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100
Rome is Founded
rome
753 BC-- There is a legend that the twin sons of Mars, the god of war, named Romulus and Remus, founded the city. Romulus killed Remus to become ruler of Rome and named the city after himself. The Roman Empire lasted for well over 1000 years. -
101
Alexander Defeats the Persians
alexander
331 BC-- Alexander began his war against the Persians in 334 BC. At his death, he ruled the largest empire of the ancient world. On October 1, the Persian army of approximately 200,000 faced off against Alexander's 35,000. Alexander led the charge that crashed through to the Persian rear. Darius fled, leaving the field and victory to Alexander. -
101
The Suicide of Socrates
socrates
399 BC-- The philosopher Socrates stood before a jury of 500 of his fellow Athenians accused of "refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state" and "corrupting the youth." After hearing the arguments of both Socrates and his accusers, the jury was asked to vote on his guilt. Socrates was found guilty by a vote of 280 to 220. Athenian law prescribed death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock. -
102
First Punic War
punic264 BC--The First Punic War between Rome and Carthage was fought over the island of Sicily. This meant a lot of the fighting was at sea, where Carthage had the advantage of a much stronger navy than Rome. However, Rome quickly built up a large navy of over 100 ships and invented the corvus, a type of assault bridge that allowed Rome's superior soldiers to board enemy navy vessels. Rome dominated Carthage and won the war in 241 BC. -
103
Second Punic War
punic218 BC--In the Second Punic War, Carthage had more success fighting against the Roman legions. The Carthage leader, Hannibal, made a daring crossing of the Alps to attack Rome and northern Italy. This crossing was made famous because he also brought a large number of elephants with him. When Rome counterattacked his homeland of Carthage, Hannibal was forced to retreat. The final battle in this war was the Battle of Zama where the Roman general Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal in 201 BC. -
104
Third Punic War
punic
149 BC-- In the Third Punic War Rome attacked the city of Carthage. After three years of laying siege to the city, the Roman army broke through the walls and burned it to the ground in 146 BC. -
105
The Destruction of Corinth
corinth
146 BC-- Instead of retiring into Corinth, Diaeus fled to Megalopolis, where he poisoned himself, after first killing his wife. The rest of the beaten Achaean army took refuge in Corinth, which Mummius took and fired on the third day after the battle with Diaeus.The incidents of the capture of Corinth were melancholy. The soldiers cared nothing for the works of art and the consecrated statues. -
106
Sparticus Instigates Revolt
sparticus
73 BC-- The most famous attempted slave rebellion was in 73-71 BC when the gladiator Sparticus defied his master and instigated a revolt that gathered thousands of fellow slaves. This slave army defeated several legions sent to destroy it; however, Sparticus eventually lost his life in battle and several thousand of his followers were crucified. (Picture: A 19th century interpretation
of a Roman slave auction.) -
107
Julius Caesar Becomes First Dictator of Rome
caesar
45 BC-- Caesar makes his famous Crossing of the Rubicon and defeats Pompey in a civil war to become the supreme ruler of Rome. This signifies the end of the Roman Republic. -
110
Romans Destroy the Temple at Jerusalem
jerusalem70 AD The Romans surrounded the city and by the year 70, breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began ransacking the city, burning and destroying the Temple that served as the center of Judaism. Thousands were slaughtered, and those who weren't were enslaved or dispersed to arenas throughout the Empire to be butchered for entertainment. The Temple's sacred relics were taken to Rome and displayed in celebration of the victory. -
111
The Destruction of Pompeii
pompeiiAugust 24, 79 AD--Mount Vesuvius literally blew its top, spewing molten ash, pumice and sulfuric gas miles into the atmosphere. Poisonous vapors and molten debris engulfed the surrounding area, suffocating the inhabitants of the neighboring Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. Tons of falling debris filled the streets until these communities seemed to never exist. The cities remained buried and undiscovered for almost 1700 years until excavation began in 1748, which continues today. -
112
Constantine Becomes Emperor
constantine
306 AD-- Constantine's reign is best known for converting Rome into a Christian empire. Prior to this, Rome heavily persecuted the Christians, but thanks to Constantine, it was now legal to practice Christianity and even encouraged as the empire's official religion. -
113
Visigoths Sack Rome
visigoths
410 AD-- This is the first time in 800 years that the city of Rome has fallen to an enemy. The Visigoths were a Germanic tribe that conquered many territories. This event is believed to be a main contributing cause to the downfall of the Roman empire. -
The Assassination of Julius Caesar
caesar44 BC-- In February, he declared himself dictator for life. This act, along with his continual effort to adorn himself with the trappings of power, turned many in the Senate against him. Sixty members of the Senate concluded that the only resolution to the problem was to assassinate Caesar. -
The Burning of Rome
rome
64 AD-- During the night of July 18, 64 AD, fire broke out in the merchant area of the city of Rome and consumed all in its path for six days and seven nights. Rumors soon arose accusing the Emperor Nero of ordering the torching of the city. From the ashes of the fire rose a more spectacular Rome made of marble and stone with wide streets, pedestrian arcades and ample supplies of water to quell any future fire.
