Early to Mid Roman Republic

Expulsion of the Tyrant

509 BCE

nemo post tarquinios inter romanos regnavit.
Tarquinius Superbus was kicked out of Rome and the kingdom began to transition into the republic.

Mucius Scaevola

508 BCE

"Castra Etruscorum", clamat, "intrabo: tyrannum necabo."
Mucius Scaevola was a Roman boy who snuck into an enemy camp to confront the enemy king. He was going to be killed but after a display of bravery he was set free.

The Battle of Lake Regillus

499 BCE

Etrusci contra romanos pro Tarquinio coniuraverunt et socios ad bellum vocabant.
Tarquinius Superbus goes to the Etruscans and rallies people to attack and conquer Rome but they are defeated by Castor and Pollux. a temple is dedicated in their honor.

Patricians and Plebeians

494 BCE

Patricii soli imperium administrabant: plebeii miseri pro patriciis contra finitimos populos pugnabant, saepe superabant, victoriae tamen emolumenta habebant nulla.
The plebeians do not want to fight against the Volscians because they feel like they do not have enough rights, so the patricians make a compromise and the plebeians fight and defeat the Volscians.

The Secession of the Plebs

493 BCE

“Non iam,” clamabant, “pro patria pugnabimus nec agros colemus, nisi patricii promissa praestabunt.”
The patricians did not keep their promises for compromise after the wars with the Volscians, so the plebeians temporarily leave Rome. Meneius Agrippa convinces them to come back and convinces the patricians to hold a compromise. The plebeians go back to fighting for the patricians and peace temporarily returns to Rome.

Coriolanus

488 BCE

“Nec damnabitis Coriolanum,” clamat, “nec punietis: ex urbe excedam et inter Volscos exsulabo.” Tum cum hostibus populi Romani bellum contra patriam gessit, patriae agros vastavit. The plebeians left Rome to go to the Sacred Mountain, and no one is working the fields so Rome is running out of food. Coriolanus is blamed and leaves the city in exile to lead the Volscians against Rome. The Romans sent ambassadors to talk to him which fail but his mother convinces him to stop and retreat.

Spurius Cassius

485 BCE

patricii falsis criminibus accusaverunt et iudices damnaverunt. Sic Sp. Cassius, pauperum amicus, propter plebeiorum suspicionem et patriciorum invidiam, non solum non plebeios ab iniuria defendit sed mortem oppetivit inhonestam.
After war with the Sabines, the patricians divide up land among themselves and not with the plebeians like they promised: Spurius Cassius is outraged and argues on behalf of the plebeians. The patricians falsely accuse him of crimes and throw him off the Tarpeian Rock.

An Heroic Family

479 BCE

Frustra Fabii contra ingentes copias hostium pugnabant. Gens omnis Fabia, praeter unum puerum, in pugna cecidit.
The Romans are waging war against the Veientes and losing. One of the consuls, Fabius, proposes that his family alone should fight against the Veientes. The people agree and Fabius sets an ambush in a field for the Veientes. They surprise the enemies and kill them all, but all of Fabius's family are killed except one boy.

Cincinnatus

458 BCE

“Dictator, Cincinnate,” inquiebant, “creatus es: nisi statim ad urbem veneris et copias Romanas contra Aequos duxeris, nostri ab hostibus superabuntur, cives omnes necabuntur.”
Cincinnatus was a famous Roman consul who retired to work a small farm. When the Romans were losing a war against the Aequi, Cincinnatus was made dictator. He led his army and easily defeated the Aequi, then gave up his position of power and returned to his farm.

The Twelve Tables

451 BCE

Tandem pro consulibus decemviri a populo creati sunt: decemviri primo bene imperium administraverunt et leges omnibus notas condebant.
The plebs are not happy because the power in Rome is still not shared with them, so a group of ten men are chosen by the consul to record the laws of the city. They do a good job the first time and the plebs are happy, but he second time they misuse their power and the plebs leave again. the group is disbanded and the good laws are written, and the plebs return.

Spurius Maelius

439 BCE

Dictatoris imperio Maelius non parebat: tum Ahala cum turba iuvenum patriciorum forum intravit; Maelium telis oppugnaverunt et necaverunt.
Spurius Maelius was a plebeian who distributed wheat among the starving people: he was then accused of wanting a kingship because the patricians were suspicious. He was called in front of the dictator but did not go and he was fought and killed in the Forum by the master of the horses, Gaius Servilius Ahala.

The Capture of Veii

396 BCE

Itaque M. Furius Camillus dictator creatus est: Camilli consilio milites cuniculum sub terra ad arcem urbis egerunt.
Marcus Furius Camillus is made dictator to fight the Veientines and creates a plan to dig a tunnel under the city. He makes a sacrifice to the gods and his forces attack the walls, distracting the Veientines and letting part of the army go through a tunnel into the city and capture it. He was then falsely accused of crimes and went into exile.

The Return of Camillus

393 BCE

Interea tamen exercitus a M. Furio Camillo exsule in Etruria collectus erat: verba insolentia a rege vix dicta erant ubi Camillus cum novis copiis forum intravit. Statim Gallos acri impetu oppugnant omnesque mox trucidant.
The Romans hiding in the Capitol were running out of food, and Marcus Manlius was woken up when the Gauls began to attack. they fought off the attack but decided to give the Gauls gold so they would leave. However the army then returned with Camillus and killed the Gauls.

The Capture of Rome

393 BCE

Galli urbem intrant, ad forum veniunt: mirum ibi spectaculum oculis ostenditur
The Gauls fight against the Romans and the Etruscans, and manage to enter the city of Rome after a battle at the Alliam river. The young were sent to the Capitol and everyone else left other than the senators. The senators sat in the forum and when the barbarians found them they thought they were gods. Then one senator killed a barbarian who touched his beard, and all the senators were slaughtered.

The Fate of Marcus Manlius

385 BCE

Statim patricii Manlium, sicut antea Sp. Cassium et Sp. Maelium, accusaverunt. “Regnum,” clamabant, “appetit.”
Marcus Manlius is falsely accused of crimes after protecting the Capitol from Brennus and the Gauls. He tries many methods to convince the people that he is innocent but they fail and he is thrown off the Tarpeian Rock.

The Licinian Laws

368 BCE

Leges identidem a tribunis plebis Licinio et Sextio rogabantur, per patriciorum auctoritatem antiquabantur... Tandem Camillus dictator rempublicam iterum servavit.
Tribunes of the Plebs Licinius and Sextus propesed many laws to try to make the republic more equal that were not passed, but finally Camillus made a plan that everyone agreed with. It was decided that one consul would be plebeian, to appease the plebs and make the republic more equal for the plebeians.

Marcus Valerius Corvus

349 BCE

Tum Gallus, vir propter corporis magnitudinem et pulchra arma insignis, ad nostrorum stationes venit: scutum hasta ferit, unum e Romanis ad certamen provocat.
The Romans are at war with the Gauls and their camp is approached by a group of Gauls, and the Romans are challenged to a contest. Marcus Valerius is chosen for the contest and wins thanks to a raven pecking at the gaul, and the Romans defeat the Gauls in the war.

The Caudine Forks

321 BCE

Exercitus Romanus, ubi cum Samnitibus bellum gerebat, per saltum angustum in campum intravit: campo utrimque montes altissimi impendebant
The Roman army, at war with the Samnites, made camp in a place surrounded by large mountains. The Samnites defeated the Romans, and the Samnite leader, Gaius Pontius, let them go free on his father's wishes, because he could either free them and gain the Roman's respect or kill them all and totally weaken the Romans.

Chivalry in War

282 BCE

respondit Fabricius, “Ingratior erit nobis eiusmodi victoria quam miserrima clades: virtute, non perfidia, hostes vincimus.”
Fabricius, the leader of the Roman army fighting Pyrrhus, was approached by a Greek traitor who offered to assassinate Pyrrhus on behalf of the Romans in exchange for money. Fabricius refused the offer and returned the traitor to Pyrrhus, because he believed that war should be won through strength and not treachery.

A Pyrrhic Victory

280 BCE

Plurimi tamen utrimque cediderunt. Pyrrhus, ubi tot mortuorum corpora vidit, “Si eiusmodi victoriam iterum reportavero,” clamavit, “solus ad Epirum navigabo.”
Pyrrhus attacks the Romans with an army of Greeks and Italians, but suffers heavy casualties in battle, so much so that another victory would ruin him. He sent an emissary to the Romans to offer peace but they denied it since he was in Italy, and Pyrrhus was soon defeated and returned to Greece.