Download This list begins with the founding of the village of Rome around

This list begins with the founding of the village of Rome around 753BC and continues to the fall of Constantinople in 1453AD.
It is particularly detailed for the period from 58BC to 31BC (Julius Caesar to Caesar Augustus) and for
376AD to 480AD (the "fall" of the Western Roman Empire).
DATE
EVENT
1200BC
600BC
800-500BC
800BC
about 753BC
509BC
ROMAN MONARCHY
Etruscans reached northern Italy
Rome was a province of Etruria
Greeks established colonies throughout southern Italy
Phoenicians established Carthage on the north coast of Africa
village of Rome founded
Romans revolted against the Etruscan kings and created the system of government by the Senate and the Assembly
494BC
450BC
390BC
282-272BC
265BC
THE CONQUEST OF ITALY
first disputes between patricians (wealthy landowners who controlled the Senate) and plebeians (ordinary citizens)
"Law of the 12 Tables" provides written Roman law
Gaulic invasion sacked Rome
War with Pyrrhus
Rome completed the occupation of the Italian peninsula
264-241BC
238BC
229-228BC
219BC
218-201BC
215-205BC
200-197BC
200-191BC
192-189BC
171-168
149-148BC
149-146BC
First war with Carthage (First Punic War)
Conquest of Sardinia
First Illyrian War (Balkans)
Second Illyrian War
Second Punic War (Hannibal crossed the Alps)
First Macedonian War
Second Macedonian War
Gaul invasion of northern Italy
Syrian War
Third Macedonian War
Fourth (and final) Macedonian War
Third Punic War and final defeat of Carthage
THE CONQUEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
DATE
EVENT
42-30BC
31BC
30BC
31BC-14AD
THE END OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
First Servile War (slave revolt)
Tiberius, the first senator to advocate land reform, was assassinated in 133BC by land-owners.
The "Social War" (revolt by Roman allies in Italy)
First Mithridatic War (Black Sea region)
Sulla became the first Roman general to seize power
Civil war in Rome
Second Mithridatic War
Sulla returned power to the Senate
Third Mithridatic War
Pompey captured Jerusalem
Julius Caesar appointed governor of Gaul
Julius Caesar's army conquered Gaul
To forestall another military revolt, the Senate yielded power to the First Triumvirate composed of Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar
Invasion of Britain
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra (descendant of Ptolemy in Egypt) conceived a child
Cleopatra lived at Julius Caesar's estate in Rome
Julius Caesar defeated Pompey and became the first dictator of Rome
Julius Caesar assassinated on orders of the Senate
The Second Triumvirate of Marc Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) ruled Rome. Note that Octavian was the nephew of Julius Caesar, and
brother-in-law of Marc Antony
Cleopatra and Marc Antony had a relationship that lasted until their deaths
Caesar Octavian defeated the combined forces of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in the naval battle of Actium (near Greece)
First Roman governor of Egypt
Octavian became Caesar Augustus, the first emperor
14-37AD
about 33AD
61AD
64AD
66-70AD
69AD
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Tiberius, stepson of Caesar Augustus, became emperor
Crucifixion of Jesus; origin of Christianity
Druid revolts in Britain
Fire destroyed much of Rome during Nero's rule
Jewish revolts in Judea (Palestine)
General Vespasian expelled Nero, the last of Caesar Augustus' descendants, and started a new imperial family
135-132BC
133BC
91-88BC
88-84BC
88BC
88-82BC
83-81BC
79BC
74-64BC
64BC
58BC
58-51BC
58-49BC
54BC
49-48BC
46-44BC
45BC
44BC
44-31BC
70AD
77-84AD
79AD
83AD
96-180AD
90AD
113-117AD
120AD
132-135AD
180AD
193AD
211-285AD
259-270AD
285AD
Expulsion of Jews from Palestine
Conquest of Britain
Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius preserved the city of Pompeii
Roman army crossed the Rhine River to attack the Germans
The period of the "Five Good Emperors" (Pax Romana)
First Christian bishop of Rome
Parthian War (Persia)
Some Roman businessmen were Christian
Jewish rebellion sparked when Romans placed a colony and temple in Jerusalem
Commodius succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius and imperial power began to decline
Following civil war, another general, Septimius Severus, became emperor
Numerous emperors killed by revolts and assassinations
German invasions force Romans to yield territory
Emperor Diocletian divided the empire and moved his capital to Byzantium (in Anatolia, later Constantinople)
305AD
315AD
324-337AD
325AD
330AD
Constantine became the first Christian emperor
Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman world
Constantine reunited the empire
Council of Niceae solidifies Christian doctrine
Constantine inaugurated the new capital of Constantinople
THE CHRISTIAN ROMAN EMPIRE
337-351AD
361-363AD
363-367AD
376AD
379-395AD
382AD
383-387AD
394AD
395AD
395-423AD
396-402AD
THE FALL OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
Constantine's three sons fought to control the empire until Constantius won.
The Romans failed to defeat the Persians, and in the process, the Eastern Emperor Julianus was killed
Roman generals selected the Eastern Emperors
At the battle of Adrianople in the Balkans, the Visigoths defeated the Romans
During the reign of Emperor Theodosius, barbarians were permitted to settle on Roman territory in the Balkans
Roman emperors gave up the title of "Pontus Maximus" (leader of the Church) to the Bishops of Rome
British legionnaires supported Magnus Maximus, a rival to Emperor Theodosius's choice for the Western Emperor (Valentinian II), but Theodosius' forces captured and
killed him.
Frankish leaders killed the Western Emperor Valentinian II, and were in turn defeated by Theodosius' forces at the Battle of Frigid River, reuniting the Roman Empire again
After his death, heirs to Theodosius divided the Roman Empire for the last time
Honorius became the Western Emperor, but was strongly influenced by the Vandal general Stilicho, his son-in-law and commander-of-the-troops
Stilicho defeated several attacks by the Visigoths led by Alaric
406AD
407AD
408-450AD
408AD
409AD
410AD
423AD
425AD
429-431AD
435AD
439AD
450AD
450AD
455AD
476AD
493AD
Several barbarian groups included the Vandals, Alans, Suevi and Burgundians overran Gaul
Roman forces withdrew from Britain, led by Constantine, the troops' choice for emperor
A new Eastern Emperor, Theodosius II, took office at age 7.
Honorius ordered the assassination of Stilicho
Alaric's Visigoths invaded northern Italy and set up their own government for the region in defiance of Honorius and the Eastern Emperor
The Visigoths, led by Alaric, sacked Rome
After Honorius' death, Johannes usurped the position of Western Emperor
Forces sent by Theodosius II from the east killed Johannes the usurper and installed Valentinian III as the Western Emperor
The Vandals established an independent kingdom in Roman Africa
The Eastern Roman Emperor recognized the independence of the Vandal kingdom in Africa
The Vandals conquered the city of Carthage
Marcian, a general and brother-in-law of Theodosius II, became the new Eastern Emperor
Attila led the Huns, another barbarian group, into Gaul
The Vandals, led by Gaiseric, sacked Rome
For the first time, a barbarian, Romulus Augustus, was named Western Emperor by barbarian generals
Italy incorporated into the barbarian Kingdom of the Ostrogoths
527-565AD
632AD
1453AD
Justinian (Eastern Roman Emperor) reconquered Italy
Foundation of Islam by Mohammed in Mecca
Constantinople conquered by Ottoman Muslims
THE AFTERMATH