1174 BC Legendary founding of Rome by the Trojan hero Aeneas.
753 BC  Romulus founds Rome and becomes its first king.
ca.600 BC The Etruscans bring civilization to Rome.
509 BC  Expulsion of Etruscan kings, creation of Roman Republic
ca.500-287 BC The Conflict of the Orders
451 BC  Promulgation of the Twelve Tables of Roman Law
390 BC  Sack of Rome by the Gauls
367 BC  Sextio-Licinian Rogations open the Consulate to Plebeians
343-290 BC Samnite Wars
287 BC  Hortensian Law gives force of law to plebescites
280-275 BC Wars with Pyrrhus of Epirus
264-241 BC First Punic War
229 BC  Sicily becomes the first Roman province
218-201 BC Second Punic War
200-146 BC Macedonian and Syrian Wars
133-121 BC Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus introduce land reform laws.
113-101 BC Wars with Cimbri and Teutones
108 BC  Marius creates the "Volunteer army"
107-104 BC War against Jugurtha
103-101 BC Slave revolt in Sicily
90 BC  Revolt of Italian allies
73-71 BC Slave revolt led by Spartacus
67-62 BC Campaigns of Pompey
63 BC  Cicero as Consul; conspiracy of Catiline
60 BC  Creation of First Triumvirate
59 BC  Julius Caesar as Consul
58-50 BC Caesar's Gallic Wars
53 BC  Crassus loses his head fighting the Parthians
48 BC  Caesar defeats Pompey in civil war
44 BC  Caesar assassinated on Ides of March
43 BC  Creation of Second Triumvirate
31 BC  Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium
30 BC  Octavian left in control of Roman world

31 BC  Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
27 BC  Octavian receives the title of "Augustus" from the Senate.
AD 14  Death of Octavian and accession of Tiberius
ca.27  The crucifiction of Jesus Christ
37-41  Reign of Caligula
41-54  Reign of Claudius
54-68  Reign of Nero
64  The "Great Fire" in Rome
69  "The Year of the Four Emperors"
69-96  The Flavian Dynasty
79  Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; the burial of Pompeii and other towns
96-192  The Antonine Dynasty
193-235 The Severan Dynasty
227  Fall of the Parthians and beginning of the New Persian Empire
235-284 The Imperial Crisis, or Military Anarchy
249-251 Trajan Decius institutes the loyalty oath.
260  Capture of Valerian by the New Persians
253-268 Reign of Gallienus
268-273 The "Gallic Empire"
268-284 The "Soldier Emperors"
284  Accession of Diocletian

284  Accession of Diocletian
306  Accession of Constantine
312  Battle of Milvian Bridge
313  Edict of Milan
325  Council of Nicaea
337  Constantine baptized as a Christian
364  Accession of Valentinian
378  Battle of Adrianople
392  Christianity the only legal religion
395  De facto split of Empire
406  Barbarians cross the Rhine River
410  Sack of Rome by Visigoths
429  Vandal invasion of North Africa
438  Publication of Theodosian Code
451  Battle of the Mauriac Plain
451  Council of Chalcedon
480  Death of last western Emperor
481  Accession of Clovis
489  Ostrogoths invade Italy
507  Battle of Vouillé
526  Accession of Justinian (527-565)