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509 BCE
Establishment of the Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was established after the last Etruscan king was overthrown. This transformed Rome's previous monarchy into a Republican form of government. -
500 BCE
Conflict of Orders (500 BC to 287 BC)
The Conflict of Orders was the time period in which the plebeians were struggling to achieve greater political representation, in order to be equal with the patricians. This class struggle played a great role in developing the Roman Republic's Constitution. -
389 BCE
Rome Sacked by Celts
Rome was sacked by the Celts during this time. It took the Romans a while to recover from this attack (multiple decades). This incident led the Romans to swear they would never fall victim to another attack on their city ever again. This is why they were so successful during the Roman Expansion. -
31 BCE
End of Rome's Republic / Beginning of Roman Empire
The end of the Roman Republic occurred when Octavian defeated Mark Antony's forces. Mark Antony and his lover Cleopatra killed themselves as a result of their unhappiness. Octavian then commenced his process of manipulating the Roman Republic's institutions, which transformed it into an Empire. -
114
The Pax Romana (the Roman Peace)
During the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire reached its height in glory, power, and riches. The three distinct dynasties of this time period included: the Julian dynasty (14-68 CE), the Flavian dynasty (69-96 CE), and the "Five Good Emperors" dynasty (96-180 CE). -
117
Height of the Roman Empire's Territorial Expanse
The Roman Empire reached its peak of territorial expanse under the leadership of Trajan. -
235
Crises of the Roman Empire (235 CE to 234 CE)
During the crises of the Roman Empire, the Romans faced an increasing amount of pressure from foreign invaders along their border. The political instability within the Empire also played a great role in the crises. -
380
Roman Empire was Officially Declared Christian Under Theodosius I
The Roman Empire was officially declared Christian by Theodosius I, which eventually meant that all important people to the Empire had to be Christians. This led to the fall because it began to divide the people of Rome. -
476
The Fall of Rome
The fall of Rome occurred as a result of its corruption and weakening, its infiltration by cultures that were "barbarian," and the gradual disappearance of its political unity. -
500
Rome Removed from the Roman Empire
The city of Rome and its home country, Italy, were removed from the empire that was still known as "Roman" by those who resided in the eastern empire.
