (15 Mar.).
	44–3	War at Mutina.
	43	Octavian consul. Antony, Lepidus and Octavian triumvirs.
	42	Battles of Philippi.
	41	War at Perusia.
	40	Treaty of Brundisium.
	39	Treaty of Misenum.
	37	Treaty of Tarentum. The second term of the Triumvirate begins.
	36	Defeat of Sextus Pompey. Lepidus deposed. Parthian War.
	31	Battle of Actium.
	30	Death of Antony and Cleopatra. Annexation of Egypt.
	27	Octavian princeps and Augustus.
	27 B. C.–14 A. D.	Augustus.
	25	Annexation of Galatia.
	23	Augustus assumes the tribunicia potestas.
	20	Agreement with Parthia.
	18	Lex Julia de maritandis ordinibus.
	16	Conquest of Noricum.
	15	Subjugation of the Raeti and Vindelici.
	14–9	Conquest of Pannonia.
	12	Augustus pontifex maximus. Ara Romae et Augusti at Lugdunum. Invasion of Germany. Death of M. Agrippa.
	9	Death of Drusus.
	6	Subjugation of the Alpine peoples completed.
A. D.	6–9	Revolt of Pannonia.
	9	Revolt of Arminius. Lex Papia Poppaea.
	14–37	Tiberius.
	14–17	Campaigns of Germanicus.
	19	Death of Germanicus.
	26	Tiberius retires to Capri.
	31	Fall of Seianus.
	37–41	Caius Caligula.
	40	Annexation of Mauretania.
	41–54	Claudius.
	43	Invasion and annexation of southern Britain.
	48	Aedui receive the ius honorum.
	54–68	Nero.
	58–63	Parthian War.
	59–60	Rebellion of Boudicca.
	64	Great Fire in Rome.
	65	Conspiracy of Piso. Death of Seneca.
	66–67	Nero in Greece.
	66	Rebellion of the Jews.
	68	Rebellion of Vindex.
	68 June–69 Jan.	Galba.
	69 Jan.–March	Otho.
	69 April–Dec.	Vitellius.
	69 Dec.–79	Vespasianus.
	69	Revolt of Civilis and the Batavi.
	70	Destruction of Jerusalem. End of the Jewish Rebellion.
	79–81	Titus.
	79	Eruption of Vesuvius. Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
	81–96	Domitianus.
	83	Battle of Mons Graupius. War with the Chatti.
	84	Domitian perpetual censor.
	85–89	Dacian Wars.
	88–89	Revolt of Saturninus.
	96–98	Nerva.
	98–117	Trajan.
	101–102	First Dacian War.
	105–106	Second Dacian War. Annexation of Dacia.
	106	Annexation of Arabia Petrea.
	114–117	Parthian War.
	114	Occupation of Armenia and Upper Mesopotamia.
	115	Jewish Rebellion in Cyrene.
	116	Annexation of Assyria and Lower Mesopotamia. Revolt in Mesopotamia.
	117–138	Hadrianus.
	117	Abandonment of Assyria and Mesopotamia. Armenia a client kingdom.
	121–126	Hadrian’s first tour of the provinces.
	129–134	Second tour of the provinces.
	132–134	Revolt of the Jews in the East.
	138–161	Antoninus Pius.
	161–180	Marcus Aurelius.
	161–169	Lucius Verus.
	161–166	Parthian War.
	166	Great plague spreads throughout the empire.
	167–75	War with Marcomanni, Quadi and Iazyges.
	175	Revolt of Avidius Cassius.
	177–192	Commodus.
	177–180	War with Quadi and Marcomanni.
	180	Death of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus sole emperor.
	193 Jan.–Mar.	Pertinax.
	193 Mar.–June	Didius Julianus.
	193	Revolts of Septimius Severus, Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus.
	193–211	Septimius Severus.
	194	Defeat of Pescennius Niger.
	195–6	Invasion of Parthia.
	197	Defeat of Albinus at Lugdunum.
	197–99	Parthian War renewed. Conquest of Upper Mesopotamia.
	208	Caledonians invade Britain.
	211–217	Caracalla and
	211–212	Geta.
	212	Constitutio Antoniniana.
	214	Parthian War.
	217–218	Macrinus.
	218–222	Elagabalus.
	222–235	Severus Alexander.
	227	Establishment of the Persian Sassanid Kingdom.
	230–233	War with Persia.
	234	War on the Rhine frontier.
	235–238	Maximinus.
	238	Gordianus I and Gordianus II. Balbinus and Pupienus.
	238–244	Gordianus III.
	243–249	Philippus Arabs.
	247–249	Philippus Junior.
	249–251	Decius.
	249	Persecution of the Christians.
	251–253	Gallus and Volusianus.
	253	Aemillianus.
	253–258	Valerianus and
	253–268	Gallienus.
	257	Persecution of the Christians renewed.
	258	Valerian defeated and captured by the Persians. Postumus establishes an imperium Galliarum.
	259	Valerian dies in captivity. Gallienus sole emperor.
	267	Sack of Athens by the Goths.
	268–270	Claudius Gothicus.
	270	Quintillus.
	270–275	Aurelianus.
	271	Revolt of Palmyra.
	272	Reconquest of Palmyra and the East.
	274	Recovery of Gaul and Britain.
	275–276	Tacitus.
	276	Florianus.
	276–282	Probus.
	282–283	Carus.
	283–285	Carinus.
	284–305	Diocletianus and
	286–305	Maximianus.
	286	Revolt of Carausius in Britain.
	293	Galerius and Constantine Caesars.
	296	Recovery of Britain.
	297	Persian invasion.
	301	Edict of Prices.
	302–304	Edicts against the Christians.
	305	Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian. Galerius and Constantius. Severus and Daia Caesars.
	306	Galerius and Severus. Constantinus Caesar. Revolt of Maxentius.
	307	Galerius, Licinius, Constantinus, Daia and Maxentius.
	311	Edict of Toleration.
	312	Battle of Saxa Rubra.
	313	Edict of Milan. Fall of Daia.
	324	Battle of Chrysopolis.
	324–337	Constantinus sole Augustus.
	325	Council of Nicaea.
	330	Constantinople the imperial residence.
	337–340	Constantinus II.
	337–350	Constans.
	337–361	Constantius.
	342	Council of Serdica.
	350	Revolt of Magnentius.
	351	Gallus Caesar. Battle of Mursa.
	354	Death of Gallus.
	355	Julian Caesar.
	357	Julian’s victory over the Alemanni at Strassburg.
	359	War with Persia.
	360–363	Julianus.
	363	Invasion of Persia. Death of Julian.
	363–364	Jovianus.
	364–375	Valentinianus I.
	364–378	Valens.
	367–383	Gratianus.
	375–392	Valentinianus II.
	376	Visigoths cross the Danube.
	378	Battle of Hadrianople.
	378–395	Theodosius I.
	380–82	Settlement of Visigoths as foederati in Moesia.
	381	Council of Constantinople.
	382	Altar of Victory removed from the Senate.
	383	Revolt of Maximus in Britain. Death of Gratian.
	383–408	Arcadius.
	388	Maximus defeated and killed.
	390	Massacre at Thessalonica.
	391	Edicts against Paganism. Destruction of the Serapaeum.
	392	Revolt of Arbogast. Murder of Valentinian II. Eugenius proclaimed Augustus.
	394	Battle of Frigidus. Death of Arbogast and Eugenius.
	394–423	Honorius.
	395	Death of Theodosius I. Division of the Empire. Arcadius emperor in the East, Honorius in the West, Revolt of Alaric and the Visigoths.
	396	Alaric defeated by Stilicho in Greece.
	406	Barbarian invasion of Gaul. Roman garrison leaves Britain.
	408	Murder of Stilicho. Alaric invades Italy.
	408–450	Theodosius II eastern emperor.
	409	Vandals, Alans and Sueves invade Spain.
	410	Visigoths capture Rome. Death of Alaric.
	412	Visigoths enter Gaul.
	415	Visigoths cross into Spain.
	418	Visigoths settled in Aquitania.
	423–455	Valentinianus III western emperor,
	427	Aetius magister militum.
	429	Vandal invasion of Africa.
	438	The Theodosian Code.
	439	Vandals seize Carthage.
	450	Marcianus eastern emperor.
	451	Battle of the Mauriac Plains. Council of Chalcedon.
	453	Death of Attila.
	454	Aetius assassinated. Ostrogoths settled in Pannonia.
	455	Maximus western emperor. Vandals sack Rome.
	455–456	Avitus western emperor. Ricimer magister militum.
	457–474	Leo I eastern emperor.
	457–461	Marjorianus western emperor.
	461–465	Severus western emperor.
	465–467	No emperor in the West.
	467–472	Anthemius western emperor.
	472	Olybrius western emperor. Death of Ricimer.
	473–474	Glycerus western emperor. Leo II eastern emperor.
	474–475 (480)	Nepos western emperor.
	474–491	Zeno eastern emperor.
	475–476	Romulus Augustulus western emperor.
	476	Odovacar king in Italy.
	477	Death of Gaiseric.
	486	Clovis conquers Syagrius and the Romans in Gaul.
	488	Theoderic and the Ostrogoths invade Italy.
	491–518	Anastasius eastern emperor.
	493	Defeat and death of Odovacar.
	506	Lex Romana Visigothorum.
	507	Clovis defeats the Visigoths.
	518–527	Justinus I eastern emperor.
	526	Death of Theoderic.
	527–565	Justinianus eastern emperor.
	532	The “Nika” riot.
	533–534	Reconquest of Africa.
	534	Franks overthrow the Burgundian kingdom.
	529–534	Publication of the Corpus Iuris Civilis.
	535–554	Wars for the recovery of Italy.
	554	Re-occupation of the coast of Spain.
	565	Death of Justinian.