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650 BCE
Etruscans Rule Rome
The Greeks and the Etruscans were the two most notable groups settling in Italy. The early development of Rome was influenced the most by the Etruscans. These Etruscans were located to the North of Rome in Etruria. The Etruscans found rome as a village but launched a building program that turned it into a city. The Etruscans ruled Rome until overthrown by the Romans in 509 BC. -
504 BCE
Rome Became A Republic
Rome was very large and ruled by a king in the beginning. In 509 B.C.E, Rome formed a new government, the Republic. The republic started when the romans overthrew their Etruscan conqueror. A new government allows citizens to select the representative to rule on their behalf. The citizens differenced themselves from non-citizens and slaves by wearing a toga. -
264 BCE
The First Punic War
This is called the Punic War named after the Latin word, punicus. Both the Romans and the carthaginians were determined to conquer Sicily. The Romans created a large naval fleet which they used to defeat the Carthaginian navy. Sicily became the first Roman province. However, Carthage vowed revenge and added new lands in Spain to make up for the loss of Sicily. -
218 BCE
The Second Punic War
This war is also known as the Hannibalic War and was fought between Carthage and Rome. At first the Romans decided to meet Hannibal head on, which resulted in loosing almost forty thousand men in the Roman army. Rome gradually recovered after this. By 206 BC the Romans had pushed the Carthaginians out of Spain. The Romans eventually crushed Hannibals forces, and the war was over. -
149 BCE
The 3rd Punic War
The 3rd Punic War was 50 years after the 2nd Punic War. Rome wanted Carthage to be completely destroyed. In 146 B.C Carthage was destroyed. For 10 days, Roman soldiers burned and demolished the city. After the war 50,000 men, women, and children were sold into slavery. -
50 BCE
The First Triumvirate
The first triumvirate consisted of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey. The triumvirate was a government run by 3 people ruling strictly with power. In 53 B.C, Crassus was killed in a battle. Caesar filled his role and took over his army. Caesar basically ended up becoming the first dictator of Rome. -
43 BCE
The Second Triumvirate
The second triumvirate consisted of Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus, all of which were closely tied to Caesar. The army was split in to 2 parts, Antony took the east and Octavian took the west. Antony allied himself with Cleopatra VII from Egypt. A civil war between Antony and Octavian started, Octavian won. Cleopatra and Antony then fled to Egypt. -
31
The Age of Augustus
He believed that he should not restore Rome to it's glory days. He expanded the empire by adding Egypt and most of Europe. When he died the empire was a great masterpiece. He ruled as an emperor from 31 B.C to A.D 14. He wanted to keep the Caesar away from Caesar. -
40
The Gospels Begin to be Written
The word gospels means "the good news". The gospels were writings that gave record of Jesus and his life and teachings. They were written in 40- 100 A.D. They were the core of the New Testament. The gospels consist of the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. -
73
The Slave Revolt
The most famous slave revolt in Italy was led by the gladiator Spartacus. This was a breakout in southern Italy and involved seventy thousand slaves. Spartacus managed to defeat several Roman armies before he was trapped and killed in 71 BC. This revolt had a big impact in Italy. In the end, six thousand followers of Spartacus were crucified. -
80
The Roman Colosseum Opens
The colosseum held the gladiatorial shows. The colosseum held fifty thousand people. It made the city appear grandeur and magnificent. Christians refused to go to many events help in the colosseum because the violence. It opened in 80 A.D. -
180
The Plague
A plague is a fatal disease so infamous that it becomes synonymus with any dangerous widespread contagion. The plague helped finish off the Roman Empire. The bacteria yersiniupestis caused the plague. The plague killed more than 100 million people. It was also called the Plague of Galen. -
313
Constantine the First Christian Emperor
In 313 A.D, Constantine made Christianity legal. The emperor Constantine made it were people were allowed to openly worship their own beliefs. Constantine was not baptized until the end of his life. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. He was emperor from 306- 337 A.D. -
476
The Fall of the Roman Empire
The main cause for the fall has never been fully determined. There are many theories like a plague and they were unable to put together a workable political system. There are elements of truth in each theory but each has also been challenged. The Roman army in the wast was unable to fend off people invading Italy which caused the Roman empire to fall. The eastern Roman empire stood for another thousand years. http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-rome
