Roman Republic

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Definition

In the late 6th century BCE, the small city-state of Rome overthrew the shackles of monarchy and created a republican government that, in theory if not always in practice, represented the wishes of its citizens. From this basis the city would go on to conquer all of the Italian peninsula and large parts of the Mediterranean world and beyond. The Republic and its institutions of government would endure for five centuries, until, wrecked by civil wars, it would transform into a Principate ruled by emperors. Even then many of the political bodies, notably the Senate, created in the Republican period would endure, albeit with a reduction in power.

More about: Roman Republic

Timeline

  • 753 BCE
    The legendary founding date of Rome.
  • 534 BCE - 510 BCE
    Reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last king of Rome.
  • 509 BCE
    Quaestors become a prominent position in the Roman Republic.
  • 495 BCE
    Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last king of Rome, dies in exile at Cumae.
  • 484 BCE
    The first temple of the Dioscuri (Castor & Pollux) is dedicated in Rome's Forum Romanum by Aulus Postumius following his victory over the Latins at the Battle of Lake Regillus.
  • 450 BCE
    The number of Roman quaestors is increased to four and made open to plebians.
  • 450 BCE
    The laws of the 'Twelve Tables', the basis of Roman law, are compiled.
  • c. 440 BCE
    Roman quaestors are chosen by the assembly rather than the consuls.
  • 367 BCE
    Livy mentions Celtic armies in Ancona and one such group moves against Rome once more.
  • 343 BCE - 341 BCE
    First Samnite War (Rome vs. Samnites).
  • 340 BCE - 338 BCE
    Latin War, victory for Rome.
  • 334 BCE
    Rome signs a peace treaty with the Senones tribe.
  • 326 BCE - 304 BCE
    Second Samnite War.
  • 298 BCE - 290 BCE
    Third Samnite War. Victory for Rome, peace with the Etruscans.
  • 297 BCE
    Celts and Samnites join forces and defeat the Romans at Camertium.
  • c. 295 BCE
    In a battle lasting all day, Romans narrowly defeat a force of Celts and Samnites at Sentinum.
  • 294 BCE
    A Roman army led by L. Postimius Megellus defeats an army from Etruscan Volsinii.
  • 285 BCE
    Roman forces heavily defeat the Senones at Lake Vadimo.
  • 285 BCE - 282 BCE
    Rome defeats the Celts in Italy. Rome's dominance in central Italy is secured.
  • 284 BCE
    Gauls of the Insubres and Boii tribes defeat the Romans at Arretium.
  • 283 BCE
    Rome decisively defeats the Senones at Picenum.
  • 283 BCE
    Romans defeat the Etruscans and Celts at lake Vadimo.
  • 282 BCE
    A Celtic army with many youth among their ranks is again defeated by Romans.
  • 280 BCE
    The Romans conquer the Etruscan cities of Tarquinia, Volsinii and Vulci.
  • 280 BCE - 272 BCE
    Roman war against Tarentum. Rome conquers Tarentum. Rome's dominance in lower Italy is secured.
  • 264 BCE - 241 BCE
    First Punic War. Carthage cedes Sicily to Rome.
  • 241 BCE - 238 BCE
    The rebellion of the mercenaries: Unpaid mercenaries under the leadership of Mathos and Spendios rebel against Carthage. Despite a peace treaty, Rome seizes the opportunity to strip Carthage of Sardinia and Corsica.
  • 229 BCE - 228 BCE
    Rome fights Illyrian pirates. Queen Teuta pays tribute to Rome.
  • 225 BCE
    Two Roman armies surround and defeat a Celtic army at Telamon.
  • 223 BCE
    Romans successfully campaign against Celtic tribes of Cisalpine Gaul.
  • 222 BCE
    The Celts are defeated at Clastidium by Roman forces.
  • 222 BCE
    Rome conquers Cisalpine Gaul (modern-day Provence, France).
  • 219 BCE
    Illyrian coast is under Roman control.
  • 216 BCE
    "Hannibal ante portas." Hannibal directly threatens the city of Rome, but cannot advance due to lack of supplies and reinforcements.
  • Aug 216 BCE
    Hannibal wins the battle of Cannae, the worst defeat in Roman history.
  • c. 215 BCE - c. 216 BCE
    The Boii crush a Roman army 25,000 strong at Litana. Victory was, in part, achieved by pushing precariously cut trees down atop the horrified Romans as they marched.
  • 214 BCE - 205 BCE
    First Macedonian War: Rome defeats Philip V of Macedon.
  • 204 BCE
    Scipio Africanus sails to North Africa in the Second Punic War.
  • 201 BCE
    Syracuse joins the Roman Republic, province of Sicily is formed.
  • 200 BCE - 196 BCE
    Second Macedonian War: Roman victory.
  • 193 BCE
    The Boii are defeated by the Romans, suffering, according to Livy, 14,000 dead.
  • 191 BCE - 134 BCE
    Various resistance movements against Rome in Iberia. Viriato leads the Lusitanians against Rome from 154 to 139 BC.
  • 191 BCE
    Antiochus III and his army, including many Galatians, are defeated by Rome at Magnesia.
  • 190 BCE
    Battle of Magnesia ad Sipylum, disastrous defeat for Antiochos III against Romans.
  • c. 188 BCE
    The treaty of Apamea Kibotos. Peace and alliance is established between the Seleucid Empire and Rome joined by its allies, such as Pergamon and Rhodes. The Seleucids have to evacuate all the land and the cities from Asia Minor and to pay a huge war indemnity.
  • 172 BCE - 168 BCE
    Third Macedonian War: Perseus of Macedon challenges Rome and is defeated.
  • 149 BCE - 146 BCE
    Third Punic War.
  • 146 BCE
    Rome sacks Corinth and dissolves the Achaean league. Greece is ruled by Rome.
  • 146 BCE
    Roman influence over Greece begins to rise.
  • 137 BCE
    4,000 Celtiberians trap a force of 20,000 Romans at Numantia forcing their surrender.
  • 133 BCE
    Rome captures Numantia. End of Iberian resistance.
  • 133 BCE
    Attalus III, the last king of Pergamon, bequeathes the whole of Pergamon to Rome.
  • 133 BCE
    Numantia falls to the Romans who besiege the oppidum. Mass suicide ensues among many of the survivors. Land reforms by Tiberius Gracchus.
  • 125 BCE
    Rome intervenes on behalf of Massalia against the Saluvii Celts.
  • 121 BCE
    Gallia Narbonensis becomes a Roman province.
  • 113 BCE
    Romans defeated at Noreia by the Cimbri.
  • 109 BCE
    Cimbri defeat a Roman army under Julius Silanus.
  • 106 BCE
    The governor of the Roman province of Macedonia, M. Minucius Rufus, celebrates his victory over a raid of the Dacians allied with the Celtic tribe of the Scordiscii in the Balkans.
  • 106 BCE
    Roman statesman and orator Cicero is born.
  • 105 BCE
    Cimbri, Teutons, and Ambrones are victorious at Arausio killing 60,000 Romans.
  • 102 BCE
    Marius, after reforming the Roman army, defeats the Teutons and Ambrones at Aquae Sextiae.
  • 101 BCE
    At Vercellae the Romans crush the Cimbri.
  • 91 BCE - 89 BCE
    Social War between Rome and its Italian allies. Italians want Roman Citizenship and equal share in power. Only won by Rome by granting the Italian wishes.
  • 89 BCE - 63 BCE
    Mithridatic Wars between Mithridates VI and Roman Republic .
  • 88 BCE - 87 BCE
    First Civil War between Marius and Sulla. First march on Rome by Sulla.
  • 83 BCE
    Pompey fights under the Roman dictator Sulla.
  • 83 BCE - 82 BCE
    Sulla's second march on Rome. Mass Proscriptions.
  • 80 BCE
    Sulla is persuaded to give Pompey his first triumph in Rome.
  • 72 BCE
    Crixos, a Celt and second in command under Spartacus, is killed. 300 Romans are sacrificed in his honor.
  • 71 BCE
    Pompey is granted his second triumph for his victories in Spain.
  • 70 BCE
    Pompey and Crassus are made consuls.
  • 67 BCE
    The Gabinian Law is passed, giving Pompey great power to deal with pirates.
  • 66 BCE
    The Manilian Law is passed, giving Pompey great power to deal with Mithridates VI of Pontus.
  • 64 BCE
    Galatia becomes a client state of Rome.
  • 63 BCE
    The Roman general Pompey defeats the Seleucid Antiochus XIII and incorporates Syria as a province of the Roman empire.
  • 62 BCE
    Pompey returns to Italy, and disbands his army upon landing.
  • 60 BCE - 53 BCE
    First Triumvirate' between Caesar, Pompey and Crassus.
  • 58 BCE - 51 BCE
    Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul.
  • 58 BCE
    Caesar attacks the Helvetii while on migration and defeats them.
  • 58 BCE - 57 BCE
    Cicero is exiled from Rome.
  • 56 BCE
    The navies of Rome and the Veneti Gauls clash resulting in a Roman victory. This is the first recorded naval battle in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 55 BCE
    Caesar attempts to invade Britain.
  • 54 BCE
    Caesar successfully invades Britain but withdraws to Gaul.
  • 54 BCE - 43 CE
    Roman influence grows in Britain owing to trade.
  • 54 BCE - 53 BCE
    Ambiorix of the Eburones tribe destroys around 9,000 Roman soldiers at Atuatuca.
  • 53 BCE
    Battle of Carrhae. Crassus is captured and executed by the Parthians.
  • 52 BCE
    Julius Caesar is defeated at Gergovia by Vercingetorix.
  • 52 BCE
    After becoming trapped and besieged at Alesia, Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar.
  • 51 BCE
    Caesar's siege and capture of Uxellodunum ends the Gallic War.
  • 49 BCE - 48 BCE
    Burebistas sends Acornion of Dionysopolis as ambassador to negotiate an alliance with Pompey.
  • 49 BCE
    Caesar crosses the Rubicon. Civil war between Caesar and Pompey begins.
  • 46 BCE
    The Bellovaci unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in Belgica.
  • 44 BCE
    The Allobroges unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in southern Gaul.
  • 44 BCE
    Caesar becomes dictator for life. On the 'Ides of March' (15th) he is killed by conspirators including Brutus and Cassius. Octavian, son of Caesars niece Atia, is posthumously adopted as his heir.
  • 43 BCE - 36 BCE
    Second Triumvirate: Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus (official approval by the Roman Senate). Mass proscriptions including Cicero.
  • 43 BCE
    Roman statesman and orator Cicero dies.
  • 42 BCE
    Octavian and Antony defeat Republicans under Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi (Greece).
  • 36 BCE
    Octavian strips Lepidus of all power but Pontifex Maximus (supreme priest). Lepidus dies of old age in 12 BC.
  • 33 BCE
    The Belgic Morini and the Celts of Aquitania unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule.
  • 2 Sep 31 BCE
    The Battle of Actium. Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
  • 27 BCE
    Octavian is given extraordinary powers and the name Augustus by the Roman Senate.
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