the roman empire

  • City of Rome is founded
    753 BCE

    City of Rome is founded

    Legend has it that the twin sons of Mars, the god of war, named Romulus and Remus founded the city. Romulus killed Remus and became ruler of Rome and named the city after himself.
  • Rome becomes a republic
    509 BCE

    Rome becomes a republic

    The last king is overthrown and Rome is now ruled by elected officials called senators.
  • Hannibal invades Italy
    218 BCE

    Hannibal invades Italy

    Hannibal leads the Carthage army in his famous crossing of the Alps to attack Rome.
  • Spartacus the gladiator leads the slaves in an uprising.
    73 BCE

    Spartacus the gladiator leads the slaves in an uprising.

  • Julius Caesar becomes the first dictator of Rome
    45 BCE

    Julius Caesar becomes the first dictator of Rome

    Caesar makes his famous Crossing of the Rubicon and defeats Pompey in a civil war to become the supreme ruler of Rome.
  • Julius Caesar is assassinated
    44 BCE

    Julius Caesar is assassinated

    He died assaddinated on the Ides of March by Marcus Brutus. They hope to bring back the republic, but civil war breaks out.
  • Roman Empire begins
    27 BCE

    Roman Empire begins

    Begins as Caesar Augustus becomes the first Roman Emperor.
  • Jesus Christ death
    33

    Jesus Christ death

    Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judaea, sentences Jesus Christ to death.
  • Much of Rome burns
    64

    Much of Rome burns

    Legend has it that Emperor Nero watched the city burn while playing a lyre.
  • Colosseum is built
    80

    Colosseum is built

    One of the great examples of Roman engineering is finished. It can seat 50,000 spectators.
  • Hadrian Wall is built
    121

    Hadrian Wall is built

    To keep out the barbarians a long wall is built across northern England.
  • Constantine becomes Emperor
    306

    Constantine becomes Emperor

    Constantine would convert to Christianity and Rome would become a Christian empire.
  • Theodosius I declares Christianity to be the sole religion of the Roman Empire.
    380

    Theodosius I declares Christianity to be the sole religion of the Roman Empire.

  • Rome splits into two empires.
    395

    Rome splits into two empires.

  • Visigoths sack Rome
    410

    Visigoths sack Rome

    This is the first time in 800 years that the city of Rome has fallen to an enemy.
  • End of the Western Roman Empire and the fall of Ancient Rome
    476

    End of the Western Roman Empire and the fall of Ancient Rome

    The last Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus is defeated by the German Goth Odoacer