| 753 BCE | Founding of Rome by Romulus |
| 753–509 BCE | Regal Period of Rome, rule by kings |
| 670–650 BCE | Regolini‐Galassi tomb, Cerveteri |
| 600–550 BCE | Tomb of the Shields and Chairs, Cerveteri |
| 535–509 BCE | Rome’s last king, Tarquin the Proud, rules the city |
| 530 BCE | Tomb of the Augurs, Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, Tarquinia |
| 525 BCE | Terracotta sarcophagus from Cerveteri |
| 510 BCE | Apollo of Portonaccio sanctuary, Veii |
| 509 BCE | Founding of the Republic; first public games, the ludi Romani, held in Rome; inauguration of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus |
| 480 BCE | Tomb of the Diver, Paestum |
| 474 BCE | Battle of Cumae, Greeks defeat Etruscans |
| 470 BCE | Tomb of the Leopards, Tarquinia |
| 396 BCE | Romans besiege and defeat Veii, one of the twelve major Etruscan cities |
| 390 BCE | Gallic sack of Rome |
| 386 BCE | “Servian wall” built around Rome |
| 364 BCE | First theatrical performance in Rome |
| 338 BCE | Ostia, Rome’s first colony, established |
| 300 BCE | Bronze bust of a man “Brutus” |
| 273 BCE | Colonies at Paestum and Cosa founded |
| 264 BCE | The first gladiatorial games in Rome at the funeral of Junius Brutus Pera |
| 264–241 BCE | First Punic War |
| 218–202 BCE | Second Punic War |
| 212 BCE | Sack of Syracuse |
| 211 BCE | Triumph of Marcus Claudius Marcellus |
| 168 BCE | Battle of Pydna, victory of Aemilius Paullus over Perseus of Macedon |
| 146 BCE | Destruction of Carthage and Corinth |
| 91–88 BCE | Social War |
| 89 BCE | Siege of Pompeii by Sulla |
| 80 BCE | Founding of Roman colony of Pompeii by Sulla; House of the Faun renovated; amphitheater and basilica begun at Pompeii |
| 73–71 BCE | Revolt of Spartacus |
| 62 BCE | Pons Fabricius built |
| 61 BCE | Pompey’s Triple Triumph |
| 55 BCE | Pompey’s Theater, first permanent theater in Rome, built |
| 46 BCE | Forum of Caesar dedicated |
| 44 BCE | Assassination of Julius Caesar |
| 40 BCE | Decoration of Mysteries Suite in the Villa of the Mysteries |
| 31 BCE | Battle of Actium, Octavian/Augustus defeats Antony and Cleopatra |
| 28 BCE | Mausoleum of Augustus begun; Temple of Apollo dedicated |
| 27 BCE | Octavian takes the name Imperator Caesar Augustus; Livy’s monumental History of Rome begins appearing |
| 20 BCE | Original of the Prima Porta Augustus statue; recovery of the military standards from Parthia |
| 19 BCE | Death of Roman poet, Vergil, publication of his Aeneid |
| 15 BCE | Vitruvius writes his book on architecture; earliest examples of Third Style wall painting; construction of Caesarea Maritima |
| 14 BCE | Basilica Aemilia reliefs |
| 13 BCE | Ara Pacis Augustae vowed |
| 12 BCE | Augustus becomes Pontifex Maximus; Via Labicana portrait |
| 9 BCE | Ara Pacis Augustae inaugurated |
| 2 BCE | Forum Augustum inaugurated |
| 14 CE | Death of Augustus; succession of Tiberius |
| 14–37 CE | Tiberius as emperor |
| 20–26 CE | Tiberius resides at Sperlonga; sculpture groups created |
| 37–41 CE | Caligula as emperor |
| 37 CE | Portrait of Caligula |
| 41–54 CE | Claudius as emperor |
| 43 CE | Invasion of Britain |
| c. 51 CE | Grand Camée; Ravenna relief |
| 52 CE | Porta Maggiore gate constructed |
| 54–68 CE | Nero as emperor |
| 59 CE | Amphitheater riot at Pompeii |
| 62 CE | Earthquake along the Bay of Naples that extensively damaged Pompeii; Domus Transitoria of Nero |
| after 62 CE | Temple of Isis and House of Octavius Quartio rebuilt at Pompeii |
| 64 CE | Great fire in Rome; Domus Aurea of Nero begun |
| 69–79 CE | Vespasian as emperor |
| 71 CE | Flavian Triumph for Jewish War |
| 75 CE | Temple of Peace dedicated |
| 79–81 CE | Titus as emperor; portrait of Titus as magistrate |
| 79 CE | Sacellum of the Augustales, Herculaneum; Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis |
| 80 CE | Inauguration of the Colosseum; fire and plague hit Rome |
| 81–96 CE | Domitian as emperor |
| 81 CE | Arch of Titus dedicated |
| 92 CE | Domus Flaviana, Flavian Palace, built |
| 93 CE | Cancelleria reliefs |
| ca. 94 CE | Tomb of the Haterii |
| 96–98 CE | Nerva as emperor |
| 98–117 CE | Trajan as emperor |
| 103 CE | Trajan’s new harbor of Portus at Ostia begun |
| 106 CE | Conclusion of the Dacian War; conquest of Petra and Nabatean kingdom |
| 109 CE | Adamclisi victory monument built |
| 112 CE | Forum of Trajan inaugurated |
| 113 CE | Column of Trajan dedicated |
| 114 CE | Parthian war begun; Arch of Trajan, Beneventum |
| 117–138 CE | Hadrian as emperor |
| 118 CE | Villa of Hadrian begun |
| 120 CE | Hadrian’s Wall begun |
| 126 CE | Pantheon completed |
| 130 CE | Hadrianic roundels |
| 138–161 CE | Antoninus Pius as emperor |
| 140 CE | Baths of the Seven Sages, Ostia |
| 147 CE | Faustina the Younger portrait bust |
| 160 CE | Hercules sarcophagus |
| 161–180 CE | Marcus Aurelius as emperor |
| 161–169 CE | Lucius Verus co‐emperor with Marcus Aurelius |
| 161–166 CE | Parthian War |
| 161 CE | Column of Antoninus Pius |
| 165 CE | Plague sweeps Rome; Alcestis sarcophagus |
| 176 CE | Arch of Marcus Aurelius begun |
| 180–192 CE | Commodus as emperor; Portonaccio sarcophagus |
| 192 CE | Column of Marcus Aurelius completed; Commodus bust; Commodus appears in the Colosseum as Hercules |
| 193 CE | Civil War and Year of the Six Emperors |
| 193–211 CE | Septimius Severus as emperor |
| 193 CE | Julia Domna portrait from Gabii |
| 197 CE | Invasion of the Parthian Empire |
| 200 CE | Painted portrait of Severan family |
| 203 CE | Severan family’s triumphal entrance into Lepcis Magna; Arch of Septimius Severus dedicated in Rome; Forma Urbis Romae begun; Julia Domna portrait from Ostia |
| 204 CE | Celebration of the 950th anniversary of Rome; Arch of the Argentarii erected |
| 211–217 CE | Caracalla as emperor |
| 216 CE | Baths of Caracalla dedicated; Farnese Bull and Farnese Hercules sculptures |
| 218–222 CE | Elagabalus as emperor |
| 222–235 CE | Alexander Severus as emperor |
| c. 225 CE | Achilles and Penthesilia sarcophagus |
| 238 CE | Acilia sarcophagus |
| 244–249 CE | Philip the Arab as emperor; portrait bust of Philip the Arab; Synagogue at Dura Europus |
| 249–251 CE | Decius as emperor; portrait of Decius |
| 250 CE | Mattei Lion Hunt sarcophagus |
| 253–260 CE | Valerian as emperor |
| 260 CE | Relief of Emperor Valerian kneeling before Shapur I |
| 260–270 CE | Good Shepherd sarcophagus |
| 270–275 CE | Aurelian wall built around Rome |
| 284–305 CE | Tetrarchy founded with Diocletian and Maximian as joint rulers |
| 298–303 CE | Arch of Galerius, Thessaloniki |
| c. 300 CE | Tetrarchs porphyry statue group; Villa of Piazza Armerina built |
| 303 CE | Tetrarchs visit Rome; Decennalia monument dedicated |
| 306 CE | Baths of Diocletian dedicated; Constantine declared emperor at York |
| 310 CE | Basilica at Trier built |
| 312 CE | Battle of the Milvian Bridge; Arch of Constantine begun; Basilica Nova completed |
| 313 CE | Edict of Milan issued legalizing Christian worship |
| 315 CE | Colossal portrait of Constantine from the Basilica Nova |
| 324 CE | Final defeat of Licinius and unification of empire under the rule of Constantine |
| 330 CE | Porphyry sarcophagus of Constantina; Lullingstone mosaic; founding of Constantinople |
| 336–337 CE | Bronze portrait of Constantine |
| 340 CE | Low Ham Villa and mosaic |
| 359 CE | Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus |
| 476 CE | Abdication of Romulus Augustulus, last emperor of the Western Empire |
| 955–983 CE | Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor |
| 1453 CE | Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Empire |
| 1806 CE | Arc de Triomphe commissioned in Paris |
| 1865 CE | Apotheosis of Washington fresco |
