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Rome was founded. -
Rome becomes a republic.
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Hannibal invades Italy in the Second Punic war.
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Spartacus the gladiator leads the slaves in an uprising.
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Julius Caesar becomes the first dictator of Rome.
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Julius Caesar is assassinated on the Ides of March by Marcus Brutus.
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The Roman Empire begins as Caesar Augustus becomes the first Roman Emperor.
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Much of Rome burns. Legend has it that Emperor Nero watched the city burn while playing a lyre.
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The Colosseum is built in order to entertain the Roman citizens.
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The Hadrian Wall is built in honor of emperor Hadrian. It was built to stop Scottish invaders.
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Constantine becomes Emperor.
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Theodosius I declares Christianity to be the sole religion of the Roman Empire.
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Rome splits into two empires. The Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire, which later becomes the Byzantine Empire.
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The Visigoths besiege Rome until the Roman senate pays the Visigoths to leave.
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The Western Roman Empire ends, breaking off into several different countries. The Eastern Roman Empire continues to thrive.
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The Byzantine Empire comes to an end as it falls to the Ottoman Empire at the siege of Constantinople.