Rome - The Political History

Chronological Listing of Political Events

B.C.
753 - Founding of Rome
534-504 - Rule of Tarquin the Proud
471 - Consilium plebis recognized by patricians
Landowner patricians confront plebeians over public lands
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
287 - Quintus Hortensius appointed dictator to restore order to Rome
264-241 - First Punic War (with Carthage)
241 - Ager Gallicus land used for colonies
218-201 - Second Punic War
202 - Battle of Zama brings victory over Carthage.
146 - Beginning of period of major public works projects
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
99 - Senate orders Marius to restore order to Rome
Saturninus and followers, locked in the Senate house, are stoned to death by a mob
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
83-82 - Sulla seizes power in Rome a second time, following expedition against Mithridates
Executes 40 senators and 1,600 knights
Massacres an estimated 6,000 in the Roman circus, another 12,000 at Praeneste
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.
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
300 senators and 2,000 knights executed
31 - Forces of Antony and Cleopatra defeated at Actium
27 - Octavian (Augustus) assumes control of the Republic