OUTLINE OF MAJOR EVENTS

IN ROMAN HISTORY

Rome was founded April 21, 753 B.C. accord-ing to long tradition.

753 B.C. - 509 B.C. Monarchy of seven kings509 B.C. - 27 B.C. Republic ruled by two consuls27 B.C. - 476 A.D. Rome ruled by emperors

The Seven hills of Rome: Aventine, Palatine,Esquiline, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Caelian

The Tiber River flows among the hills, southwesttoward the port city of Ostia.

The Age of Kings 753 B.C. - 509 B.C.

Romulus: Deified name Quirinus; murdered hisbrother Remus when he mocked the trench and wall(pomerium) Romulus was building; established theasylum, offering sanctuary to persons displaced orexiled, in order to increase settlement’s population.

Numa Pompilius: Sabine king, very religious,established many laws and customs, made first10-month calendar; advised by his wife Tatia, whowas taught by the nymph Egeria.

Tullus Hostilius: Hostile king; engaged in battlewith Alba Longa; triplet brothers Horatii (Romans)and Curiatii (Albans) fought; Horatii won; solesurvivor Horatius killed sister Horatia because shemourned the death of a Curiatius; Tullus waskilled by lightning when he defied the gods.

Ancus Martius: Sabine king, Numa’s grandson;built the first wooden bridge over the Tiber River;founded Ostia, Rome’s seaport; annexed theAventine Hill, and settled plebeians there.

Tarquinius Priscus: Built the first circus,instituted Roman games and triumphs (militaryvictory parades), built the Cloaca Maxima (sewersystem); assassinated by the sons of Ancus Martius.

Servius Tullius: Took the first census; annexedQuirinal, Viminal, and Esquiline hills.

Tarquinius Superbus: Proud and arrogant;Brutus and Collatinus led a popular rebellionagainst him and in 509 B.C. became the first twoconsuls of the Republic.

The Age of the Republic 509 B.C. - 27 B.C.

Lucius Junius Brutus and Collatinus were the firstconsuls.Tarquinius Superbus enlisted Etruscanking Lars Porsenna to help him to attempt toregain power in Rome; he was unsuccessful.

496 Rome engaged in the Battle of Lake Regillusagainst the Latins; marked by the appearanceof the gods Castor and Pollux (Gemini).

494 Office of tribune created, to providerepresentation of the plebeian, or “lower”class.

458 Cincinnatus became the first to invokeemergency power of dictator followingincursion of outlying tribes; when theemergency passed, he relinquished thedictatorship.

451-450 Twelve Tables of the Law compiled bythe decemviri.

449 The number of tribunes was increased fromtwo to ten.

445 Lex Canuleia passed, allowing inter- marriage between patricians and plebeians.

390 The Gauls defeated the Romans in battle.

264-241 The First Punic War between Romeand the North African empire ofCarthage. (The Romans called theCarthaginians the Poeni, becauseCarthage was colonized by thePhoenicians.)

234 Birth of Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato theElder), the Censor who would later exclaim“Karthago delenda est” in the senate.

219-202 Second Punic War.

217 Battle of Lake Trasimene, firstmajor battle; Romans were defeated;Q. Fabius Maximus Cunctator(“the Delayer”) named dictator;

216 Battle of Cannae, significant defeatfor the Romans; the consul Varrowas killed;

202 Battle of Zama, in North Africa;Roman general Scipio Africanusdefeated Hannibal.

180 Lex Villia Annalis passed, settingminimum ages for offices of the cursushonorum.

153 Consuls assumed office on Kalendsof January.

149 Death of Cato the Elder, three years beforethe destruction of Karthage.

149-146 Third Punic War.

146 Carthage destroyed by Rome; Romealso seized Corinth and took control ofGreece.

135-132 First Servile War waged in Sicily.

133 Tribune Tiberius Gracchus murdered bymob led by patricians opposed to his radicalland reforms.

121 Gaius Gracchus, brother of Tiberius, alsokilled; his death resulted from the first-everapplication of the senatus consultum ultimum(“extreme decree of the senate”).

118-104 The Jugurthine War; the Roman generalMarius defeated the eastern king Jugurtha.

107; 104-100;86 Marius served as consul anunprecedented seven times; allowedsubsequent powerful leaders leeway toskirt laws and traditions of Republicangovernment.

106 Birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero.

104 Second Servile War waged in Sicily.

100 Birth of Gaius Julius Caesar.

90 Lex Julia passed offering citizenship toallies that had not fought against Rome inthe social wars.

89 Lex Plautia Papiria passed, offeringcitizenship to allies who had previously foughtagainst Rome; it was introduced by a Tribuneof the Plebs.

84 The poet Catullus was born.

82 Sulla “Felix” defeated the followers of Marius and took control of Rome.

82-79 Sulla held the dictatorship; he extensivelyreorganized the Roman government, and resetminimal ages to offices in the cursus honorum.

73-71 Spartacus’ slave revolt put down by Pompeyand Crassus.

70 and 55 Pompey and Crassus served asconsuls together.

70 The poet Vergil was born.

67 Lex Gabinia introduced by a Tribune,granting Pompey vast power against thepirates of the Mediterranean.

65 The poet Horace was born.

63 Catilinarian conspiracy; Lucius Catilinaand associates plotted to overthrow thegovernment and murder the leadership;Cicero needed to deliver only the firstof four prepared speeches to the senate;conspirators fled Rome.

63 Octavian (later Augustus) was born.

62 Defeat and death of Catiline.

60 First Triumvirate; Caesar, Pompey, andCrassus struck agreement at Luca.

59 Consulship of Caesar and Bibulus,known as the “consulship of Julius andCaesar” due to Bibulus’ weakness.

58-51 Caesar waged campaigns in Gaul;extended term of governorship; ultimatelyhe was granted emergency control of allthree Gallic provinces.

58 Publius Clodius Pulcher exiled Cicero.

56 First Triumvirate reaffirmed at Luca.

54 The poet Catullus died.

53 Battle of Carrhae; Crassus killed byParthians.

52 Vercingetorix defeated Caesar at Gergovia; Caesar defeated Vercingetorix at Alesia. Pompey served as sole consul.

50 Pompey was asked to save the state; Tribunes left Rome.

49-45 Civil War 49 Caesar crossed Rubicon River, bringing

his army into Italy and declaring waragainst the state;

48 Pompey defeated Caesar inDyrrhachium; Caesar defeated Pompeyat Pharsalus; Pompey fled into Egypt;and was beheaded;

45 Caesar defeated the sons of Pompeyin Spain.

44 Julius Caesar murdered in conspiracy of senators led by Brutus and Cassius; Caesar’s will provided for the adoption of Octavian as his son and heir; Marc Antony became second consul.

43 Cicero was killed at the order of Antonyand possibly Octavian; the SecondTriumvirate was formed by Antony, Lepidus,and Octavian; legalized by Lex Titia;the poet Ovid was born.

42 Antony and Octavian defeated Caesar’s assassins Brutus and Cassius.

37 Second Triumvirate reaffirmed;Antony and Cleopatra married in Egypt.

31 Octavian and Agrippa defeated Antonyand Cleopatra in naval engagement nearActium in Greece.

29 Dedication of Temple of Divus Juliuson the site of Caesar’s cremation in ForumRomanum; rostra from ships defeatedat Actium affixed to foundation wall.

The Early Empire

27 Motion made to confer title “Augustus”(“revered”) on Octavian.

19 The poet Vergil died; Augustus dis-regarded Vergil’s instructions to burn theunfinished Aeneid.

17 Augustus adopted his grandsons, Gaius andLucius Caesar, making them potential heirs.

13 Death of Lepidus; Augustus was solesurviving triumvir.

12 Augustus became Pontifex Maximus;death of Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’admiral, friend, and possible heir.

8 Deaths of the poet Horace and theliterary patron Maecenas.

2 Augustus was granted the title paterpatriae; Augustus banished his daughterJulia from Rome for moral turpitude.

2 Death of Lucius Caesar.

4 Death of Gaius Caesar.

8 Ovid banished to Tomi by Augustus for“carmen et error” (Ars Amatoria, andpossible improper involvement with, orinfluence on, Julia, Augustus’ daughter).

14 Augustus Caesar died, possibly bypoisoning at the hands of Livia, his wife;he was without direct heir.

17 The poet Ovid died, without havingbeen allowed to return to Rome.

19 Death of Germanicus, Augustus’ stepsonand presumed heir; Germanicus’ brotherTiberius became emperor.

Julio-Claudian Dynasty 27 B.C.-68 A.D.

Augustus 27 B.C.-14 A.D.Tiberius 14-37Caligula 37-41Claudius 41-54Nero 54-68

The Republican Cursus Honorum

Tribune of the Plebs

Annually elected by the plebeian section of the

Assembly of the Tribes (Comitia Tributa), known

as the Concilium Plebis, there were originally two,

but by 449 there were ten. The person of the tribune

was sacrosanct and he could veto anyone, except

a dictator, including another tribune. The office,

an alternative to ten years’ service in the cavalry,

was often attained through nepotism, a practice

accepted and commonly employed.

Quaestor

The first position in the cursus was Quaestor,

whose term was a year. Originally there were two

Quaestors, but the number was increased to 4

in 421 and then to 6 in 267, and then to 8 in 227.

In 81, the number was increased to 20.

They were selected by the Assembly of the 35 tribes,

the Comitia Tributa.

Quaestors supervised the treasury and the

financial affairs of the state, the army, and

the military officers.

Aedile

Two Plebeian Aediles were chosen each year bythe Concilium Plebis and two Curule Aedileswere picked annually by the Assembly of the 35tribes, the Comitia Tributa. It was not necessaryto be an aedile while following thecursus honorum.

Aediles saw to the maintenance of publicbuildings, the oversight of public festivals, andthe enforcement of public order.

Praetor

Elected by the Assembly of the Centuries, theComitia Centuriata, the (originally) two Praetorsheld office for a year. The number increased to 4in 227; and then to 6 in 197. In 81, the numberwas increased to 8. Praetors were accompaniedby two lictores within the confines of the city.

Praetors were viewed as peers to the consuls,and the office was probably created to relievethe consul of responsibilities to the law courts.Outgoing praetors became eligible on an equalbasis with consuls to serve as provincialgovernors.

Consul

Two in number, the annually elected consulswere elected by the Assembly of the Centuries,the Comitia Centuriata. Twelve lictores andthe toga praetexta were two of their honors.

The minimal age of eligibility for election tothe consulship was 41 for patricians, and 42for plebeians; however Cicero was the firstequestrian to attain the office. Each consulhad power of veto (“I forbid”) over the other.Outgoing consuls became provincialgovernors.

The sequence of offices in the cursus honorummeant that an office couldn’t be skipped.Quaestorship must precede praetorship andpraetorship must precede consulship, but thecandidate need not have been either an aedileor tribune. The candidate aspiring to be quaestorhad to be at least 28 and there must be two yearsbetween the end of one office and the beginningof the next step in the cursus honorum.

The outline of Roman history was adapted and expanded from

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Sparta/9909/classics.html

The information concerning the cursus honorum was adapted and expandedfrom

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_cursus_honorum.htm

Main Source:Marsh, Frank Burr; revised by H.H. Scullard. A History of the Roman World

From 146 to 30 B.C. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1971.