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31 BCE
Augustus's Rise to Power
Augustus came to power in 31 BC after his victory in the Battle of Actium against Marc Antony and Cleopatra which brought about an end to the republic and the rise of the empire. -
Period: 31 BCE to 14
Caesar Augustus's Ruling Dates
Augustus Caesar was the first emperor -
Period: 31 BCE to 68
The Emperors in the Julio-Claudian Dynasty
This dynasty consisted on Augustus and his descendants: Tiberius, Gaius(Caligula), Claudius, and Nero. -
19 BCE
Publication of the Aeneid
The Aeneid was written by Vergil from 29 - 19 B.C.E. This book was commissioned by Caesar Augustus to help create a sense of unity within Rome and make him look like a great leader. -
19 BCE
Augustus gets Spain
Augustus finally succeeds with his military campaign in Spain and the entire land falls under his control and that of the empire. -
17 BCE
Secular Games
these games were part of an ancient ritual where Roman people were purified of their past sins. This happened under Augustus's rule. -
14 BCE
Augustus Caesar dies
Augustus Caesar dies at the age of 75 from old age. On his death bed he said "I founded Rome of clay; I leave it to you of marble" -
4 BCE
Birth of Jesus
Jesus is born in Bethlehem during the census of Caesar Augustus. -
14
Tiberius's rise to power
Lavinia, Tiberius's mother always wanted Tiberius to become the next emperor and she made this possible by forcing him to marry Julia, Augustus's daughter. When Gaius and Lucius died, this was made possible because Tiberius was next in line. -
Period: 14 to 37
Tiberius Ruling dates
Tiberius was the adopted son of Augustus Caesar -
26
Tiberius moves to Capri
The pressure Tiberius was feeling from his mother Lavinia, along with the recent death of his adopted son Germanicus drove Tiberius to move to the island of Capri and leave the running of the empire to the advisor of the Praetorian Guard, Lucius Aelius Sejanus -
30
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus was killed by the Roman soldier under the charge of blasphemy. He is the God of Christians which was to spread in Rome. -
31
Sejanus and Livilla announce betrothal and plan to overthrow Tiberius
Sejanus continued to gain more power as a result of Tiberius's absence, but he begins to get a big head and decides that he should be the true emperor. When Tiberius hears this, he orders the death of Sejanus, Livilla, their family, and all of their followers. -
37
Caligula's rise to power
After Tiberius died, Caligula and Gemellus, Tiberius's grandson, were to be joint heirs, but once Caligula assumed power, he forced Gemellus to kill himself. -
37
Tiberius's death
Tiberius became more reclusive as the years went on. He died at the old age of 77. -
Period: 37 to 41
Caligula Ruling Dates
Caligula was welcomed as emperor at first, but in 37, he came down with a serious illness that affected his mental state and doomed his rule. -
39
The Bay of Naples
He connected the Baiae to Puteoli for his own enjoyment using many boats from the Roman military and lots of money that the Romans payed through taxes. -
Period: 39 to 40
Caligula leads military campaigns to the Rhine and English Channel
During these military campaigns, Caligula's illness became very prominent to the Roman people in the way he would tell the soldiers to rob the sea by collecting shells in their helmets and how he would use battles for theatrical displays. -
41
Caligula's assassination
Caligula was losing his mind and he was making Rome fall with him as he continued to spend Roman money on crazy, unnecessary things. The Senate and the Praetorian Guard decided they had had enough and in late January, he was stabbed to death along with his entire family. -
41
Claudius's Rise to Power
Claudius was the brother of Germanicus, Tiberius's adopted son, so when Caligula was assassinated, he was next in line. -
Period: 41 to 54
Claudius Ruling Dates
Claudius was Caligula's uncle, the brother of Germanicus. -
43
Claudius leads military campaign through Britain
Claudius finished the military campaign the Caligula had started by marching through Britain leading his army to victory. This gained him respect and military glory. -
49
Claudius extends the border of the Pomerium
The pomerium is the boundary within which Romans can worship the Roman gods. It is ruled by citizens, nit military. -
54
Nero's Rise to Power
Nero became the emperor at the age of 17 when Claudius suddenly died (most likely at the hands of Nero's mother). -
54
Claudius is poisoned by Agrippina
Claudius married Agrippina (who was his niece) after the death of his previous wife. Agrippina was set on having her son Nero become the next emperor of Rome so she it is believed that she fed Claudius poisoned mushrooms causing him to die before his time. -
Period: 54 to 68
Nero's Ruling Dates
Nero is one of the most famous Roman Emperors because of his crazy killing sprees, persecutions, and obsessions. -
59
Nero orders his mother to death
Nero has been becoming increasingly more violent and his insanity is showing in the way he rules Rome. He begins to put more people to death for stupid reasons and he obsesses over music. The beginning of this insanity and violence started mostly with him putting his mother to death. -
59
Nero commits suicide
When Nero returned from his tour of Greece, he finds that most of the Roman people had pledged allegiance to Galba, the governor of Spain, and they were ordering his arrest. Knowing that this meant certain death and torture, Nero decided to take his own life before they had the chance to. -
64
The Great Fire of Rome
This great fire occurred during the reign of Nero and wiped out two thirds of Rome after burning for six days. Many say that Nero started the fire so that he could rebuild Rome to his taste. Another benefit would have been to blame it on the Christians who persecuted at the time. However, he was miles away and it started in a southern district. He did, in fact, use this event to build hatred against the Christians. -
65
A Conspiracy forms to assassinate Nero
After the Great Fire of Rome and the multiple murders and persecutions, the Roman people had had enough of Nero as their emperor, so a conspiracy formed to get rid of him. However, Nero learned of this plan before it could be put into action and he ordered all of those involved to be executed. -
68
Galba's rise to power
Rose to power after Nero was the first Roman to kill himself. -
68
Cancelling of Nero's reforms
When Galba got to Rome he cancelled all of Nero's reform many of which benefited the government's wealthy supporters. He was so paranoid about those around him that he had many killed around him. -
68
Death of Galba
He was killed by the Praetorian Guard with his successor Lucius. The guard had been bribed by Otho. -
68
Germania Inferior Rebellion
Those who lived in Germania Inferior did not trust Galba and did not swear allegiance to him. They went on to proclaim another man, Vitellius, as their emperor. Thus, Galba proclaimed another successor, Lucius, instead of Otho. This angered many and led to his assassination. -
Period: 68 to 69
The Four Emperors of Rome
This time period led to the rise and fall of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, before it finally ended with Vespasian. -
69
Otho's Rise to Power
He was put in place as emperor on the day that Galba was killed bacause the Senate was to thankful that he had organized Galba's death. -
69
Peace Offers
Otho attempted to make peace with the Germanians and he offered to marry Vitellius' daughter. Unfortunately, it was too late for Rome to try and make peace. -
69
Battle of Bedriacum
Clash between Otho and Vitellius in which Otho. He did not flee but committed suicide. -
69
Death of Otho
He committed suicide after the Battle of Bedriacum. -
69
Vitellius' Rise to Power
He rose to power after the Battle of Bedriacum and after Otho killed himself. -
69
Pontifex Maximus
Vitellius decided to take the office of Pontifex Maximus which is essentially the great priest of Rome. This made the people very suspicious of him. -
69
Second Battle of Bedriacum
Clash between Vespasian and Vitellius in which Vitellius suffered a crushing defeat. Vespasian had been in charge of Judaea in 67 and had been acclaimed emperor in Egypt which led to the fight. -
69
Death of Vitellius
After he could not negotiate peace, he was killed by Vespasian's men. -
69
Vespasian's rise to power
He came to power at the end of 69, the day after the death of Vitellius. -
Period: 69 to 96
The Emperors in the Flavian Dynasty
This dynasty rose to power after the year of the Four Emperors. It was ruled by Vespasian and his two sons Titus and Domitian. During this time, the army was reorganized, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Colosseum was built. -
Period: 69 to 79
Vespasian's Ruling Dates
Last emperor of the year of four and beginning of the Flavian dynasty. -
Period: 69 to 69
The Year of the Four Good Emperors
After Emperor Nero killed himself, four men claimed to be emperor and each had an army to back them up. The four men were Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. The year ended when Vespasian won the mini civil war and the Flavian Dynasty began. -
70
Siege of Jerusalem
The Roman empire laid siege to the great hub of Jerusalem after the Jerusalem riots of 66. A huge result was the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. -
75
Beginning of the Colosseum
In Vespasian's rule, the building of the Colosseum began. It was funded by the rewards from the great Jewish Temple which had been taken in the Siege of Jerusalem. -
79
Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
This eruption killed approximately 11,000 unsuspecting Romans in Pompeii. The only record of this catastrophic event is from Pliny the Younger whose uncle Pliny the Elder tried to save people in Pompeii and was killed in Stabiae. -
79
Death of Vespasian
Died of natural causes in 79 at the ripe age of 69. -
79
Titus's Rise to Power
Titus rose to power because he was the son of Vespasian and therefore the next in line and he was also a famous military leader. -
Period: 79 to 81
Titus's Ruling dates
Titus began to gain fame when he conquered Jerusalem in 70 -
80
Rebuilding of Rome
After Mt. Vesuvius erupted killing thousands of people, the Roman people were very shaken. Titus did a good job of bringing them together by constructing more amphitheaters and places for entertainment. -
80
The dedication of the Colosseum
The building of the Colosseum began in 70 with Titus's father Vespasian, but it was finished during Titus's reign and he dedicated it in a ceremony that had 100 days of games. -
81
Titus's death
Titus died suddenly at the young age of 41, which is why some historians believe that it was Domitian, his brother, who brought death to him quicker than was expected so that he could become the next emperor. -
81
Domitian's Rise to Power
He was known for his reign of terror. He was the son of the Emperor Vespasian and he was the last member of the Flavian Dynasty. -
Period: 81 to 96
Domitian's ruling dates
Domitian was the brother of Titus and it is believed that he killed Titus so that he could become emperor quicker. -
85
Domitian becomes censor for life
This gave him control over the members of the Senate and their behavior. -
85
Mutiny of the Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard decided to have a mutiny in which the conspirators imprisoned Nerva in the palace and demanded the release of the two men who were responsible for Domitian's death. Nerva refused and was eventually rescued, and the men who imprisoned him were executed -
89
The revolt of Antonius Saturninus
During this time there was some unrest when Antonius Saturninus led a revolt in Upper Germany but was squashed by the army in Lower Germany. Domitian became paranoid after that which led to many executions and what became known as the period of terror. -
96
Nerva's Rise to Power
The Senate appointed Nerva since Domitian left no heirs behind. -
96
Titus is murdered
The conspiracy to kill him was led by a number of officials working for him and his own wife. He was stabbed to death -
Period: 96 to 180
The Five Good Emperors
This majestic time in the Roman Empire was ruled by Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. It was a time of expansion and organization. This was not a blood line. The successors were adopted heirs who were very distantly related if they were related at all. -
Period: 96 to 98
Nerva's Ruling Dates
Nerva was the first in the succession of the Five Good Emperors. -
97
Nerva adopts Marcus Ulpius Traianus
Nerva realized that he needed an heir so he decided to adopt Marcus who was the current governor go Upper Germany, not only to give him an heir but ti also unite the northern provinces with the rest of Rome. -
98
Nerva's death
Nerva died of natural causes at a fairly old age. An eclipse occurred on the day of his burial. -
98
Trajan's rise to power
Trajan rose to power because he was purposefully adopted by Nerva to become the emperor after Nerva's death, so that is exactly what he did. -
Period: 98 to 117
Trajan's Ruling Dates
Emperor who wanted to extend the boundaries of Rome and better its infrastructure. -
101
Trajan resumes the invasion of Dacia
Trajan resumes this military campaign since Damatian was unable to finish them. Eventually, the Romans won and they added the new province of Dacia to the Empire. -
113
Trajan's Column was finished being built
The column was over 800 feet long and four feet wide. It was covered in words and carvings and it was on top of Trajan's tomb. It commemorated the Dacian wars and had a a statue of Trajan at the top. -
117
Trajan's death
Trajan died of ill health at the age of 64 and his ashes were buried in the base of his column. -
117
Hadrian's Rise to Power
Hadrian was a very significant figure in the Senate and in the military and since he was related to Trajan, when Trajan passed away, Hadrian was named the next emperor. -
Period: 117 to 138
Hadrian's Ruling Dates
Hadrian was Trajan's cousin and the third of the five good emperors. -
122
Hadrian's wall
The wall was built to protect the northwestern frontier of Britain from the barbarians. It was 73 miles long. The wall took 6 years to build. -
134
Revolt in Judea
Hadrian returned from his travels in 132, but when he heard of the Judean revolt, he traveled to Palestine commanding his army and he never returned. No one really knows the initial cause of the revolt, but it is believed to be the universal ban on circumcision that Hadrian ordered. -
138
Hadrian's death
Hadrian's health began to fail as he grew older and he died in a seaside resort slowly and painfully. -
138
Antoninus's Rise to Power
Antoninus was adopted by Hadrian to be the next successor, but Hadrian required him to adopt Verus and Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian expected Antoninus to die fairly soon and then Verus would take over the throne, but Antoninus lasted longer than anyone expected. -
Period: 138 to 161
Antoninus Pius's Ruling Dates
Antoninus was the fourth of the five good emperors and he helped to keep the country in it's 84 year period of peace. -
141
The death of Antoninus's wife and the building of a temple
When his wife died, Antoninus decided to build a temple in her honor along with Puellae Faustiniane which was a charitable organization for the daughters of the poor. -
142
Antonine Wall
Antoninus ordered this wall to be built by the Roman military and all of the parts of the road were to be connected by a a road called the Military Way. It was 36 miles long. However, the army got tired and they abandoned Antonine's wall and returned to Hadrian's wall. -
161
Antoninus's death
Antoninus died of a fever and was remembered as a good emperor who kept Rome in peace. -
161
Marcus Aurelius's Rise to Power
Marcus Aurelius was adopted by Antoninus by order of Hadrian, so when Antoninus died, Marcus Aurelius was next in line to lead the empire. He also insisted that he co-rule with his brother Lucius Verus. -
161
The Parthian Wars
These wars started when the Parthian king invaded the Roman protected Armenia and Syria revolted. Verus went to help with the war effort since he had more military experience and Marcus Aurelius stayed in Rome. The wars ended in a Roman victory thanks to general Gaius Avidius Cassius. -
Period: 161 to 180
Marcus Aurelius's Ruling Dates
Marcus was one of the most well known emperors because of his dedication to education and philosophy. -
162
The persecution of Christians
In this year, Marcus Aurelius begins to persecute Christians because they refused to honor the religion of Rome and they disrupted the social order. -
180
Marcus Aurelius's Death
Marcus Aurelius died of natural causes and the empire was left to his son Commodus.
