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753 BCE
Foundation of Rome
Romulus and Remus are the twins of Rhea Silva and Mars (Gods)
They are abandoned and raised by a she-wolf.
One brother kills the other in a dispute over land. -
Period: 753 BCE to 27 BCE
Roman Republic
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509 BCE
Evolution of the Contsitution: Patricians overthrow the King
Patricians are landowning aristocrats. They were guardians and preservers of the sacred traditions.
Plebeians were lower class-commoners. -
Period: 494 BCE to 287
Evolution of the Constitution: Struggle of the Orders
Plebeians began to fight against the rule of Patricians.
They would leave the city, refuse to work, or refuse to serve in the army. -
471 BCE
Evolution of Constitution: Tribal Assembly
- Could elect Tribunes, officials empowered to protect Plebeians
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450 BCE
Evolution of the Constitution: The Twelve Tables
-Written code of laws posted in public for everyone to see
-Protected basic rights of all Roman citizens regardless of their social class -
287 BCE
Evolution of the Constitution: Lex Hortensia
- Law that made all resolutions passed by Plebeian Council binding to all citizens -Eliminated the required Senate approval
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Period: 264 BCE to 241 BCE
Warfare: First Punic War
-Fought between Carthage and Rome
- Largely fought over control of Sicily -
241 BCE
Evolution of the Constitution: Centuriate Assembly
Reorganized at this time by Censors Marcus Fabius Buteo and Gaius Aurelius.
Controlled by nobles
Elected Consuls
The Assembly wrote legislation, but Senate approval was required for ratification. -
Period: 218 BCE to 201 BCE
Warfare: Second Punic War
-Also known as the Hannibalic War
-Carthaginians led by Hannibal
-Hannibal crosses the Alps and takes elephants across the Mediterranean Sea -
216 BCE
Warfare: Battle of Cannae
-Roman army loses > 60,000 soldiers
- Hannibal loses around 5,700 -
214 BCE
Warfare: First Macedonian War 214-148 bce
-There are no decisive battles
-War ends in a stalemate -
Period: 214 BCE to 148 BCE
Warfare: The Macedonian Wars
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202 BCE
Warfare: Battle of Zama
-Hannibal defeated by Scipio Africanus
-Scipio takes his army to Rome instead of attacking Hannibal head on -
200 BCE
Warfare: Second Macedonian War (200-197 bce)
- Fought between Macedon and Rome -Roman victory over Philip V
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171 BCE
Warfare: Third Macedonian War (171-168 bce)
-Fought between Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Philip's son, Perseus.
-Perseus' forces are utterly defeated at the Battle of Pydna -
163 BCE
Important People: Tiberius Gracchus (163-133 bce)
-Elected Tribune in 133 bce
-Invoked a law breaking up the latifunda
-Promoted equitable division of land
-Killed by the Senate in 133 bce along with 300 of his followers -
157 BCE
Important People: Marius (157-86 bce)
-Elected Consul in 107 bce
-Changes the military by opening it up for non-Italians and volunteers from the urban poor
-Soldiers are loyal to Marius, not to Rome -
153 BCE
Important People: Gaius Gracchus (153-121 bce)
-Younger brother to Tiberius
-Elected Tribune in 123 bce
-Regulates grain prices and brings back his brother's plans for land division
-Killed by the Senate along with 3,000 of his followers -
Period: 149 BCE to 146 BCE
Warfare: Third Punic War
- Carthage has huge debt following the second war -As long as Carthage is in debt, Roman approval is required first -Carthage pays their debt very quickly- this scare Rome -Cato the Elder declares "Carthago delenda est!" (Carthage must be destroyed) -Carthage burned to the ground
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138 BCE
Important People: Sulla (138-78 bce)
-Great-Uncle to Julius Caesar
-Rival to Marius
-Restores the Senate's right to veto legislation of The Assembly -
Period: 100 BCE to 44 BCE
Life of Julius Caesar
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86 BCE
Important People: Sallust (~ 86-24 bce)
-Historian that spoke out about the deterioration of republican values and civic virtue -
44 BCE
Important People: Julius Caesar (100-44 bce)
-Appointed dictator for 10 years
-Lowered taxes
-Created the Aqueduct and new calendar
-Mutually appointed by the people into a lifelong service- Feb 44 bce
-Assassinated by the Senate in March of 44 bce (Beware the Ides of March)
