ancient Rome timeline By nam_x 509 BCE Roman republic is found 449 BCE the law of the 12 tables is instituted 218 BCE Hannibal invades italy 73 BCE the Spartacus slave uprising 45 BCE Julius Caesar becomes dictator 44 BCE Julius Caesar is assassinated 27 BCE Augustus becomes the first emperor of Rome 38 emperor Caligula's reign begins 64 great fire of rome 80 construction of the Colosseum is completed 98 age of five good emperors 165 Antonine plague 180 age of five good emperors 330 capital of the empire is moved to Constantinople 380 empire converts to christianity 410 sack of rome