The Roman Empire

Founding Rome

753 BCE

753 is the year when the city of Rome was founded and also the starting point of the Roman calendar

Rise of the Republic

510 BCE

Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome fleed and the SPQR - the Roman Republic was formed

Plebeian "strike"

494 BCE

The plebeian left the city and forced the patricians to give them political rights - otherwise they leave forever - so they got people's tribune and an assembly from the patricians.

Written laws of the Republic

450 BCE

The laws of the SPQR were written on 12 tables and were equally applied to patricians and plebeians.

Licinius land act

367 BCE

This act limited the amount of land a Roman citizen could require to avoid aristocrats taking all the lands and leaving peasants without any.

Assembly for the People of Rome

287 BCE

The Comitia Curiata should have been the "Roman Ecclesia", as it was created to have a legislative body where all Roman citizens can participate, but actually it was limited by the senate.

Tiberius Gracchus

133 BCE

Tiberius Gracchus realized that the peasant's lack of land and the military problem is affecting one another, but he couldn't revive the Licinius land act due to the annuality of his official

Caius Gracchus

123 BCE

He also became a tribune and wanted to solve the problem of the peasants/military, he stabilized corn prices and favoured the knights, also, he wanted to extend political rights in the empire, but eventually he comitted suicide.

Sulla

82 BCE

He exploited Marius' reforms and began a civil war with him as the money was his, this way he army as well, and became permanent dictator, restoring the republic only if there are no political opponents.

First Triumvirate

60 BCE

After constant internal and external wars Caesar, Poompeius and Crassus formed an allience and divided the empire among themselves as they together had money, army and support of each other.

Caesar vs Pompeius

49 BCE

After Crassus died both of them wanted to take control, and Pompeius' plan was to execute Caesar with the Senate because of his sacks of sacred places, so the Senate ordered Caesar to Rome in 49 BC with his army left behind

"Alea iacta est"

48 BCE

Caesar crossed the Rubicon with one legion, breaking the law, this way he started a civil war, which surprised Pompeius and as he was unprepared, he was defeated Pharsalos and assassinated in Egypt, making Caesar one-man ruler of the empire

"Et ti mi file, Brute?"

44 BCE

Caesar became permanent dictator, and even though he was popular among common people, members of the senate and his son killed him because he obtained too much power

Second Triumvirate

43 BCE

This allience was formed among Octavian, Mark Anthony and Lepides to take revenge on the assassins of Caesar

Philippi

42 BCE

The 2nd Triumvirate defeated the assassins of Caesar at Philippi, and divided the empire among themselves

Octavian firming his power

31 BCE

Octavian accused Mark Anthony for plotting against the Republic and defeated him at Actium in 31 BC, and as Lepides retreated from politics way before, Octavian became one-man ruler of the empire, and firmed the system of the Principate to make his dictatorship legitim

Anarchy

Period: 235 to 268

18 emperors followed one another in 30 years (235-268), which indicated that the Empire and the emperors weakened

Tetrarchy

284

Diocletian created the system of terarchy, where 4 rulers support eachother in ruling the empire divided into two parts, because he hoped that this way he solves the problem of the empire after years of anarchy

Adrianople

378

The germans became part of the Roman army and were already in the empire when they uprised and defeated the Romans and killed the Roman emperor, devastating the concept of Rome's and the emperor's superiority

The Western Roman Empire

395

In 395 the empire was no longer one state, it became the Western and the Eastern Roman Empire

The Fall of the Western Roman Empire

476

In 476 the Western Roman Empire eventually fell as the gremanic tribes broke the sate, made the last emperor depose and settled down on the former territory of the empire.