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Roman Chronology

The chronology of Ancient Rome divides this long history into standard periods used by historians, from its legendary foundation to its eventual decline and fall.

Rome's history spanned over a thousand years, from its humble beginnings as a small village on the banks of the Tiber River to its status as the dominant superpower of the ancient world. Along the way, Rome underwent numerous transformations, from a monarchy to a republic, to an empire, and faced many challenges, including wars, political crises, social upheavals, and economic changes.

This section offers articles organized according to a chronological order of the key milestones in Rome's history, including the reigns of its legendary kings, the forming of a republic, the Punic Wars with Carthage, the establishment of the Roman Empire, and the decline and eventual collapse of the Roman state. By exploring the rich tapestry of Rome's history, we gain a deeper appreciation of the enduring legacy of this remarkable civilization and its impact on the world we live in today.

A ghastly death ossuary in Milan that likely also contains many dead from the Massacre of Milan in 1539 AD during the battles to retake Italy by the Byzantine Empire, which was headquartered in Constantinople.         Source: Francis Malapris / Adobe Stock

Byzantium Suffers Barbarian Wrath in the Massacre of Milan of 539 AD

“Woe to the vanquished!” the old saying goes, and it was often showcased in history. During the devastating Gothic War that raged between 535 and 554 AD on the Italian Peninsula, the venerable city...
The Byzantine emperor Basil I (left) with his son Leo VI. Uploaded by Ghirlandajo, 2005

The Forgotten Renaissance: The Successes of the Macedonian Dynasty

The Macedonian Dynasty was relatively short lived in the grand scheme of dynasties, yet it sent waves throughout the Byzantine Empire . Under them, previously lost territories were regained, the...
The Mythos Of The Enigmatic Prester John

The Mythos Of The Enigmatic Prester John

Around 1165 AD a mysterious letter addressed to Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of Byzantium, began circulating around Europe. It was from a Prester John who claimed to “ exceed in riches, virtue and power...
Modern painting of Mehmed and the Ottoman Army approaching Constantinople with a giant bombard, by Fausto Zonaro

Orban: The Man Whose Cannon Brought Down the Walls of Constantinople – Part I

For 53 days, starting on Friday, 6 April, the forces of the Ottoman Empire shook what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire (known as Byzantium, or the Byzantine Empire ) until they were able to...
Romanos IV Diogenes: An Ambitious Byzantine Emperor Unjustly Deposed?

Romanos IV Diogenes: An Ambitious Byzantine Emperor Unjustly Deposed?

Opportunism, ambition, intrigues - these were aspects that were always present at the courts of great empires. Rulers rose to power following these rules of the game, and they were often the reasons...
Bélisaire, depicting Belisarius as a blind beggar.

Belisarius: Powerful General of the Byzantine Empire

Flavius Belisarius was a Byzantine general who lived during the 6th century AD. He is often regarded as one of the greatest generals of the Byzantine Empire . Additionally, he is one of the...
The Hagia Sophia, an iconic work of architecture that housed many iconic works of art.

How Byzantine Art and Architecture Captivated the Known World

The rich, beautiful art and opulent architecture of the Byzantine Empire glorified Jesus, the saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the emperors. Byzantine art motifs, the mosaics, paintings, and...
Ruins of the Byzantine Church which is now virtually reconstructed

Virtually Visit a Byzantine Church Built for a Mysterious Martyr

In 2017 Israeli archaeologists made a stunning discovery from the Byzantine period . They uncovered a Christian church that is elaborately decorated with breath-taking mosaics . The Byzantine church...
10 Fierce But Often Forgotten Enemies of Rome

10 Fierce But Often Forgotten Enemies of Rome

Rome, this very name conjures up images of an ancient empire so vast that experts from different ages have been spellbound by the unprecedented magnanimity of its reaches. Ancient Rome defined the...
The Empire of Trebizond: Byzantine Offshoot of Great Power and Wealth

The Empire of Trebizond: Byzantine Offshoot of Great Power and Wealth

The fascinating and exotic history of the Empire of Trebizond, which existed between the 13th and 15th centuries AD, is a great story. This empire occupied the southern coast of the Black Sea, and...
Medieval battlefield. Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Aeons of Battle: The 5 Longest Wars in History

In the annals of humanity there is one phenomenon that has consistently weaved and threaded itself through the fabric of time. It is, of course, war, which from the very earliest times until the...
A miniature depicting the defeat of the Georgian king George I ("Georgios of Abasgia") by the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Skylitzes Matritensis, fol. 195v.

Byzantine Basil II: He Took an Icon of the Virgin into Battle Then Gouged Out the Eyes of Foes

The horrors and mass slaughters that many monarchs around the world perpetrated in ancient and more modern times may be eclipsed by the Byzantines, including Byzantine Emperor Basil II, known as...
The End of the Huns: The Death of Attila and the Fall of the Hunnic Empire

The End of the Huns: The Death of Attila and the Fall of the Hunnic Empire

Attila the Hun was also known as Flagellum Dei , which means the ‘Scourge of God.’ With him at the lead, the Huns were one of the biggest threats faced by the Roman Empire. Although he was famously...
Detail of “A verger's dream: Saints Cosmas and Damian performing a miraculous cure by transplantation of a leg.’ Master of Los Balbases, ca. 1495. Source: Public Domain

Brain Surgeons Performed Complex Procedures on Byzantine Warriors

Human remains found on a Greek island are changing how experts view the development of surgical interventions in the proto-Byzantine period. A skull shows the traces of complex brain surgery . The...
Heraclius is depicted beheading Choroses, the Persian king as Cherubim angels look on.

Wild Success and Deplorable Failure: The Cursed Reign of Heraclius, Byzantine Emperor

The reign of Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641, reads like a series of disasters that continued to be visited on his heirs. In between the disasters he had some successes, but he and...
The Byzantine coins found near Jerusalem have been dated to around the time of a 614 siege.

1,400-Year-Old Coins are the Forgotten Remnants of a Terrifying Siege on Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists have announced the discovery of a hoard of rare Byzantine bronze coins from a site dating back to 614 AD. The coins were discovered during excavations for the widening of the...
Mosaic of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac I Komnenos

Shock Findings In Ancient Garbage Mound Indicate Byzantine Empire Was In Major Decline BEFORE the Rise of Islam

Major archaeological discoveries can take place in the most unlikely places. In Israel, experts have made a very important discovery after an investigation of an ancient garbage dump. The abrupt way...
Excavated remains of the last fugitive at Herculaneum archaeological park. Source: Parco Archeologico di Ercolano

Heat from Mount Vesuvius Eruption as Deadly as Hiroshima Atomic Bomb

Archaeologists continue to excavate in search of remains left behind after the 79 AD Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption which decimated the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy. Now, an...
Hannibal: The Carthaginian General Who Took on the Romans

Hannibal: The Carthaginian General Who Took on the Romans

Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general who lived between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. He is perhaps best remembered for his military campaign against the Romans in the Second Punic War. Thanks to...
Cincinnatus Receiving Deputies of the Senate.

The Roman Dictator Cincinnatus: Model of an Honest Politician?

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus is a figure from the Early Republican period of Rome’s history. Cincinnatus (a nickname given to him due to his curly hair) was an aristocrat who belonged to the...
Photo of the dome of the so-called Lupercal Cave, taken by a probe beneath the Domus Livia on the Palatine Hill, Rome, Italy.

The Lupercal Cave: A Refuge for Romulus and Remus and the Roman Festival of Lupercalia

The Lupercal Cave is a cave mentioned in the story of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city of Rome. Like many other legendary forefathers of ancient cities and societies, Romulus and...
One of the naval Roman battering rams being hoisted from the sea near Ustica Island, Italy.	Source: RPM Nautical Foundation

Divers Find Four Naval Roman Battering Rams From the 241 BC Punic War

Four ancient bronze Roman battering rams, the kind used at the front of a battleship, have been discovered by divers near Ustica Island, north of Palermo, Italy. These rare artifacts of ancient naval...
Ruins of Roman Forum in Rome, Italy during sunrise. (twindesigner /Adobe Stock) Insert: Denarius featuring the laureate, long-haired, and bearded head of Quirinus (Romulus).

Experts May Have Identified the Long Lost Tomb of Romulus, Founder of Rome

Myths were very important in the ancient world. The Roman myth of Romulus and Remus is one such example and many believe that it is based on real-life events. Now experts claim that they may have...

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