In the 7th century AD, Italy remained under strain as Byzantine governors (Exarchs) struggled to hold onto coastal enclaves, while Lombard kings and dukes expanded in the north and south. The papacy continued to grow in influence, with popes contending against both imperial intervention from Constantinople and the shifting power blocs within Italy. New dioceses, such as those in Cosenza, Otranto, and Rossano, appeared alongside ecclesiastical structures like Naples’s Church of Santa Restituta, built on the ruins of a pagan temple. This dynamic century saw ongoing Lombard-Byzantine treaties, raids from Saracen fleets, political upheavals in Ravenna, and further religious controversies (like Monothelitism), all reshaping Italy’s religious and political landscape. Full Chronological…

Throughout the 6th century AD, the Italian Peninsula was a battleground where Byzantine ambitions under Emperor Justinian collided with the Ostrogothic Kingdom. Famous generals like Belisarius and Narses reconquered swaths of territory, bringing temporary renewal of Roman (Byzantine) authority. Yet devastation—through siege, plague, famine, and new invasions by Lombards—persistently reshaped Italy’s political and social structures. Meanwhile, the role of the papacy grew in strength as popes like Gregory the Great took on civic leadership, organizing defenses against Lombard forces and extending the Church’s reach. Monasticism thrived under figures like St. Benedict, and new dioceses emerged in places such as Amalfi, Salerno, and Taranto—signifying the profound transformation of southern and central Italy…

The 5th century AD was a time of cascading upheaval in the Western Roman Empire as waves of barbarian invasions, factional power struggles, and rapid shifts in authority swept across Italy. The capital was relocated to Ravenna for greater protection; Rome faced multiple sacks—most dramatically at the hands of Alaric’s Visigoths and later the Vandals. Meanwhile, ecclesiastical life evolved under successive popes who reinforced the primacy of the Roman Church. Amid these disruptions, traditional Roman life ebbed. The final abdication of Romulus Augustus in 476 typically marks the Western Empire’s end, though vestiges of Roman governance lingered in Italy under new barbarian rulers. Dioceses Established (5th Century) 401 AD 402 AD 404 AD 408 AD…

The 4th century AD brought sweeping transformations across the Roman Empire—politically, socially, and religiously. Emperors from Diocletian to Theodosius enacted far-reaching reforms, from edicts fixing prices and binding workers to their trades to decisive support (or opposition) of emerging Christian authority. Persecution of Christians climaxed under Diocletian but soon gave way to imperial endorsement by Constantine, culminating in Christianity becoming the official state religion under Theodosius. Meanwhile, shifting borders, barbarian incursions, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and eruptions buffeted Italy’s landscape. By century’s end, the Empire was permanently split between East and West, its pagan temples shuttered, and the age-old Olympic Games were abolished—marking the dawn of a new era.…

The 3rd century AD was a time of tremendous upheaval for Rome. The Severan dynasty gave way to the instability of the so-called “barracks emperors,” while external invasions (Goths, Franks, Alamanni) strained the empire’s borders and a series of plagues ravaged its populace. Diocletian’s rise near century’s end introduced the Tetrarchy, an attempt at structured governance to halt civil wars and ease succession. Meanwhile, Christianity quietly gained adherents, as evidenced by new dioceses—including Manfredonia, Nocera de’ Pagani, and Sora—even though emperors oscillated between persecuting believers or granting them tolerance. Despite the era’s turmoil, the empire adapted through administrative reforms, defensive fortifications (like the Aurelian Walls), and constant efforts to stabilize a…

The 2nd century AD brought Rome to both unparalleled heights and ominous challenges. Emperors such as Trajan and Hadrian oversaw expansive building projects (including the Pantheon) and major military campaigns. Under the Antonine emperors—Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius—the empire reached a zenith of relative peace, even as catastrophic plagues, famines, and barbarian invasions tested its resilience. Christianity grew quietly; new dioceses (e.g., Avellino, Capua, Nola, Syracuse) emerged, and the Christian catacombs began to expand, notably at Naples (San Gennaro). Philosophers like Aristocles of Messana flourished, while a succession of popes dealt with theological matters amid ongoing social and economic upheavals. By the century’s end, internal strife and epidemics cast shadows over…

The 1st century AD was marked by the transition from the Augustan era into a time of dynastic turbulence and eventual stability under the Flavians and the early “Five Good Emperors.” Throughout Italy and the broader empire, new challenges arose: major earthquakes in Campania, famine and pestilence in Rome, and volcanic eruptions ranging from Mount Etna to the cataclysmic destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by Vesuvius in AD 79. The Julio-Claudian dynasty—embodied by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero—witnessed both grand construction projects (like the amphitheater at Alba Fucens) and notorious episodes of tyranny and scandal. Christianity began to take root, with St. Peter and St. Paul traditionally martyred in Rome, and early…

The 1st century BC was a pivotal age of profound upheaval and transformation in the Roman world. Political storms raged as multiple civil wars gripped the Republic, from the end of the Second Servile War in Sicily to the legendary rivalry between Julius Caesar and Pompey, culminating in the ascendancy of Augustus. Rome’s territorial expansion and internal power struggles reshaped not only the Italian peninsula—with colonies in Campania and Sicily—but also the wider Mediterranean. Culturally, the likes of Cicero, Sallust, and Virgil left their mark, and technological feats—like central heating for oyster farming—underscored the era’s innovation. By century’s end, the Republic had given way to the Principate, and Rome stood poised…

The second century BC was a defining era for the Roman Republic, marked by territorial expansion, new colonies, and pivotal conflicts such as the Third Punic War. Romans built and extended key roads (Via Appia, Via Popilia), passed agrarian reforms under Tiberius Gracchus, and quelled slave revolts in Sicily. Notable figures like Marcus Tullius Cicero and Pompey the Great were born during this time, while great poets and thinkers flourished. Through military victories, legislative changes, and cultural developments—including Cato the Elder’s early mention of “pizza”—this century set the stage for Rome’s eventual transformation into an empire. Early 2nd Century BC (General) 200 BC 199 BC 196 BC 194 BC 193 BC 192 BC 191 BC 190 BC 188 BC…

Spanning from the last of the Samnite Wars to Hannibal’s legendary invasion in the Second Punic War, the years 300–202 BC mark a transformative era in Roman history. Rome consolidated control across the Italian peninsula, defeated King Pyrrhus of Epirus, and established its first overseas provinces in Sicily and Sardinia. Meanwhile, Carthage emerged as a formidable rival, culminating in the massive conflicts of the First and Second Punic Wars. By the time Scipio Africanus triumphed at Zama in 202 BC, Rome had risen from a dominant Italian power to the unchallenged master of much of the western Mediterranean world. Overview 300–290 BC: The Third Samnite War Begins 300 BC 299 BC 298 BC 296 BC 295 BC 294 BC…