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700 BCE
Founding of Rome
A tribe of Latins founded a city known as Rome on the Palatine, overlooking the Tiber River. According to a myth, two brothers named Romulus and Remus, who were raised by wolves, founded the city. This myth ended with the murder of Remus and Romulus becoming the first king of Rome, hence the city's name. Rome would eventually be conquered by the Etruscans, a power from Northern Italy. This would be the start of the domino chain that would herald the arguable greatest power of the ancient world. -
Period: 700 BCE to 510 BCE
Etruscan Rule and the Roman Revolution
For a considerable length of time, the city of Rome was ruled by the Etruscans, who hailed from Northern Italy. Eventually, a revolt occurred and the Etruscans were overthrown. This marked the start of the Roman Republic. According to myth, a man named Lucius Junius Brutus led the revolt after overhearing a prophecy that the first man to kiss his mother would be the next ruler of Rome. Knowing this, Brutus pretended to trip, kissing the Earth Mother and setting the prophecy in motion. -
509 BCE
Creation of the Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was founded mainly by the patricians, or the upper social class of Rome. They created a senate of three hundred people to create laws and the position of Consul of Rome, of which two people would hold. This position was effectively the position of the Roman ruler. It should be noted that only patricians filled these positions, and plebians, the majority of citizens, had no representation whatsoever. -
Period: 509 BCE to 14 BCE
Periods of Expansion
The four periods of expansion overlap with other events, and are best set on a separate yet related timescale. The first period involved the end of Etruscan rule. The second period of expansion entertained the wars against Carthage, an African power. Third was the expansion that let Rome rule the world of the Mediterranean. Fourth and finally was the fourth period of expansion, where the early Roman Empire grew exponentially. Each period was equally important to the growth of the Roman Empire. -
494 BCE
The Conflict of the Orders and the Plebian Revolt
The plebians, Rome's working class, were in dire need of representation within the Roman Republic. Laws were created and vaguely worded by the patrician senate, so that other patricians could interpret them to their own benefit. Eventually, tension continued building until a societal revolt occurred. This rallied effort to fight for plebian rights against patrician rule is known as the Conflict of the Orders. Eventually, plebians left the city, not returning until their demands were met. -
287 BCE
Political Equality for the Plebians
With the patricians' work force gone, Rome fell into a state of pure panic. The ruling patricians were forced to compromise, and the plebians' demands were met. One of the consuls of Rome, the military leaders of the Roman Republic, now needed to be a plebian. Former consuls could be in the senate, and this gave plebians representation within the governing of the Republic. At a slow crawl, this equality slowly increased until 287 B.C, where plebians were able to pass laws for all Romans. -
44 BCE
Fall of the Roman Republic and Creation of the Roman Empire
After managing to stay afloat for almost 465 years, the Roman Republic collapsed. The republic had been folding already, but the rise of Julius Caesar to power would be the final straw. Caesar ruled as a dictator near the end of his life. Many senators believed that the only way to save the republic was to kill him. Caesar was assassinated by this group of senators, however this backfired badly. Octavian, Caesar's nephew, took power and was christened Emperor Caesar Augustus of the Roman Empire. -
Period: 180 to 476
Falling Factors
The three factors of political instability, economic weakening, and strained borders were the main causes of the Roman Empire's decline. The transition of power between emperors was often violent, and this stressed the republic greatly. The economy of the empire was smashed by the high taxes imposed to fund the military in order to prevent the third cause, weakening borders. The empire had vast borders, and even with their gigantic army, keeping its borders safe was a massive undertaking. -
330
Torn in Two
After deciding Christianity would become the new official religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine chose to move the empire's capital to Byzantium, later called Constantinople. Later on, Emperor Diocletian made the decision to split the Roman Empire into the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. This only made the empire more unstable though, and Diocletian's decision is often considered one of the main factors that brought about the fall of the Roman Empire. -
410
Pillaging of Rome
In 410 C.E, the Western Roman Empire was in a sorry state. Just 300 years ago, a small amount considering the span of the Roman Empire, it looked unstoppable. However, with the empire now split in two, borders were weaker and as a result, many Germanic tribes were ransacking the Western Empire left and right. One of these tribes reached Rome itself, where the members had no trouble looting the city. This was one of the final straws for the Roman Empire, and practically spelled out its demise. -
476
The End
In 476 C.E, the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire caved in and was tossed from the throne. This ended the Roman Empire once and for all. The Eastern Roman Empire would go on for almost a thousand years more as the Byzantine Empire, though any dream of it ever becoming as powerful as its ancestor was impractical. Through the Byzantine Empire, the Roman Empire's culture and history would live on, allowing future generations to learn from the achievements and mistakes of the Roman Empire.
