CHRONOLOGY

                            B.C.  

753  

Romulus founds Rome (legendary)  

509  

Monarchy overthrown; Roman Republic founded  

264–241  

First war with Carthage  

239–169  

Ennius, epic poet  

234–149  

Cato the Censor  

218–201  

Second war with Carthage  

185–129  

Scipio Aemilianus  

160–91  

Caecilius Metellus Numidicus  

146  

Carthage destroyed  

62  

Pompey the Great returns from the east  

49  

Julius Caesar launches civil war  

44  

Julius Caesar assassinated  

31  

Octavian wins battle of Actium; end of civil wars  

27  

Octavian, now Augustus, establishes the imperial system  

A.D.

14  

Augustus dies; succeeded by Tiberius  

37  

Tiberius dies; succeeded by Gaius (Caligula)  

41  

Gaius assassinated; succeeded by Claudius  

c. 46  

Birth of Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Hadrian’s father)  

53 September 18  

Birth of Marcus Ulpius Traianus (Trajan)  

54  

Claudius poisoned; succeeded by Nero  

c. 60  

Marcus Ulpius Traianus pater proconsul of Baetica  

66  

Jewish revolt  

c. 67  

Marcus Ulpius Traianus pater legatus legio X Fretensis in Syria;   under Vespasian’s command for the Jewish war  

68 June 9  

Nero commits suicide  

69  

“Year of the Four Emperors”  

early July  

Eastern legions declare for Vespasian  

70 June  

Vespasian enters Rome  

September 8  

Titus captures Jerusalem Defeat of Batavian revolt  

71 spring  

Titus returns from the east  

June  

Jewish Triumph  

71–75  

Banishment from Rome of astrologi and philosophi  

72  

Annexation of Commagene Armenia Minor added to Cappadocia  

73 or 74  

Fall of Masada  

74  

Grant of Latin rights to Spain  

c. 75  

Trajan tribunus laticlavius with legion in Syria Birth of Domitia Paulina, Hadrian’s sister  

75  

Banishment of Helvidius Priscus  

76 January 24  

Birth of Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer (Hadrian)  

c. 77–84  

Agricola governor of Britain  

c. 77  

Trajan transferred as tribunus laticlavius with legion in  

Germany  

c. 78  

Trajan marries Pompeia Plotina  

78  

Death of Gaius Saloninus Matidius Patruinus, the husband of Trajan’s sister Marciana; she goes to live with Trajan and Plotina  

79 June 24  

Death of Vespasian Accession of Titus  

August 24  

Eruption of Vesuvius; destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum Fire at Rome  

80  

Dedication of Colosseum Destruction of temple of Capitoline Jupiter by fire Dedication of Arch of Titus  

81 September 13  

Death of Titus Accession of Domitian  

82 December 7  

Dedication of restored temple of Jupiter on the Capitol  

83  

Domitian’s triumph over the Chatti  

83–84  

Increase of legionary pay  

85  

Domitian censor perpetuus  

85 or 86  

Hadrian’s father dies; Trajan and P. Acilius Attianus are appointed guardians  

85–88  

Dacian war  

86  

Inauguration of Capitoline games Trajan praetor  

c. 87  

Trajan legatus legionis VII Geminae  

89  

Rebellion of L. Antonius Saturninus  

90 January  

Trajan takes the VII Geminae to Moguntiacum against Saturninus  

90  

Edict against astrologi and philosophi Hadrian comes of age, and visits his Spanish estates  

91  

Trajan consul ordinarius  

93  

Pliny praetor Trials of Baebius Massa, Herennius Senecio, Helvidius Priscus, Arnulenus Rusticus  

93–120  

Vindolanda tablets written  

94  

Hadrian enters public life: decemvir stlitibus iudicandis, sevir   turmae equitum Romanorum, and praefectus urbi feriarum Latinarum  

95  

Philosophers expelled from Italy Flavius Clemens put to death Hadrian trib. militum legionis II Adiutrix Pia Fidelis in Pannonia  

96 September 18  

Domitian assassinated Accession of Nerva Trajan defeats the Suebi  

October 25  

Adoption of Trajan Hadrian trib. militum legionis V Macedonica in Lower Moesia  

98  

Trajan consul (2) ordinarius with Nerva  

99 January 28  

Death of Nerva  

February  

Hadrian brings news of Nerva’s death to Trajan at Colonia Agrippinensis Accession of Trajan  

spring  

Trajan inspects Danube frontier Hadrian trib. militum legionis XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis in Upper Germania Tacitus, Agricola and Germania  

99autumn  

Trajan enters Rome  

100  

Trajan consul (3) ordinarius Alimenta schemes initiated  

September  

Pliny the Younger, Panegyricus  

c. 100  

Hadrian marries Vibia Sabina  

101  

Trajan consul (4) Hadrian quaestor Matidia joins imperial household  

101March 25  

Trajan leaves for first Dacian war  

102  

Hadrian tribunus plebis  

102December  

Trajan returns to Rome; voted Dacicus Trajan holds Dacian Triumph  

103  

Trajan consul (5) Reconstruction of Circus Maximus  

c. 104  

Withdrawal from Scotland  

105  

Hadrian praetor  

105June 4  

Trajan leaves for second Dacian war Creation of province of Dacia  

after 105  

Marciana, Trajan’s sister, appointed Augusta  

106  

Legatus of the legion I Minervia Pia Fidelis in Lower Germania  

early July  

Reduction of Sarmizegetusa  

September/October  

Death of Decebalus  

106–11  

Creation of province of Arabia  

107  

Hadrian praetor Hadrian organizes first games celebrating Dacian victory Hadrian legatus Augusti pro praetore Pannoniae inferioris  

107–8  

Dedication to Mars Ultor of monument at Adamklissi  

108  

Hadrian consul (1) suffectus  

c. 108  

Tacitus, Histories  

c. 109–12  

Pliny governor of Bithynia-Pontus  

c. 110  

Death of Licinius Sura  

112 January  

Trajan consul (6); dedication of Forum Traiani  

112–13  

Hadrian archon at Athens  

113  

Death of Marciana, Trajan’s elder sister; deified  

October 27  

Trajan sets off from Rome for Parthian war Trajan’s Column completed  

114 January 7  

Trajan enters Antioch  

summer  

Trajan deposes Parthamasiris Title Optimus, the Best, added to Trajan’s names Annexation of Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Assyria  

115  

Capture of Ctesiphon  

December 13  

Trajan almost killed in Antioch earthquake  

115–17  

Revolt of Jewish diaspora  

116  

General revolt against Rome in the east  

117  

Hadrian legatus of Syria  

July  

Trajan sails for Rome  

by August 9  

Death of Trajan  

August 11  

Accession of Hadrian  

118  

Hadrian consul (2) Execution of four consuls  

July 9  

Hadrian enters Rome Trajan’s new provinces, except Armenia, given up  

c. 118–28  

Rebuilding of Pantheon  

119  

Hadrian consul (3) Matidia dies Hadrian tours Campania  

120  

Antoninus consul  

c. 120  

Tacitus, Annales  

121–25  

Hadrian’s first provincial tour  

121  

Hadrian visits Gallia, Germania superior, Raetia, Noricum,   Germania superior  

121–22  

Plotina dies  

122  

Hadrian visits Lower Germania, Britannia (where he commissioned the wall that bears his name), Gallia, Hispania (Tarraco) Second Moorish revolt  

123  

Hadrian visits Mauretania (?), Africa (?), Libya, Cyrene, Crete, Syria, the Euphrates (Melitene), Pontus, Bithynia Probably meets Antinous Visits Asia  

124  

Hadrian visits Thrace, Asia, Athens and Eleusis, Achaea  

125  

Hadrian visits Achaea, Sicily, Rome  

c. 126  

Death of Plutarch  

c. 127  

Four regions in Italy established, governed by consular legates  

128  

Hadrian visits Africa, Rome, Athens  

129  

Hadrian visits Asia, Pamphylia, Phrygia, Pisidia, Cilicia, Syria, Commagene (Samosata), Cappadocia, Pontus, Syria (Antioch)  

130  

Hadrian visits Judaea (founding of Aelia Capitolina, to replace Jerusalem), Arabia, Egypt (Nile trip; drowning of Antinous; Alexandria)  

October 30  

Antinoopolis founded  

131  

Hadrian visits Syria, Asia, Athens  

131–32  

Inauguration of Panhellenion Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens completed  

131–33  

Jewish revolt, led by Bar Kokhba  

131–37  

Arrian governor of Cappadocia  

132  

Hadrian in Rome  

134  

Hadrian visits Syria, Judaea, Egypt (?), Syria (Antioch) Hadrian in Rome  

135  

Dedication of temple of Venus and Rome  

136  

Hadrian adopts L. Ceionius Commodus Deaths of Lucius Julius Servianus and Pedanius Fuscus  

136 or early 137  

Death of Sabina  

138 February 25  

Hadrian adopts T. Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who acts as joint emperor  

July 10  

Death of Hadrian  

139  

Dedication of Hadrian’s mausoleum  

140  

First consulship of Marcus Aurelius  

161  

Death of Antoninus Accession of Marcus Aurelius  

180  

Death of Marcus Aurelius; accession of his son Commodus