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321 BCE
The Battle of Caudine Forks
In 322 BC, Rome was offered a Samnite peace offer but rejected it and planned to resume the battle a year later. The battle was fought in the Appennine Mountains during the Second Samnite War. After the Romans surrendered, Herennius first said to set them free, Pontius didn't agree. Herennius then suggested to kill them all. They then decided to have them pass under a yoke wearing just their tunics and sign a peace treaty. -
312 BCE
The Battle of Milvian Bridge
On October 27, 312 BC, Constantine had a vision - he saw the sun with a cross in front of it with the statement "in hoc signo vinces" which translates to "In this sign, prevail". The Roman forces retreat did not end well as some drowned in the Tiber River. Constantine took over Rome's imperial capital and named it Constantinople. Christianity had also become Rome's official religion. Constantine I became ruler of the Roman Empire. -
264 BCE
The First Punic War
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Period: 264 BCE to 241 BCE
The First Punic War
All three wars were fought between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Empire. The First Punic War was fought to gain control over the islands of Corsica and Sicily. Carthage surrendered and Rome came out victorious with Sicily as its first overseas province. -
218 BCE
The Second Punic War
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Period: 218 BCE to 201 BCE
The Second Punic War
In 219 BC, Hannibal captured Saguntum which caused Rome to declare war. In 216 BC, Hannibal's invasion had peaked at the Battle of Cannae. Carthage lost their hold of Italy because of the Roman victories in Spain and northern Africa. Even though the Romans lost this battle, Carthage was forced to pay Rome with silver and give up their fleet. -
216 BCE
The Battle of Cannae
Rome and Carthage fought near Cannae during the First Punic War. Rome was led by Lucius Aemilius Paulles and were lacking in cavalry. Roman forces were unable to defeat Hannibal and his army, making this one of the worst defeats in Roman history. Rome is reported of losing 55,000-70,000 troops. -
214 BCE
The Macedonian War
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Period: 214 BCE to 148 BCE
The Macedonian Wars
There were four Macedonian Wars in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The First Macedonian War was during the First Punic war and used as a diversion. During these wars, the Achaean League tried to get rid of the Romans. The final war ended in 148 BC with a Roman victory. -
202 BCE
The Battle of Zama
During this battle, the Carthaginians used elephants to attempt to attack Roman forces but failed. This was the final battle of the Second Punic War which ended with a Roman victory. Carthage accepted Scipio Afracanus's peace agreements. Rome began visioning a Mediterranean Empire. -
197 BCE
The Battle of Cynoscephelae
Fought in 197 BC during the Second Macedonian War, Rome and Aetolia fought against Macedonia. This battle marked the end of the Second Macedonian War. Rome won both the battle and the war. -
190 BCE
The Battle of Magnesia
In the Battle of Magnesia, Roman forces were led by Cornelius Scipio Asiagenes. Rome were battling the Seleucid army who were camped near Thyatira, Greece. With the end of this battle came the end of the Roman-Syrian War, both ended with Rome being victorious. This increased Rome's power over Asia Minor and stopped the Seleucid army and their king, Antiochus from expanding west. -
168 BCE
The Battle of Pydna
This battle was fought between Rome and Macedonia during the Third Macedonian War. This was a great victory for the Roman forces, only losing 100 men during battle. Their victory broke Macedonia's power. After Perseus surrendered, he was taken to Rome and paraded around the city. -
149 BCE
The Third Punic War
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149 BCE
The Battle of Carthage
The Battle of Carthage started when Numidia annexed land from Carthage and Carthaginians went to defend it. After eight days of battle, the Carthaginian resistance had collapsed. Hasdrubal, the wife of the Carthaginian commander sacrificed herself and her sons in front of the Romans. Not long after, Scipio Aemilianus, the commander of Roman forces, ordered for the city to be burned down. -
Period: 149 BCE to 146 BCE
The Third Punic War
The third and final Punic War started in 149 BC when Carthage declared war on Numidia which broke their treaty. By the end of the war, only 50,000 Carthaginians survived and were sold into slavery. Rome made the Carthaginian territory a province soon after the war. -
90 BCE
The Social War
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Period: 90 BCE to 89 BCE
The Social War
The Social War was started when Rome's Italian allies started a rebellion for independence. Italy wanted citizenship in Rome, Marcus Livius Drusus complied, but it was not able to be completed because he was soon assassinated. Rome defeated the rebels and made it so all of Italy south of the Po River could become a single nation. -
57 BCE
The Battle of Sabis
The Battle of Sabis, also known as the Battle of the Sambre, was fought in 57 BC between Rome and Nervii. Rome won this battle under the command of Julias Caesar. Although the number of Roman casualties are not recorded, Caesar lost many lives due to a Nervii ambush. Nervii's forces had less than 500 remaining out of the original 60,000. -
52 BCE
The Battle of Alesia
The Battle of Alesia was fought in 52 BC during the Gallic Wars. The Roman forces were led by Julias Caesar. Caesar's battle plan was to storm into Alesia and trap the Gauls inside allowing them to starve. This was successful and they captured Alesia. This battle did not mark the end of the Gallic Wars. -
49 BCE
Caesar's Civil War
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Period: 49 BCE to 45 BCE
Caesar's Civil War
Caesar's Civil War started when Julias Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon River into an area that forbid military dispositions. Caesar's main goal was to take over the Roman Senate for attempting to remove him. In this war, Caesar gained control the western Roman Empire and northern Africa. Rome was made into an Empire instead of a republic due to the war. -
48 BCE
The Battle of Pharsalus
This battle was fought between Julias Caesar and Pompey the Great. By this time, Caesar's relationship with the senate had deteriorated quite a bit. After Pompey had fled to Egypt, Ptolemy XIII had ordered his advisers to kill him. Caesar was named the dictator of the Roman Republic. -
31 BCE
The Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between Marc Antony and Octavian Caesar. The battle first started when Octavian declared war on Cleopatra, which then got Marc Antony involved. A week later, Marc's land surrendered. The end of the battle came when Cleopatra and Marc Antony both committed suicide. -
9
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought in 9 AD and lasted three days. Roman forces were fighting against the Germanic tribe. Publius Quinctilius Varus, the leader of the Roman forces, was misinformed on where the Germans were located and was led right into his death. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was Rome's worst defeat in history. This defeat prevented Rome from advancing at the Rhine River. -
378
The Battle of Adrianople
After suffering from a famine, the Goths rose up against the Romans. By the time the Romans made it to Adrianople, the troops morale was very low. This is one of the worst defeats in Roman history. Roman Emperor Valens's body was never found. -
451
The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains
Rome and their ally, Visigoth, fought against the Huns who were led by Attila. The battle was fought on the Catalaunian Plains in Champagne, France. This was the first time that European forces were able to defeat the Hun army. The defeat of Huns stopped them from destroying Gaul.
