Roman History – A Complete Timeline

Roman History Until 3050 BC – This text offers a concise prehistoric timeline of Italy, from dinosaur fossils and early hominids to volcanic eruptions, Neolithic settlements, and the rise of megalithic temples.

Roman History Timeline from 3000 – 1000 BC – This text surveys Italy in the 3rd through the 2nd millennium BC, covering Chalcolithic and Bronze Age cultures, volcanic eruptions, and the arrival of Indo-European and other groups, setting the stage for early urban settlements and trade networks across the peninsula and islands.

Roman History Timeline from 1000 – 700 BC – Key developments in Italy during the first millennium BC, from Phoenician and Greek colonization to the rise of Etruscan power, the spread of Indo-European peoples, and the legendary founding of Rome.

Roman History Timeline – The 7th Century BC – Developments in Italy during the 7th century BC. Highlights the continued growth of Greek and Phoenician settlements, & the evolving political landscape in Rome

Roman History Timeline – The 6th Century BC – Expanding Greek colonies (particularly in southern Italy and Sicily), Etruscan and Samnite advances in Campania, and the transition from monarchy to republic in Rome.

Roman History Timeline – The 5th Century BC – This text covers the 5th century BC in Italy and Sicily, spanning the expansion of Samnite/Sabellian power in Campania and beyond, the continued growth of Greek colonies (from Capri to Bari and across Sicily), and the political upheavals triggered by both local tyrants and external powers like Carthage.

Roman History Timeline – Rome in the 4th Century BC – 4th century BC: Samnites expand, Rome rises, Sicilian tyrants clash with Carthage, Timoleon reforms Syracuse; philosophers shape Sicily & Magna Graecia

Rome in the 3rd Century BC – Hannibal and the Punic Wars – From the Samnites to Hannibal’s defeat, 300–202 BC forged Rome’s dominance, shaping a vast empire across Italy, Sicily, and beyond.

Rome in the 2nd Century BC – The Seeds of Empire are Planted – Rome expands dominance in Italy and beyond during the 2nd century BC, from temple building and “pizza” references to slave revolts and the fall of Carthage.

Rome in the 1st Century BC – Enter Julius and Augustus Caesar – Slave wars, civil strife, and Julius Caesar’s fall usher in Augustus’s reign in the 1st century BC, transforming Rome from Republic to Empire.

The Beginning of Common Time in Rome

1st Century AD – Modern Time Begins – Earthquakes, emperors, and eruptions define 1st-century AD Italy—from Augustus’s death and Nero’s tyranny to the eruption of Vesuvius and rise of the Flavians.

2nd Century AD – Rome Dominates – Rome peaks under Trajan and Hadrian, but 2nd-century plagues, invasions, and Christian expansion reshape society as the Antonines guide the empire’s grand era.

3rd Century AD – Winds of Change in Rome – Severan rule, civil wars, plagues, and Diocletian’s Tetrarchy mark Rome’s 3rd century, while Christianity quietly spreads via new dioceses in Italy.

4th Century AD – Christianity and Rome Splits in two – Rome’s 4th century evolves from Diocletian’s reforms and Christian persecutions to Constantine’s embrace of the Church and Theodosius’s final East-West Empire split.

5th Century AD – Barbarians at the Gates of Rome – Rome’s 5th century: sacks by Visigoths and Vandals, the fall of the Western Empire, and a rising Church reshape Italy’s fate amid chaos and new rulers.