From the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 B.C. to A.D. 68 (2 page)

133

Tiberius Gracchus, tribune, proposes a land law. Opposed by tribune Octavius who is deposed; land law passed and land-commission established. Pergamum bequeathed to Rome by Attalus III. Gracchus murdered. Scipio Aemilianus storms Numantia and settles Spain. Slave war continues in Sicily

132

Court established to punish Gracchus’ supporters. Land-commission working. Slave-war ended and Sicily reorganized. Revolt of Aristonicusin Asia Minor

131

Lex tabellaria
of tribune Papirius Carbo establishes secret ballot for legislation

130

Aristonicus defeated by Perperna

129

Death of Scipio Aemilianus. Organization of province of Asia

126

Law of tribune Pennus
de peregrinis
. Sardinia restless

125

M. Fulvius Flaccus, consul, proposes enfranchisement of the Latins. Revolt of Fregellae

124

Defeated Fregellans settled at Fabrateria. War against Arverni and Allobroges in Gaul

123

First tribunate of Gaius Gracchus who proposes many laws.
Lex Rubria
(or 122) establishes Junonia on the site of Carthage; later repealed.
Castellum
at Aquae Sextiae near Massilia

122

Second tribunate of Gaius Gracchus and further legislation. Opposition of M. Livius Drusus. Gracchus fails to win re-election for 121. Balearic Islands subdued and colonies founded at Palma and Pollentia

121

Senate passes the ‘last decree’. Civil disorder in which Gaius Gracchus is killed; his followers executed by Opimius. Defeat of Arverni and Allobroges; Via Domitia constructed in southern Gaul

120

Trial and acquittal of Opimius

119

Marius, as tribune, carries legislation to improve voting methods. Gracchan land-commission abolished.
Lex agraria

118

Colony at Narbo Martius in southern Gaul. Adherbal, Hiempsal and Jugurtha become joint rulers of Numidia

117

Death of Hiempsal

116

Jugurtha consolidates his position. Senatorial commission sent to settle Numidian affairs

115

Aemilius Scaurus, consul, regulates apportionment of freedmen in tribes

114

Marius in Spain. Scordisci defeat C. Cato in Macedonia

113

Cn. Carbo defeated at Noreia by Cimbri

112

Jugurtha sacks Cirta. Rome declares war on Jugurtha

111

Lex agraria
(
lex Thoria
?). Temporary agreement with Jugurtha

110

Mamilian enquiry. Renewal of war in Africa; surrender of Aulus Albinus

109

Metellus gains some success against Jugurtha

107

Marius, elected consul, enlists volunteers and
proletarii
; succeeds Metellus and captures Capsa. Tigurini defeat Cassius in Gaul

106

Birth of Cicero and Pompey. Caepio’s
lex iudiciaria
. Marius advances into western Numidia. Bocchus of Mauretania surrenders Jugurtha to Sulla

105

Cimbri and Teutones destroy armies of Caepio and Mallius at Arausio

104

Judiciary law of Servilius Glaucia. Marius, consul II, reorganizes Roman army.
Lex Domitia
concerning election to the priestly colleges. Second Sicilian Slave War

103

Saturninus tribune: corn law,
lex de maiestate
, land-allotments for Marius’ veterans. Marius, consul III, trains army in Gaul

102

Marius, consul IV, defeats Teutones near Aquae Sextiae. M. Antonius sent to Cilicia to deal with pirates

101

Marius, consul V, and Catulus defeat Cimbri near Vercellae

100

Marius consul VI. Legislation of Saturninus. Marius breaks with Saturninus and Glaucia; rioting in Rome;
senatus consultum ultimum
; Marius restores order. Death of Saturninus and Glaucia. Birth of Julius Caesar. Second Sicilian Slave War ended. Colony settled at Eporedia in Gallia Cisalpina

99

Reaction in favour of Senate

98

Lex Caecilia Didia
. Marius leaves Rome for Asia. Revolt in Lusitania

97

Sulla praetor (rather than in 93?) and ordered to install Ariobarzanes as king of Cappodocia in 96

96

Ptolemy Apion dies; bequeaths Cyrene to Rome

95

Lex Licinia Mucia
: expulsion order. Rome orders Mithridates out of Paphlagonia and Cappadocia. Tigranes becomes king of Armenia

94

Death of Nicomedes III (Euegetes) of Bithynia

92

Condemnation of Rutilius Rufus
de repetundis
. Suppression of Latin
rhetors
by censors

91

Tribunate of M. Livius Drusus, whose plans for the allies fail; his assassination. Outbreak of Social War; massacre of Romans at Asculum

90

Roman reverses in Social War.
Lex Iulia

89

Victories of Strabo and Sulla.
Lex Plautia Papiria. Lex Pompeia

88

Sulpicius Rufus tribune. Proposal to transfer the Mithridatic command from Sulla to Marius. Sulla marches on Rome with his army, captures the city, repeals Sulpicius’ legislation and passes some laws to strengthen the Senate. Marius escapes. Social War limited to Samnites who gradually yield. Mithridates overruns Asia Minor; massacres many Romans and Italians; joined by Athens

87

Cinna and Marius occupy Rome; massacre of Sulla’s supporters. Sulla lands in Greece and besieges Athens. Carbo consul 87–84

86

Marius, consul VII, dies. Flaccus and Fimbria sent to Asia. Sulla takes Athens and defeats Mithridates’ armies at Chaeronea and Orchomenus

85

Sulla negotiates Treaty of Dardanus with Mithridates. Settlement of Asia

84

New citizens distributed through all the tribes. Cinna killed by mutineers. Carbo remains sole consul

83

Sulla lands in Italy and is supported by Pompey. Murena begins a Second Mithridatic War

82

Civil War in Italy; Sulla victorious at the battle of the Colline Gate. Proscriptions. Sertorius leaves for Spain. Pompey defeats Sulla’s opponents in Sicily. Sulla orders Murena to stop fighting against Mithridates

81

Sulla dictator; constitutional settlement and reform of criminal law. Pompey defeats Marians in Africa. Sertorius driven out of Spain

80

Sulla consul. Sertorius returns to Spain. Ptolemy Auletes installed as king of Egypt

79

Sulla, no longer consul, resigns dictatorship in 79 (if not already in 80). Sertorius defeats Metellus Pius in Spain

78

Death of Sulla. Aemilius Lepidus challenges Sulla’s constitution. P. Servilius campaigns against the pirates for three years in Lycia, Pamphylia and Isauria

77

Lepidus defeated by Catulus and Pompey; dies in Sardinia. Pompey appointed against Sertorius

76

Attempts to restore powers to tribunes. Sertorius successful against Metellus and Pompey

75

Lex Aurelia
allows tribunes to hold other offices later. Cicero quaestor in Sicily.

75–74

Death of Nicomedes who bequeaths Bithynia to Rome

74

Cyrene made a Rome province. Reinforcements sent to Spain. M. Antonius given command against the pirates. Mithridates invades Bithynia; Lucullus sent against him

73

Tribune Licinius Macer agitates for reform.
Lex Terentia Cassia
deals with distribution of corn. Rising of Spartacus at Capua. Lucullus relieves Cyzicus and defeats Mithridates on the Rhyndacus

72

Spartacus continues successfully. Sertorius assassinated by Perperna;Pompey defeats Perperna and settles Spain. L. Lucullus campaigns against Mithridates in Pontus. M. Lucullus defeats Thracian tribes. M. Antonius defeated by pirates of Crete

71

Spartacus defeated by Crassus. Pompey returns from Spain. Lucullus defeats Mithridates who flees to Tigranes

70

First consulship of Pompey and Crassus. Restoration of tribunician powers.
Iudicia publica
reorganized. Trial of Verres, governor of Sicily. Birth of Virgil

69

Lucullus invades Armenia and captures the capital, Tigranocerta

68

Mithridates returns to Pontus. Unrest in Lucullus’ army but he captures Nisibis

67

Lex Gabinia
invests Pompey with extraordinary command against the pirates whom he clears from the whole Mediterranean

66

Lex Manilia
gives Pompey command against Mithridates, who is finally defeated. First Catilinarian ‘conspiracy’. Cicero, praetor, delivers speech
de imperio Pompei

65

Crassus censor; his intrigues for influence in Spain and Egypt fail. Pompey campaigns in the Caucasus. Birth of Horace

64

Pompey in Syria; end of Seleucid monarchy

63

Cicero consul.
Lex agraria
of Rullus. Caesar elected Pontifex Maximus. Birth of Octavian (Augustus). Conspiracy of Catiline; execution of conspirators. Pompey in Damascus and Jerusalem; end of Hasmonean power. Mithridates dies in Crimea

62

Defeat and death of Catiline at Pistoia. Clodius profanes
Bona Dea
festiv al. Pompey settles the East (including making Syria a province), returns to Italy and dismisses his army (Dec.)

61

The Senate opposes Pompey’s
acta
; his triumph. Trial of Clodius. Caesar governor of Further Spain. Revolt of the Allobroges. Aedui appeal to Rome

60

Caesar returns from Spain; his agreement with Pompey and Crassus, the ‘first triumvirate’

59

Caesar consul; carries legislation. Pompey marries Julia, Caesar’s daughter. Caesar receives Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum under
lex

Vatinia
; Senate adds Transalpine Gaul. Senate recognizes Ptolemy Auletes as king of Egypt

58

Tribunate of Clodius: corn-law. Cicero exiled; Cato sent to Cyprus which is annexed. Caesar defeats Helvetii and Ariovistus. Ptolemydriven out of Alexandria

57

Rioting in Rome between Clodius and Milo. Return of Cicero (Sept.). Pompey concerned with food-supply. Caesar defeats Belgae and Nervii

56

Disagreement among the triumvirs. Cicero attacks Caesar’s land-law. Conference at Luca (April). Cato returns from Cyprus. Caesar camp aigns against Veneti and Morini

55

Second consulship of Pompey and Crassus. The three triumvirs receive fresh commands. Caesar massacres Usipetes and Tencteri; bridges the Rhine; invades Britain

54

Pompey remains near Rome and governs Spain through legates. Death of Julia (Sept.). Rioting in Rome. Caesar’s second British expedition; revolt in north-east Gaul. Crassus, in Syria, prepares for Parthian campaign. Gabinius, governor of Syria, restores Ptolemy to his throne

53

Continued rioting in Rome; no consuls elected until July. Crassus defeated and killed by Parthians at Carrhae. Unrest in Gaul partly pacified by Caesar

52

Milo kills Clodius (Jan.). Pompey sole consul until August. Law of the Ten Tribunes. Revolt of central Gaul under Vercingetorix. Caesar repelled from Gergovia. Besieges Alesia; Vercingetorix surrenders

51

Optimate attacks on Caesar, who gains support of Curio. Revolt of Bellovaci; siege of Uxellodunum. Parthian invasion of Syria; Cicero sent as governor to Cilicia. Death of Ptolemy Auletes. Ptolemy XIII marries Cleopatra; joint rulers

50

Curio vetoes discussion of a successor to Caesar. Pompey ill during summer. Curio proposes that both Caesar and Pompey disarm: vetoed. Pompey asked by consul Marcellus to save the State (Nov.). Tribunes leave Rome. Caesar organizes Gaul and crosses the Rubicon into Italy

49

Civil War. Pompey crosses to Greece. Caesar, dictator I for eleven days, carries emergency legislation and goes to Spain where he defeats Pompeian forces at Ilerda. Surrender of Massilia. Curio defeated and killed in Africa

48

Caesar consul II. Disturbances in Italy; Milo killed. Caesar crosses to Greece: campaign of Dyrrachium; defeats Pompey at Pharsalus. Pompey murdered in Egypt. Caesar arrives in Egypt; Alexandrine War; Cleopatra queen. Pharnaces of Bosporus defeats Domitius Calvinus in Pontus