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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.

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...
Komnenian Dynasty mosaic in the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey. The Virgin Mary and baby Jesus are flanked by John II Komnenos and his wife, Irene of Hungary.

The Komnenian Dynasty: The Byzantine Royal Family that Kept Coming Back

The Komnenos (also spelled as Comnenus) family was a medieval noble family from Paphlagonia, Anatolia, in modern day Turkey. During the 11th century, the Komnenian Dynasty was founded. This dynasty...
The wine press in Ramat Negev is intermeshed with a building, as seen above, summer 2017.

Boutique Wine for Byzantines: 1,600-year-old Wine Press Discovered in the Negev Desert

The Times of Israel reports that a 1,600-year-old wine press has been discovered in a vast Byzantine building along the incense trade route in the southern Negev desert in Israel. Experts suggest...
Anachronistic painting by Piero della Francesca of the Battle of Nineveh (627) between Heraclius' Byzantine army and the Sasanians under Khosrow II, which was pretty much the end of the Byzantine–Sasanian War.		Source: Piero della Francesca / Public domain

The Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 AD and the Rise of the Muslims

The Byzantines and Sasanians were rival powers who fought each other for supremacy in the Middle East. Although the conflict between the two powers began during the 6th century AD, it is in fact a...
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...
Rome’s African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion

Rome’s African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion

The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . With a thirst for power, he ruled the Roman Empire almost 2,000 years ago, declaring himself Emperor...
Pirate flag.

When Julius Caesar Was Kidnapped by Pirates - And Made Them Increase the Ransom!

Piracy is a practice that can be dated all the way back to ancient times. In the Mediterranean, pirates were not a major threat as long as they could be kept in check, usually by a strong navy. By...
Emperor Caligula

The Madness of Caligula: Rome’s Cruelest Emperor?

Caligula was Rome’s most tyrannical emperor. His reign from 37-41 AD is filled with murder and debauchery, to levels even his infamous nephew Nero could not reach. The great-great grandson of Julius...
The so-called “Brutus” Marble.

Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger: Ultimate Betrayer or a Hero of the Roman Empire?

Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger, commonly referred to as just ‘Brutus’, was a politician who lived towards the end of the Roman Republic. Brutus is best known for being one of the main conspirators...
An equestrian statue of a Julio-Claudian prince, originally identified as Caligula.

Hold Your Horses! Did Caligula Actually Make a Steed a Roman Consul?

When we think of the emperor Caligula, it is John Hurt’s wonderfully maniacal performance in the BBC TV series I, Claudius that usually comes to mind. Hurt dances in a gold bikini, sports a beard...

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