The Roman Legacy – Unit 4
General Events:
753 BC Founding of Rome (traditional date) c. 700 Development of Etruscan culture 509 Expulsion of the Etruscan kings and foundation of the roman republic c. 390 Sack of Rome by the Gauls 264-241 First Punic War: Roman conquest of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica 218-201 Second Punic War: Roman conquest of Spain 146 Destruction of Carthage: Africa becomes Roman province / Sack of Corinth: Greece becomes Roman province 58-56 Caesar conquers Gaul 48 Caesar meets Cleopatra in Egypt 46-44 Caesar rules Rome as a dictator until assassinated 30 Death of Anthony and Cleopatra 27-14 Octavian under the name of Augustus rules as the first Roman Emperor c. 6 Birth of Jesus AD 14-68 Julio-Claudian emperors: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero 69-96 Flavian emperors: Vespasian, Titus and Domitian 70 Capture of Jerusalem by Titus: destruction of Solomon’s Temple 79 Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum 96-138 Adoptive emperors: Nerva, Hadrian, Trajan, etc. 138-192 Antonine emperors: Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, etc. 284-305 Reign of Diocletian; return of civil order 301 Edict of Diocletian, fixing wages and prices 307-337 Reign of Constantine; sole emperor after 324 330 Founding of Constantinople 392 Paganism officially suppressed; Christianity made state religion 409-455 Vandals and Visigoths invade Italy, Spain, Gaul and Africa 476 Romulus Augustulus forced to abdicate as last Western Roman emperor
Literature and Philosophy:
200-100 BC Terrance, Roman comedies c. 65-43 Cicero, orations and philosophical essays; Catullus, lyric poems; Caesar, Commentaries, on the Gallic wars c. 27 BC–AD 14 Horace, Odes, Virgil, Aeneid, Ovid, Metamorphoses, Livy, Annals of the Roman People c. 100-150 Tacitus, History, Pliny the Younger, Letters c. 166-179 Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (On Stoicism)
Art: c. 650-500 BC Influence of Greek and Orientalizing styles on Etruscan art late 6th cent. Etruscan Apollo 1st cent. Realistic portraiture; Portrait of Cicero c. 30 BC-AD30 Villa of Mysteries frescoes, Pompeii 13-9 Ara Pacis
Decline of realism
324-330AD Colossal head from basilica of Constantine, Rome
Architecture: c. 616-509 BC Etruscans drain marshes, build temples and construct roads 1st cent.BC Discovery of concrete Use of arch, vault, dome, principles of stress / counterstress 1st cent. AD Pont du Gard, Niems; atrium-style houses at Pompeii c. 126 AD Pantheon, Rome 300-305 Diocletians palace, Split 106-315 Basilica of Constantine, Rome
Music: Extension of Greek trumpet into the Roman tuba; used in games, processions and battles c. 2nd c. BC Greek music becomes popular at Rome