Roman Republic Study Guide

• April 21, 753 BC – 510 BC – Monarchy
• 509 BC – 27 BC – Republic

Kings in order:

• Romulus: parents = Mars and Rhea Silvia; he and Remus were raised by Faustulus the shepherd and his wife Acca Laurentia; returned to Alba Longa to help grandfather Numitor get his throne back from Amulius; left Alba Longa, Romulus built city on Palatine hill, Remus on Aventine Hill; Romulus’ wife was Hersilia; Romulus co-ruled with Titus Tatius, Sabine king; Romulus was called Quirinus after death
• Numa Pompilius: calendar, religion – consort was Egeria, a nymph
• Tullus Hostilius: destroyed Alba Longa and its king Mettius Fufetius; Roman Horatii triplets fought Alban Curiatii triplets and won.  Tullus Hostilius also built the Curia (senate house).
• Ancus Marcius: said to have built Pons Sublicius, first bridge across Tiber.
• Tarquinius Priscus:  Etruscan king; Priscus means “the Elder.”  Wife was Tanaquil.  He is said to have drained the Forum and begun work on Circus Maximus
• Servius Tullius: supposedly born a slave; built Servian wall; killed by his daughter Tullia and Superbus, her husband.
• Tarquinius Superbus – “the Proud” (built Cloaca maxima – great sewer)

• First two consuls (Republic) – Lucius Junius Brutus and Collatinus (husband of Lucretia who was raped by Tarquinius’ son, told them and killed herself) they ran off Tarquinius Superbus  and his family – he sought help from Etruscans
• Lars Porsenna – king of Etruscans (capital city was Clusium) – fought Romans in early Republic:

• Horatius Cocles (one-eyed) – fought Etruscans at Sublician bridge (Pons Sublicius)
• Gaius Mucius Scaevola – tried to kill Porsenna, captured, thrust right arm in fire to prove his bravery, released because of bravery, called Lefty.
• Cloelia – among Roman girls held by Porsenna – swam the Tiber to get back to Rome

• Coriolanus – defeats the Volscian city of Corioli, is exiled from Rome,  then attacks Rome, but is only stopped by the pleas of his mother Veturia and wife Volumnia.
• 458 BC – Cincinnatus dictator – 16 days (against the Aequi, at Mount Algidus)
• 451 – 450 BC --  12 Tables – laws codified by decemviri (led by Appius Claudius)
• Camillus defeated the Veii, was later exiled, then finally, when he helped rid Rome of the Gauls, he was called pater patriae.
• 390 BC – Gauls beat Rome at Allia River– Brennus is their chief – he said “Vae Victis” = “Woe to the conquered”
• Caudine Forks (321 BC) and Lautulae (315) – 2 notable Roman defeats in the 2nd Samnite War (until they finally defeated the Samnites).
• 312 BC – Appius Claudius Caecus (the blind) – censor, built the Appian Way and Aqua Appia.
• Decius Mus, in 295 BC at the Battle of Sentinum,  in an act of devotion, charged between his cavalry and the Gauls to his death.
• Pyrrhus, King of Epirus (Greece) – first vs. Rome with elephants – 280 BC – Heraclea, 279 BC – Asculum (Pyrrhic victory), 275 BC – Beneventum
• Fabricius – unbribable Roman ambassador (Pyrrhus tried)
• Punic Wars – Rome vs. Carthage, 3 wars, originally fought over Messana in Sicily.
• 1st Punic War – 264 BC to 241 BC – Rome builds navy, invents a corvus (gangplank with grappling hook on its end):  Mylae – 260 BC, 1st naval battle (won by Rome), Aegates Islands – 241 BC, ends war. 
• 2nd Punic war – 218 BC to 201 BC – Began when Hannibal crossed the Ebro River in Spain; Rome loses at = Ticinus River, Trebia River – 218 BC; Trasimene -- 217BC;  Cannae --, 216 BC –Rome’s worst defeat; Zama – 202 BC – Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal (whose dad Hamilcar Barca made him swear to hate Romans).  Publius Cornelius Scipio adds name Africanus.
• 168 BC – Battle of Pydna, Roman Aemilius Paulus defeats Perseus of Macedon
• 3rd Punic War – 149 BC to 146 BC – Scipio Africanus Aemilianus won war – Cato the elder said, “Carthago delenda est” – Carthage must be destroyed after every speech.
• 133 BC – King Attalus III bequeathed Pergamum to Rome
• 133 BC – Tiberius Gracchus as tribune – agrarian (land) reform; brother, Gaius tribune in 121 BC; mom is Cornelia, calls her sons her gems (gemmae).  They are grandsons of Scipio Africanus.
• Marius – consul 7 times; defeated Teutones at Aquae Sextiae in 102 BC and the Cimbri at Vercellae in 101 BC.
• Civil War – Sulla vs. Marius – Sulla for optimates, Marius for the populares. 
• 81 BC to 79 BC – Sulla dictator.
• 73 to 71 BC – slave revolt led by Spartacus – defeated by Crassus (with a little help from Pompey)
• 70 BC – Crassus and Pompey consuls
• 67 BC – Lex Gabinia – gave Pompey command over pirates in Mediterranean.
• 66 BC – Lex Manilia – gave Pompey command against Mithridates (king of Pontus)
• 63 BC – 1) Octavian born 2) Julius Caesar becomes Pontifex Maximus 3) Cicero consul (with Antonius Hybrida) 4) conspiracy of Catiline       5)  Mithridates dies
• 60 BC – 1st triumvirate – Caesar, Pompey, Crassus (this was not a legal form of government)
• 59 BC – Caesar consul with Bibulus
• 58 BC – 50 BC – Caesar in Gaul (and Britain)
• 56 BC -- Triumvirs meet in Lucca  to send Caesar back to Gaul, Pompey to Spain and Crassus to Asia Minor (and decide on consuls for 55BC)
• 55 BC – Crassus, Pompey consuls
• 52 BC – Caesar defeats Vercingetorix at Alesia
• 52 BC – Pompey sole consul; Clodius killed by Milo’s followers
• 49 BC – Caesar crosses Rubicon River – “Alea iacta est” – the die is cast (I have made my decision).
• 48 BC – Battle of Pharsalus – Caesar beats Pompey (Pompey killed by Egyptians in Alexandria)
• 47 BC – Caesar defeats Pharnaces at Zela – “Veni, vidi, vici” – I came, I saw, I conquered.
• 45 BC – Caesar defeats sons of Pompey at Munda (Spain)
• 44 BC – Caesar declared dictator for life – killed Ides of March (March 15th)  by Brutus, Cassius and senators
• 43 BC – Lex Titia forms 2nd triumvirate (makes it legal) – Antony, Octavian, Lepidus
• 42 BC – battle of Philippi (Greece), Octavian and Antony defeat Brutus and Cassius.
• 31 BC – battle of Actium – Octavian (Agrippa) vs. Antony and Cleopatra – Octavian wins.  Octavian has only army in Mediterranean.

EXTRA INFO

First Punic War 264 to 241 BC

Rome and Carthage fought over Messana (Sicily)

262 BC – Agrigentum – land battle
261 – 260 BC – Rome builds naval fleet
260 BC – battle of Mylae – Romes first naval victory – Duilius admiral
256 BC – naval victory – Ecnomus – Regulus lands in Africa
255 BC – Defeat of Regulus’ army
254 BC – Romans capture Panormus
250 BC –Romans win at Panormus; siege of Lilybaeum
249 BC – Claudius’ naval defeat at Drepanum (after he throws sacred chickens over board)
247 BC – Hamilcar Barca starts Carthaginian offensive in western Sicily
241 BC – battle of Aegates Islands – Roman naval victory – end of war
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Romans take first province – Sicily; then 2nd province – Corsica and Sardinia
237 BC – Hamilcar to Spain
230 BC – Hasdrubal succeeds Hamilcar in Spain
226 BC Ebro River (Spain) between Roma and Hasdrubal
221 BC – Hannibal succeeds Hasdrubal

Caesar Information

Born – July 12, 100 BC
63 BC – elected Pontifex Maximus (chief priest for life)
60 BC – 1st triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey
59 BC – 1st consulship with Bibulus – he bullied Bibulus into staying home – called year of Julius and Caesar
58 – 50 BC – in Gaul and Britain
52 BC – battle of Gergovia – Vercingetorix (Gaul’s chieftain) defeats Caesar
52 BC – battle of Alesia – Caesar defeats and captures Vercingetorix
49 BC – Caesar crossed Rubicon river with his troops (against orders of the senate) – said, Alea iacta est” the die is cast – start of civil war
49 BC – 1st dictatorship
48 BC – 2nd consulship
48 BC – defeated at Dyrrhachium by Pompey
48 BC – defeats Pompey at Pharsalus (Greece) – Pompey flees to Alexandria Egypt and is killed by Egyptians
47 BC – battle of Zela, Caesar beat king Pharnaces – veni, vidi, vici
46 BC – Caesar made dictator for 10 years – won battle of Thapsus
45 BC – Caesar defeats sons of Pompey at Munda (Spain)
44 BC – Caesar made dictator for life.  Killed March 15, 44 BC (the ides of March) by senators led by Brutus and Cassius.
43 BC – 2nd triumvirate – legal because of Lex Titia – Antony, Octavian, Lepidus
42 BC – Antony and Octavian defeat Cassius and Brutus at Philippi