Roman warfare was remarkably successful over many centuries and across many territories. This was due to several important factors. Italy was a peninsula not easily attacked, there was a huge pool of fighting men to draw upon, a disciplined and innovative army, a centralised command and line of supply, expert engineers, and effective diplomacy through a network of allies.
More about: Roman WarfareDefinition
Timeline
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750 BCE - 510 BCEThe semi-legendary celeres or trossuli - a 300-man cavalry corps which the first kings of Rome incorporated into the legion - is formed, later their number is increased to 600.
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578 BCE - 535 BCEServius Tullius, the king of Rome, increases the number of the cavalry corps (equites) to 1,800.
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c. 508 BCELars Porsenna, Etruscan king of Chiusi, lays siege to Rome.
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498 BCE - 493 BCERome defeats the Latins.
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437 BCE - 435 BCERome defeats Etruscan Veii in the Veientine War; the Etruscan king Lars Tolumnius is killed.
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c. 400 BCEThe Roman cavalry is expanded to include riders who can pay for their own horse.
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396 BCERome sacks the Etruscan town of Veii after a ten-year siege.
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396 BCERoman expansion begins with the capture of Veii from the Etruscans.
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390 BCEGauls sack Rome.
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c. 390 BCE"Gallic Catastrophe:" Brennus of the Senones defeats the Romans at Allia, and subsequently sacks Rome.
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356 BCE307 Roman prisoners are sacrificed in the forum of the Etruscan city of Tarquinia.
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343 BCE - 341 BCEFirst Samnite War (Rome vs. Samnites).
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326 BCE - 304 BCESecond Samnite War.
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298 BCE - 290 BCEThird Samnite War. Victory for Rome, peace with the Etruscans.
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298 BCE - 290 BCEThird Samnite War between Rome and the Samnite people.
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297 BCECelts and Samnites join forces and defeat the Romans at Camertium.
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c. 295 BCEIn a battle lasting all day, Romans narrowly defeat a force of Celts and Samnites at Sentinum.
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295 BCERoman victory over Samnites, Gauls and Umbrians at Sentinum.
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294 BCEA Roman army led by L. Postimius Megellus defeats an army from Etruscan Volsinii.
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285 BCE - 282 BCERome defeats the Celts in Italy. Rome's dominance in central Italy is secured.
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284 BCEGauls of the Insubres and Boii tribes defeat the Romans at Arretium.
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283 BCERome decisively defeats the Senones at Picenum.
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280 BCE - 275 BCEKing Pyrrhus of Epirus wages the Pyrrhic War against the Romans in Italy, defence of Tarentum being the pretext.
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280 BCEThe Romans conquer the Etruscan cities of Tarquinia, Volsinii and Vulci.
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280 BCE - 272 BCERoman war against Tarentum. Rome conquers Tarentum. Rome's dominance in lower Italy is secured.
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Jul 280 BCEPyrrhus defeats the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea.
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279 BCEPyrrhus defeats the Romans at the Battle of Asculum.
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275 BCEThe Romans defeat Pyrrhus of Epirus at the Battle of Maleventum.
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273 BCERome conquers the Etruscan town of Cerveteri.
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264 BCEThe Mamertines at Messana on Sicily call for Carthaginian and then Roman help in defence against Syracuse, sparking the First Punic War.
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264 BCE - 241 BCEFirst Punic War. Carthage cedes Sicily to Rome.
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262 BCERome besieges and sacks Agrigento on Sicily in one of the first actions of the First Punic War.
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260 BCEFirst Roman naval victory against Carthage off Mylae in the First Punic War.
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260 BCERome builds a fleet of 120 ships in just 60 days to fight the First Punic War.
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258 BCERome wins a naval battle against Carthage at Sulcis during the First Punic War.
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256 BCERoman naval victory against Carthage off Ecnomus during the First Punic War.
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256 BCERome lands an army of four legions on African soil at Clupea during the First Punic War.
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256 BCERome wins a land battle south of Tunis during the First Punic War.
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255 BCE - 253 BCERoman fleets are wrecked by storms off Pachynus and Palinurus during the First Punic War.
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255 BCEA Carthaginain army led by the mercenary Spartan commander Xanthippus defeats two Roman legions near Tunis during the First Punic War.
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c. 250 BCE - c. 200 CEOriginally a Celtiberian weapon, the Gladius Hispaniensis was commonly used by Roman soldiers for more than four centuries.
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Jun 250 BCEA Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal is defeated by Roman consul Metellus near Palermo in the First Punic War.
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249 BCECarthage defeats Rome in a naval battle at Drepanum during the First Punic War.
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241 BCERoman naval victory off the Aegates Islands leads to victory over Carthage, ending the First Punic War.
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229 BCE - 228 BCERome fights Illyrian pirates. Queen Teuta pays tribute to Rome.
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223 BCERomans successfully campaign against Celtic tribes of Cisalpine Gaul.
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222 BCERome conquers Cisalpine Gaul (modern-day Provence, France).
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219 BCEHannibal crosses the Ebro river in Spain and sacks the city of Saguntum, Rome's ally, sparking off the Second Punic War.
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218 BCE - 201 BCESecond Punic War.
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Mar 218 BCERome declares war on Carthage after Hannibal sacks Saguntum in Spain. The Second Punic War begins.
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Apr 218 BCE - May 218 BCEHannibal leaves Spain to cross the Pyrenees and Alps into Italy.
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Nov 218 BCEHannibal wins the battle of Ticinus.
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Dec 218 BCEHannibal wins the battle of Trebia.
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Jun 217 BCEHannibal wins the battle of Lake Trasimene.
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Aug 216 BCEHannibal wins the battle of Cannae, the worst defeat in Roman history.
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215 BCEA Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal is defeated at the battle of Ibera in Spain.
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214 BCE - 205 BCEFirst Macedonian War: Rome defeats Philip V of Macedon.
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212 BCEA Carthaginian army is defeated in Sicily by a Roman army led by Marcellus. Syracuse falls to Rome who now control the island.
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211 BCEA Carthaginian army defeats two Roman consuls and their armies in the Tader valley, Spain.
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210 BCE - 207 BCEScipio Africanus conquers Spain for Rome.
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209 BCEScipio Africanus captures the Carthaginian base and treasury Carthago Nova in southern Spain.
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208 BCEScipio Africanus defeats a Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal at Baecula in Spain.
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207 BCEHannibal, harassed by Roman forces, is reduced to controlling only Bruttium in southern Italy.
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c. 22 Jun 207 BCERome defeats a Carthaginian army at the battle of Metaurus.
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206 BCEScipio Africanus wins the battle of Ilipa in Spain.
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204 BCE - 203 BCEScipio Africanus wins two battles and besieges Utica in North Africa.
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204 BCEScipio Africanus sails to North Africa in the Second Punic War.
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203 BCECarthaginian commander Mago is unable to join forces with Hannibal and his army is defeated in Cisalpine Gaul.
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203 BCEScipio Africanus defeats a Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal in North Africa.
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203 BCEHannibal is recalled from Italy to defend Carthage against Scipio Africanus.
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19 Oct 202 BCEBattle of Zama: Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal, ending the Second Punic War.
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200 BCE - 196 BCESecond Macedonian War: Roman victory.
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197 BCERomans are victorious over Philip V of Macedon at Cynoscephalae.
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194 BCERomans defeat Antiochus III at Battle of Magnesia.
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193 BCEThe Boii are defeated by the Romans, suffering, according to Livy, 14,000 dead.
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190 BCEBattle of Magnesia ad Sipylum, disastrous defeat for Antiochos III against Romans.
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172 BCE - 168 BCEThird Macedonian War: Perseus of Macedon challenges Rome and is defeated.
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Jun 168 BCERomans defeat Perseus of Macedon at Pydna.
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150 BCEThe Lusitani are betrayed and slaughtered by the Romans.
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149 BCE - 146 BCEThird Punic War.
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149 BCERome sends an army of 80,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry to attack Carthage.
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148 BCEThe Roman siege of Carthage, in its second year, remains unsuccessful.
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147 BCEViriathus leads the Lusitani in victory against the Romans.
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146 BCEViriathus leads the Lusitani to a second victory against a Roman army, capturing Segobriga in Spain.
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146 BCEScipio Africanus the Younger sacks Carthage and enslaves its population.
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133 BCERome captures Numantia. End of Iberian resistance.
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113 BCERomans defeated at Noreia by the Cimbri.
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107 BCE - 100 BCEGaius Marius reforms the Roman army.
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c. 100 BCERoman cavalry riders are by now classified as auxilia and organised in wings or alae.
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88 BCE - 63 BCEMithridates of Pontus fights three wars to free Greece from Rome.
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86 BCEThe Roman general Sulla sacks Athens and the port of Piraeus.
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82 BCE - 80 BCEVolterra is besieged and sacked by Roman general Sulla.
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69 BCELicinius Lucullus leads a Roman army which defeats Armenian king Tigranes II and his capital Tigranocerta is captured. Artashat becomes the capital again.
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67 BCEPompey assembles a naval fleet and attacks Pamphylia and Cilicia, principally to repress piracy.
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66 BCEPompey the Great attacks the Armenian kingdom of Tigranes II and makes it a Roman protectorate.
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63 BCEThe Roman general Pompey defeats the Seleucid Antiochus XIII and incorporates Syria as a province of the Roman empire.
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58 BCE - 51 BCEJulius Caesar's conquest of Gaul.
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58 BCECaesar attacks the Helvetii while on migration and defeats them.
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57 BCEA Roman army under Caesar narrowly defeats an army of Nervii, Atrebates, and Viromandui.
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56 BCEThe navies of Rome and the Veneti Gauls clash resulting in a Roman victory. This is the first recorded naval battle in the Atlantic Ocean.
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55 BCE - 54 BCEJulius Caesar's expeditions in Britain.
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53 BCERoman general Marcus Licinius Crassus compels Armenia to provide troops for his campaigns against Parthia.
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53 BCEBattle of Carrhae. Crassus is captured and executed by the Parthians.
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52 BCEJulius Caesar is defeated at Gergovia by Vercingetorix.
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52 BCEAfter becoming trapped and besieged at Alesia, Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar.
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49 BCEJulius Caesar besieges Massilia.
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38 BCEOctavian amasses a naval fleet to defeat Sextus Pompey.
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36 BCEAgrippa defeats the naval fleet of Sextus Pompey in the battle of Naulochos.
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2 Sep 31 BCEThe Battle of Actium. Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
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27 BCE - 19 BCECantabrian Wars: Roman conquest of the Iberian Penninsula.
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6 CEAugustus creates the aerarium militare, a treasury drawn from taxes in order to fund a professional Roman army.
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9 CEThe Rhine River is established as the boundary between the Latin and German speaking worlds, following the defeat of the Roman army, under the command of Varus, at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
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15 CEGermanicus leads 12,000 men across the Rhine to attack the Chatti.
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43 CEClaudius commences the Roman conquest of Britain.
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43 CEMaiden Castle, a Celtic hilltop fort in southern Britain, is captured by Roman legions.
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54 CE - 60 CERoman general Corbulo successfully campaigns in Armenia.
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58 CE - 63 CERoman-Parthian War.
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60 CE - 61 CEBoudicca's Revolt in Britain.
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70 CEThe city of Jerusalem is besieged and captured by Rome; the Second Temple destroyed.
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75 CE - 77 CERomans defeat the last of the Northern tribes; Roman conquest of Britain complete.
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101 CE - 106 CETrajan conquers Dacia.
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114 CERoman emperor Trajan annexes Armenia and declares war on Parthia.
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167 CE - 180 CEMarcomannic Wars.
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192 CEEmperor Commodus is murdered, civil war ensues (until 197 CE).
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195 CEFirst Parthian war.
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232 CEEmperor Maximinus Thrax commands a legion in Egypt.
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293 CEEmperor Carausius assassinated by Allectus.
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312 CEConstantine defeats Maxentius at Milvian Bridge.
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Sep 324 CEConstantine I defeats Licinius at Chrysopolis.
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367 CEPicts, Scots, Saxons, and Franks attack the Roman Empire.
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402 CEAlaric invades Italy.
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410 CEThe Romans withdraw from Britain.
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24 Aug 410 CEAlaric sacks Rome.
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455 CEVandals sack Rome.
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488 CE - 493 CETheodoric the Great of the Ostrogoths conquers Italy.
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536 CE - 562 CEThe Byzantine Empire conquers Italy.
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607 CE - 627 CEEast Rome defeats Sasanian Persia.
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