Important Romans

Julius Caesar is born.

102 BCE

Gaius Julius Caesar is born into a Patrician family that was neither rich nor influential at the time.

Julius' first marriage

85 BCE

Julius’ father died, he is betrothed but breaks the betrothal, instead marrying at the age of 18 years with Cornelia (influential in the Popular Faction) who bore him his only legitimate child, Julia. He goes into hiding for a period of time when the dictator Sulla proscribed him for refusing to divorce, later being allowed to return when his family members had him pardoned.

Brutus is born

85 BCE

Marcus Junius Brutus is born under his father of the same name and Servilia in Phillipi, Macedonia.

Mark Antony is born

83 BCE

Marcus Antonius is born into a respected family, however he spends his life gambling, drinking and other boyish things, acquiring him little good fortune in civilian life.

Brutus becomes a Stoic

77 BCE

Brutus’ father is killed by Pompey the Great, he is then adopted by his uncle, Quintus Servilius Saepio; he is later often referred to as Quintus Saepio Brutus, joining the philosophical party of Stoicism.

Maecenas is born

70 BCE

Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is born into a wealthy background apparently in Arretium – his mother was of the powerful house Cilii.

Julius' first marriage ends

69 BCE

Julius’ wife Cornelia and his mother, Julia both die; he spoke at both funerals, notably describing his familial connection to kings and rulers.

Octavian is born

63 BCE

Gaius Octavius is born in Velletri, Italy, his mother was the daughter to Julia Caesar, who was sister to Julius Caesar.

the First Triumvirate is formed

60 BCE

Julius Caesar, having been both a general and military tribune and leading the Romans to victory in Spain and Asia Minor, returns to Rome; he then forms the First Triumvirate between himself, Pompey and Crassus whom he convinced to avoid conflict.

Julius is granted Gaul

59 BCE

Julius Caesar marries Julia to Pompey, married Calpurnia (a daughter of a high-ranking member of the Popular Faction) and was given the position as pro-consul of Gaul, leaving then to begin his conquest of Central Europa.

Mark Antony joins the Military

58 BCE

Marcus Antonius’ civilian life finally comes to a close and his notability gains ground when (pursued by many creditors and similar debts he could not repay) he fled to Greece and led troops on campaigns in Judea.

The Triumvirate wavers

54 BCE

Julius’ Julia dies in Childbirth, his ally Crassus dies the next year leading the Roman armies of the east against the Parthians and Julius’ alliance with Pompey grows strained.

Mark Antony joins Julius Caesar

52 BCE

Marcus Antonius is appointed a staff officer to Julius Caesar, later being made a military tribune, in this time he grew a heavy respect of Caesar.

Bellum Civili becomes Inevitable

51 BCE

Julius designs a government to control the vast provinces of Gaul, meanwhile the Optimate Faction tries to remove his position and places Pompey on a collision course with him, ensuring that if one is victorious, the other loses much; setting the stage for a civil war.

Bellum Civili Begins - the First Triumvirate Collapses

49 BCE

Julius Caesar, pushed to the limit of legal matters, marches into Italia and spurs a civil war to begin – Pompey arranges his troops in Iberia to meet him and the Senate in the Eastern Provinces. Caesar rises to power and sets up a rump Senate, instituting the Rule of Clemency, removing executions and the seizing of land. He defeats Pompey’s Iberian Legions and then moves east.

Brutus joins Pompey against Julius

49 BCE

Brutus decides to support Julius’ enemy, Pompey and is deployed in Greece during the civil-war.

Julius is victorious in Greece

48 BCE

In the battle of Greece, Julius Caesar lead his armies by sea to confront Pompey’s fortified positions, he is victorious in the battle in which Pompey had over double Caesar’s entire force, including reinforcements.

Brutus is pardoned by Julius Caesar

48 BCE

Brutus is captured by Caesar’s Legions but under the Rule of Clemency, he is pardoned and allowed to remain a citizen.

Mark Antony leads Julius' reinforcements in Greece

48 BCE

Marcus Antonius leads the reinforcements requisitioned by Julius Caesar from Brundisium, his added armies securing victory for Julius.

Octavian joins Julius to crush the Iberian Uprising

46 BCE

The sons of Pompey staged and uprising in Iberia, Julius invaded and defeated them. In this time, Octavian was ill however, despite his health and young age, joined Julius – acquiring a kindly respect from the leader.

Caesar returns to Rome, ending the first civil war

46 BCE

Pompey’s forces are finally crushed by Caesar, who returns to Rome and becomes its fully established (though not officially until early 44 BC) autocrat. He brings Cleopatra and his son, Caesarion, to the city of Rome. He solidifies his rule by centralizing his power and brings the concept of coins minted in his image to Rome.

Brutus joins the Conspiracy against Julius

45 BCE

Brutus is made a praetor and set up for the position of consul in partnership with Gaius Cassius Longinus by Julius Caesar – it is around this time that he joins the plot with Cassius to assassinate Julius, who by now was his respected friend.

Julius Caesar is murdered, a second civil war becomes inevitable

44 BCE

Julius Caesar is murdered by his senators, he dies of many stab wounds and blood loss; setting the stage for a second Roman civil war.

Brutus is exiled from Italy, starting the second civil war

44 BCE

Brutus, having led the conspirators in the stabbing of Caesar, attempts to reclaim control of the Imperium for the sake of the older Republic and the Senate; however the people (much to the conspirators’ surprise) were very fond of their now killed Emperor. Therefore, Brutus and the Senators retreat eastwards. He and Cassius establish themselves in Greece, consolidating the Eastern Provinces’ strength and wealth (which he had smelted into coins in his image, as Caesar did).

Mark Antony consolidates his troops

44 BCE

Marcus Antonius is outraged by the murder of Caesar and banish the Senate, Cassius and Brutus from Italia. He consolidate his power there and scores multiple victories against these traitors.

Octavian chooses his own path

44 BCE

Octavian argued with Antonius as to who would succeed Caesar as ruler of the Empire (Marcus being owed the position by law and Octavian being owed it by blood), as such he battles with Antonius as well as Brutus for control.

The Second Triumvirate is founded and the second civil war ends

42 BCE

Brutus and Cassius are forced to confront Lepidus’, Octavian’s and Antonius’ combined forces in two battles and Phillipi; as to avoid the dishonor of their impending defeats, both kill themselves, ending the civil war and solidifying the Second Triumvirate amongst Antonius, Octavian and Lepidus, originally formed the previous year.

The Second Triumvirate divides the Empire

40 BCE

The Second Triumvirate divides the Roman Imperium amongst Lepidus’ Southern Provinces (Africa), Antonius’ Eastern Provinces (Anatolia and N. Arabia [Egypt through royal marriage]) and Octavian’s Western Provinces (Gaul, Iberia and a minute portion of Britannia).

Antonius marries Octavia to strengthen the Triumvirate

40 BCE

Antonius’ brother Lucius and wife Fulvia rebel against Octavian and are killed, Antonius reconciling with Octavian by marrying his sister, Octavia.

Maecenas struggles to keep the Triumvirs together

40 BCE

Maecenas, otherwise silently funding poets such as Horace, reenters the issue of politics by negotiating the formation of the Triumvirate as well as the marriage between Octavian and Scribonia as well as the reconciliation between Octavian and Antonius.

Antonius sides with Cleopatra over Octavia

36 BCE

To secure his power in Egypt and Judea, Antonius secretly grows in an affair with Cleopatra, practically abandoning Octavia and therefore destroying his alliance with Octavian.

Octavian makes a third civil war inevitable

36 BCE

Octavian grows ever tired of Antonius’ meddling in the Triumvirate, choosing to direct efforts in a smear campaign against him, especially when Antonius leaves Octavia for Cleopatra.

Maecenas becomes governor of Italy

36 BCE

Maecenas is appointed vice-regent to Octavian as well as governor of Italia and Rome.

The Third Civil War begins

33 BCE

Octavian leads an offensive war against Antonius once the Second Triumvirate expires, Lepidus quickly loses to Octavian’s control, Antonius is quickly defeated and forced to retreat all the way to Alexandria in Egypt.

Mark Antony is killed in the Battle of Alexandria

31 BCE

Marcus Antonius falls in the Battle of Alexandria, dying of a self-inflicted stabbing due to his failure to defeat Octavian’s invasion forces; Cleopatra then immediately does the same to herself though through two snakes.

Octavian secures peace and unity through victory, the third civil war ends

31 BCE

With Antonius dead and Lepidus finished, Octavian arises to the throne of Rome as if an emperor. As Julius did before him, he chose to grant pardon to his enemies in return for continued loyalty, however he did kill Caesarion as to avoid having a competitor to his position.

Octavian secures stability with the First Settlement and is named Augustus

27 BCE

Octavian makes the First Settlement, a well-orchestrated act that reestablished the Senate but maintained his dominance (however unknown) over said Senate and its power over the empire. For this he is praised and given the name Augustus (to avoid confusion he will continue to be known as Octavian)

Octavian makes the Second Settlement

23 BCE

Having recovered from a serious illness, Octavian invoked the Second Settlement, abandoning his official position and powers to the Senate, however the Senate gave him the power to propose legislation and veto enacted legislation.

Octavian becomes an official First Consul and in this, Emperor

19 BCE

Octavian is officially made First Consul for life, completing his power.

Octavian dies of illness between Rome and Capri

14 BCE

Octavian rules peacefully until he died of illness in this year en route from Rome to Capri.

Octavian is remembered as Paren Patriae by the Senate

12 BCE

Octavian becomes like a god-king of the Roman way, despite his death; he is named parens patriae, father of the fatherland, by the Roman Senate.

Maecenas' silent existence makes him the last to die, peacefully

8 BCE

Maecenas dies of old age, devoting all his wealth to the current emperor as he lacked and heirs to which he could entrust the funds.