Ancient Rome Timeline By ben_vanwyk 509 BCE Rome Becomes a Republic 264 BCE First Punic War Begins 60 BCE First triumvirate formed 49 BCE Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon River 44 BCE Julius Caesar is Murdered in the Forum 43 BCE Second triumvirate formed 27 BCE Augustus Caesar begins his rule 31 Octavian is victorious at the Battle of Actium 33 Caligula is assassinated 54 Claudius is poisoned and Nero becomes emperor 64 Great Fire of Rome 79 Mount Vesuvius erupts and buries Pompeii 80 Construction of the Coliseum is completed 313 Edict of Milan 330 Constantine makes Constantinople the capital