Rome - The Economic History

Chronological Listing of Economic Events

B.C.
753 - Founding of Rome
534-504 - Rule of Tarquin the Proud
First major public building program
494 - First "secessio" in Rome
Plebeian workers take part in first "walk-out" or strike
Workers physically leave Rome to protest conditions
471 - Consilium plebis recognized by patricians
Landowner patricians confront plebeians over public lands
c. 444 - Rome suffering periods of famine
376-326 - Debt becoming severe problem for plebs
343 - First Samnite War
327-304 - Second (Great) Samnite War
312 - Appian Way constructed between Rome and Capua
Aqua Appia, first aqueduct feeding into Rome, constructed.
298-290 - Third Samnite War
291 - Rome establishes colony at Venusia to deal with civil disturbances in Rome
287 - Quintus Hortensius appointed dictator to restore order to Rome
264 - First Punic War (with Carthage)
241 - Ager Gallicus land used for colonies
218 - Second Punic War
202 - Battle of Zama brings victory over Carthage.
200-150 - Rome experiences prosperity
167 - Direct taxation abolished in Italy due to plunder
148 - Rome receives booty from conquest of Macedonia
146 - Beginning of period of major public works projects
144 - Marcian Aqueduct built
140 - Gaius Laelius proposes distribution of public lands
139-132 - First Slave Revolt in Sicily.
133 - Tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus
Tiberius tries to initiate land reform through commission
Tiberius and 300 followers murdered
133-121 - Rome experiences unemployment and civil disturbances
121 - Senate votes senatus consultum ultimum to restore order to Rome
Gaius Gracchus and 3,000 supporters are massacred
95 - Dissatisfied workers riot in Rome
91 - Marcus Livius Drussus proposes land distribution to poor
Assassinated in same year
90-87 - Social War between Rome and Italian allies
88 - Sulla marches army on Rome and seizes power
86 - Cinna passes law eliminated three-fourths of all debt in Rome
83-82 - Sulla seizes power in Rome a second time, following expedition against Mithridates
73-71 - Spartacus leads slave uprising
63 - Cataline conspiracy
An estimated 200,000 receiving free grain in Rome
62 - Cato the Younger increases free grain distributions in Rome
60 - First Triumvirate - Caesar joins forces with Pompey and Crassus.
57 - Clodius increases free grain distribution
52 - Clodius killed in street fighting
46 - Caesar assumes 10-year dictatorship
Call for cancellation of debt
44 - Caesar assassinated in Rome. (March)
43 - Second Triumvirate between Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus
27 - Octavian (Augustus) assumes control of the Republic