Istockphoto 148125959 612x612

Ancient Rome Timeline

By Sage.Haggerty
  • 753 BCE

    Founding of Rome

    It is said that Rome was founded in 753 BCE as a result of the twins Romulus and Remus, sons of Mars, the god of war. When a king of nearby Alba Longa left the twins to drown in the Tiber, they were rescued by a she-wolf and lived to defeat him and found their own city on the river's banks in 753 B.C. After killing his brother, Romulus became Rome's first king, naming it after himself.
  • 509 BCE

    Creation of Roman Republic

    Two annually elected magistrates called consuls took over the power of the monarch. Additionally, they served as commanders in chief of the army. While the magistrates were voted for by the people, they were mostly selected from the Senate, which was dominated by patricians, or descendants of Romulus' original senators.
  • 450 BCE

    Twelve Tables

    During the early republic, twelve bronze tablets, known as the Twelve Tables, contained the first Roman law code. Roman civil law was established on the principles of civil rights, legal procedure, and property rights by these laws.
  • 338 BCE

    End of Latin War

    Roman allies in the region revolted against the Romans between 341 BCE and 338 BCE. As a result of Rome's victory, the settlement imposed by them became the basis for future conquests of Italy and overseas territories.
  • Period: 264 BCE to 146 BCE

    Punic Wars

    Rome fought three wars against the great North African city of Carthage. These are known as the Punic Wars, from the Latin name for Carthaginians, Poeni.
  • 44 BCE

    Julius Caesar Becomes The First Dictator of Rome

    Once Caesar returned to Italy, he consolidated his power and proclaimed himself emperor. Through his power, he enlarged the senate, created needed government reforms, and reduced Rome's debt. By 44 BCE, Caesar had proclaimed himself dictator for life.
  • 44 BCE

    Julius Caesar is Assassinated

    Within a month after Caesar declared himself dictator for life, a group of 60 senators, including Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar's second choice for heir, and Gaius Cassius Longinus, assassinated Caesar out of fear of his growing absolute power. Caesar was said to be stabbed 23 times.
  • 44 BCE

    Rome is Established as an Empire (Augustus Caesar)

    The first emperor of ancient Rome was Augustus, Caesar's great-nephew. As a result of Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, Augustus came to power.
  • 27 BCE

    Pax Romana Begins

    From the reign of Augustus to the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the Mediterranean world enjoyed a period of relative tranquility, the Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman Peace").
  • 64

    Rome is Burning

    On July 18, 64 CE, a fire started in the enormous Circus Maximus stadium in Rome, now the capital of Italy. When the fire was finally extinguished six days later, 10 of Rome's 14 districts had burned.
  • 80

    Colosseum’s Construction is Finished

    During Vespasian’s reign, the Colosseum began construction sometime between 70-72 CE, and it was completed in 80 CE. Located east of Palatine Hill, it is on the grounds of what was once Nero's Golden House.
  • 180

    Pax Romana Ends

    Following Marcus Aurelius' death, he appointed his son Commodus as his successor. Commodus' reign ended in 192 CE when he was assassinated due to his inexperience and corruption. This sparked a civil war that ended Pax Romana.
  • 285

    Diocletian Divides Empire

    Having to govern a territory of such an extent as the Roman Empire posed a great deal of difficulty to Diocletian. Due to the immense size of the empire, it needed two rulers, so one of the first things the new emperor did was divide the empire in two. Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in 285 CE into the eastern and western halves.
  • 323

    Christianity Becomes The Official Religion of Rome

    10 years after the Edict of Milan was issued by Constantine (313 CE), Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
  • 324

    Constantine Reunites Empire

    Constantine defeated Licinius in 324 CE and took control of a reunited empire.
  • Period: 396 to 476

    Rome Falls

    Romans were attacked by Germanic barbarian tribes, as one of the main reasons they fell. Romulus Augustulus was overthrown by Odoacer in 476, a Germanic leader. Aside from this, The Roman Empire was dealing with government instability, economic issues, overexpansion, and more at the time it fell. This all contributed to Rome’s downfall.