The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire (59 page)

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Authors: Anthony Everitt

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BOOK: The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire

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Sex was widely available, and often for sale; this bedroom fresco gave stimulation and guidance to its occupants. Brothels thrived. So too did old-fashioned male attitudes, as a Pompeiian wall graffito indicated. “If Venus can break my tender heart, why can’t I hit her over the head?”
(Photo: Heinrich Stürzl)

TIME LINE

Dates in italics are traditional and legendary. Some traditional dates are judged likely to be historical. Some people and places are listed here whose names, to avoid an excess of detail, do not appear in the main text.

1084			Fall of Troy.
753			Romulus founds Rome.
c. 625			Earliest evidence of contact with the Etruscans.
753–715			Romulus.
715–673			Numa Pompilius.
673–642			Tullus Hostilius.
642–616			Ancus Marcius.
617–579			Tarquinius Priscus.
579–534			Servius Tullius.
534–510			Tarquinius Superbus.
509			Fall of the monarchy. First treaty with Carthage.
494			First secession.
493			Treaty of Spurius Cassius with the Latins.
491			Coriolanus marches on Rome.
From 486			Wars with the Aequi and Volsci from time to time over the next fifty years.
479			Battle of the Cremera; sacrifice of the Fabii.
474			Etruscans defeated off Cumae by Hiero I of Syracuse.
471			Concilium plebis and tribunes recognized.
451–450			Rule of the decemvirs. Twelve Tables published.
449			Secession. Valerio-Horatian laws. Rights of tribunes legally defined.
447			Quaestors elected by the People. Comitia tributa probably established.
445			Military tribunes with consular powers replace the consulship.
443			Censors appointed for the first time.
431			Dictatorship of Cincinnatus. Battle of Mons Algidus. Aequi decisively defeated.
396			Pay for soldiers introduced. Fall of Veii.
390 (or 387)			Battle of the Allia. Sack of Rome.
378			Construction of Rome’s Servian walls starts.
367			Licinio-Sextian Rogations passed. Consulship restored. Curule aediles elected for the first time.
366			First plebeian consul elected. First praetors elected.
358			Treaty with the Latins renewed.
356			First plebeian dictator.
354			Alliance with the Samnites.
348			Treaty with Carthage renewed.
343–341			First Samnite War.
340–338			Latins revolt. Latin League dissolved.
337			First plebeian praetor elected.
326–304			Second Samnite War.
323			Alexander’s death.
321			Roman defeat at the Caudine Forks.
312			Censorship of Appius Claudius.
298–290			Third Samnite War.
295			Battle of Sentinum.
287			Lex Hortensia makes resolutions of the concilium plebis binding on all citizens.
282			Tarentum attacks Roman naval squadron.
281			Rome attacks Tarentum, which seeks help from Pyrrhus of Epirus.
280–275			War with Pyrrhus.
279			Battle of Asculum.
278			Roman treaty with Carthage. Pyrrhus goes to Sicily.
276			Pyrrhus returns to Italy.
275			Pyrrhus defeated at Malventum, returns to Greece.
272			Surrender of Tarentum. Livius Andronicus brought to Rome.
264			First Punic War starts. Mamertines of Messana appeal to Rome for assistance against Carthage. Rome sends an expeditionary force. First gladiatorial show at Rome.
263			Hiero II changes sides, and allies Syracuse to Rome.
263/62			Sicilian city-states come under Roman control.
262/61			Siege and fall of Acragas.
261			The Carthaginian navy raids the Italian coast from Sardinia. Rome builds a fleet.
260			Naval victory off Mylae.
259			Hamilcar Barca campaigns in Sicily; also, fighting in Corsica and Sardinia.
258			Rome attacks Panormus. Carthaginians defeated off Sulci, in Sardinia.
257			Rome raids Malta and wins minor victory at Tyndaris.
256			Regulus defeats Carthaginian fleet at Ecnomus and sails to North Africa, where he defeats a Punic army and takes Tunis.
256/55			Peace negotiations fail.
255			Spartan Xanthippus leads Carthaginian army to victory near Tunis over Regulus, who is taken prisoner. Roman fleet victorious off Cape Bon. Survivors of Regulus’s army are rescued. Storm inflicts great losses on a Roman fleet.
255/54			Roman fleet rebuilt.
254			Rome captures Panormus; Carthage holds Drepana and sacks Acragas.
253			Rome fails to take Lilybaeum. Major Roman naval losses in a storm.
252			Rome captures Thermae Himerae and the Lipara Islands.
251/50			Hasdrubal defeated near Panormus.
250–241			Roman siege of Lilybaeum.
249			Carthage wins a great sea victory off Drepana over Claudius Pulcher. Heavy Roman losses in a storm near Camarina. Rome seizes Eryx.
248			Mutiny by Carthaginian mercenaries is put down.
248–244			Punic raids on the Italian coast.
247			Hamilcar Barca arrives in Sicily and sets up camp on Mount Heirkte.
244			Hamilcar captures Eryx.
242			New Roman fleet blockades Drepana and Lilybaeum.
242/41			Decisive Roman victory off the Aegates Islands.
241			Peace gives Rome control of Sicily. First Punic War ends.
241–237			Mercenary War at Carthage.
238–225			Invasion and annexation of Corsica and Sardinia.
236			Hamilcar Barca and his son Hannibal go to Spain. Barca launches a war of conquest.
231			Roman embassy to Hamilcar Barca in Spain.
229–228			First Illyrian War.
228			Hamilcar Barca killed in battle. His son-in-law, Hasdrubal, succeeds to his command.
226			Roman embassy to Hasdrubal in Spain. Ebro treaty.
225			Celtic invasion halted at Battle of Telamon.
221			Hasdrubal assassinated. Hannibal succeeds to the command. Saguntum appeals to Rome.
219			Second Illyrian War. Hannibal storms Saguntum.
218–201			Second Punic War.
218			Hannibal climbs the Alps and enters Italy. Battles of the Ticinus and the Trebia.
217			Battle of Lake Trasimene.
216			Fabius Maximus, dictator. Battle of Cannae. Large-scale defections in southern Italy; revolt of Capua.
215			Partial Roman recovery. Hiero of Syracuse dies.
214			Roman successes in Spain. Syracuse defects to the Carthaginians.
214–205			First Macedonian War.
213			Marcellus besieges Syracuse.
212			Hannibal takes Tarentum. Marcellus takes Syracuse. Scipios take Saguntum.
211			Hannibal marches on Rome. Capua recaptured. Scipios defeated and killed.
210			Young Scipio (later Africanus) arrives in Spain.
209			Scipio takes New Carthage.
208			Marcellus ambushed and killed. Scipio wins Battle of Baecula. Hasdrubal disengages and marches to Italy.
207			Hasdrubal defeated and killed at the Battle of the Metaurus.

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