Historical Timeline
Date(s) |
Greek Event(s) |
Roman Event(s) |
ca. 1900-
1100 BCE |
Bronze Age ("Heroic" age, prehistoric). Palace cultures flourish on the Greek mainland and elsewhere (Crete,
Cyprus, Turkish coastline). Much Greek mythology (Trojan war,
etc.) rooted in dimly remembered events from this period. |
|
ca. 1100-
750 |
Iron Age/"Dark
Ages." Period
of decline, then recovery, following the collapse of the palace cultures.
Most of the old kingdoms break up. Exeptions: Athens, the Greek kingdoms
on the island of Cyprus. |
|
ca. 800-490 |
Archaic
period. Introduction
of alphabetic writing to Greece. The birth of the polis. The
rise of hoplite warfare. Overseas colonization. A period of oligarchy
and tyranny in Greece, perhaps some democracy. |
|
|
Homer,
Hesiod, Alcman, Sappho active. Period of mostly aristocratic rule
in the Greek states (or poleis). |
|
753-510 |
|
Roman Regal period. Rome ruled by kings. |
560-514 |
Tyranny
of Peisistratus and sons at Athens. |
|
550 |
Sparta
dominant power in Peloponnese. |
|
510-27 |
|
Roman Republic. (Mostly) oligarchic (i.e., power concentrated within an elite class, non-monarchial). |
507 |
Cleisthenes
institutes reforms at Athens (some regard Cleisthenes as
founder of democracy.) |
|
490-323 |
Classical
Period |
|
490-479 |
Persian
Wars (Persia tries to conquer mainland Greece; fails). |
|
463-322 |
"Radical" or direct democracy at Athens. Citizens govern selves, legislate. More at "Dēmos" site. |
|
461-429 |
Pericles'
ascendancy at Athens. Highpoint of the radical
democracy, Athenian empire (states rimming the Aegean sea, plus islands). |
|
411-410 |
Period
of oligarchy at Athens. Democracy soon restored. |
|
404 |
Athens
defeated by Sparta. |
|
404-403 |
Period
of oligarchy at Athens. Democracy soon restored. |
|
336-323 |
Reign
of Alexander III ("the Great") of Macedon |
|
334-323 |
Alexander's
conquests in the east |
|
323 |
Death
of Alexander. |
|
323-30 |
Hellenistic
Period. Period
of broad-based Greek cultural expansion, especially easward. Macedonian-Greek kingdoms
in Asia Minor, Near East, Mesopotamia, South Asia, Egypt. |
|
Date(s) |
Roman/Mediterranean Event(s) |
246-241 |
1st Punic War, Rome v. Carthage (North African city). |
218-201 |
2nd Punic War. Carthaginian forces commanded by Hannibal. |
200s-40s |
Rome conquers much of Mediterranean world, Western Europe. |
186 |
Crackdown on worship of Bacchus at Rome. |
149-146 |
3rd Punic War. Rome destroys Carthage. |
58-51 |
Julius Caesar conquers Gaul (= France). |
49-31 |
Period of political strife at Rome, including dictatorship of Caesar (46-44). |
31 |
Battle of Actium: Octavian (Caesar's nephew and adoptive son — future Augustus) defeats Cleopatra (queen of Egypt) and Marc Antony. |
27 BCE-
235 CE |
Roman Empire Phase One — "Principate" |
27 BCE |
Octavian assumes the name Augustus; becomes first "emperor" (rules 27 BCE-14 CE). Final end of the Republic. |
18 BCE |
Lex Iulia de adulteriis coercendis, "Julian law on the punishment of adulterors." First piece of Augustus' marriage legislation. |
18 BCE |
Lex Iulia de maritandis ordinibus, "Julian law concerning marriage and socio-political status." |
9 CE |
Lex Papia Poppaea, Augustus' sequel to the marriage legislation of 18 BCE. |
14-37 CE |
Reign of Tiberius. |
37-41 |
Reign of Caligula. |
41-54 |
Reign of Claudius. |
54-69 |
Reign of Nero. |
66-70 |
Jewish War (revolt of Jewish province; destruction of the Temple in 70). |
69 |
Reigns of Galba, Otho, Vitellius. |
69-79 |
Vespasian. |
79 |
Erruption of Vesuvius; destruction of Pompeii, Herculaneum. |
79-81 |
Titus. |
81-96 |
Domitian. |
96-98 |
Nerva. |
98-117 |
Trajan. |
117-139 |
Hadrian. |
139-196 |
various emperors, including the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius (161-180). . . . |
212 |
Caracalla's (r. 196-217) citizenship edict: all free inhabitants of Roman empire now Roman citizens. From the Roman perspective, Rome was now the whole world, and the world, Roman. |
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AScholtz home | BU home | ascholtz@binghamton.edu || © Andrew Scholtz. Last updated
January 16, 2009
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