Important dates in Roman history By oscar374 753 BCE Rome is formed 509 BCE The Etruscans are driven out of Rome and the Roman Republic is formed 197 BCE Spain becomes a Roman province 146 BCE A new province of Africa is established 55 BCE Julius Caesar's first invasion of Britain 44 BCE Julius Caesar is murdered 27 BCE Octavianus declares peace in the Roman world, and he becomes Augustus, the firs Emperor of Rome 43 emperor Claudius army invades Britain 79 Mt Vesuvius erupts. Pompeii is destroyed 80 Emperor Titus opens the world's largest Amphitheatre, the Colosseum. 122 Emperor Hadrian has a wall built across northern England to keep the Picts and Celts out of Roman territory 410 The Roman army leaves Britain