Information on what came before and after this topic provides further historical context.
8.3 TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS
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What came after this topic? • The Christian Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire continues until it finally collapses and is taken over by the Islamic Turks • The Roman Empire is separated into smaller kingdoms, run by barbarian rulers (even Italy is split into separate states) • In 800 ce, the French ruler Charlemagne creates an empire covering what are now France, northern Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Croatia Portrait of Charlemagne, who was one of the most powerful kings during the medieval period of European history.
A statue of Augustus
27 BCE The rule of the first Emperor, Augustus, begins. He is the great-nephew of Julius Caesar. The Republic of Rome becomes the Roman Empire.
44 BCE A group of Roman senators murder Julius Caesar.
79 CE The Colosseum in Rome is opened. Pompeii and Herculaneum are buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
64 CE A big fire occurs in Rome. Emperor Nero blames the Christians, who are a new religious community.
283 CE The Roman Empire is split into the eastern and western empires.
c. 200 CE The borders of the Roman Empire come under increased attacks by barbarian tribes. Under pressure, a number of costly civil wars weaken the empire.
402–410 CE The Goths and Vandals (‘barbarian’ tribes) take control of parts of the empire. In 410 ce, Alaric the Goth is able to sack the city of Rome itself.
313 CE Emperor Constantine accepts Christianity as a religion after centuries of Christians being persecuted and shunned. Christianity later becomes the official religion of the empire.
senator politician who has been elected to a senate barbarian someone from another place who spoke a different language; for ancient Romans, a barbarian was any person who was not part of the Roman Empire sack to invade and destroy a city
Emperor Constantine on a coin from c. 751 bce
Timeline activities encourage students to engage with key concepts and skills and to further prepare for the topic ahead, using the timeline as a stepping off point.
