History for the RomanCatholic

Lives side by side

People

Every bar is a life, laid out on the same line of years. Historians sit on the same line as the people they wrote about, so you can see who lived when. Select anyone to see their connections.

Remus

771–753 BC Legendary

Traditional dates.

FounderRome

Romulus's twin, killed in the quarrel over where to found the city.

Connections

  • Romulus sibling of Remus
  • Romulus killed Remus. In the best-known version. Livy also records that Remus died in a brawl.

Written about by

  • Ennius, Annales (c. 175 BC, about 578 years later)
  • Fabius Pictor, History of Rome (in Greek) (c. 200 BC, about 553 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 728 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 746 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 726 years later)
  • Plutarch, Parallel Lives (Romulus, Numa) (c. AD 100, about 852 years later)
  • St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God (c. AD 420, about 1172 years later)
  • Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon 82, on the Feast of Peter and Paul (c. AD 441, about 1193 years later)

Romulus

771–716 BC Legendary

Traditional dates. Romulus is probably not a historical person.

Founder · KingRomeGovernment

Legendary founder and first king of Rome, raised with his twin by a she-wolf.

King of Rome, 753 BC – 716 BC

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Connections

  • sibling of Remus
  • killed Remus. In the best-known version. Livy also records that Remus died in a brawl.
  • Numa Pompilius succeeded Romulus

Written about by

  • Ennius, Annales (c. 175 BC, about 541 years later)
  • Fabius Pictor, History of Rome (in Greek) (c. 200 BC, about 516 years later)
  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 662 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 691 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 709 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 689 years later)
  • Plutarch, Parallel Lives (Romulus, Numa) (c. AD 100, about 815 years later)
  • St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God (c. AD 420, about 1135 years later)
  • Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon 82, on the Feast of Peter and Paul (c. AD 441, about 1156 years later)

Numa Pompilius

reigned 715–673 BC Known from tradition

Traditional reign. His life dates are unknown.

KingRomeGovernment

The second king, remembered as the founder of Rome's religious calendar and priesthoods.

King of Rome, 715 BC – 673 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 619 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 648 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 666 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 646 years later)
  • Plutarch, Parallel Lives (Romulus, Numa) (c. AD 100, about 772 years later)

Tullus Hostilius

reigned 673–642 BC Known from tradition

Traditional reign.

KingRome

The third king, a warrior who destroyed Alba Longa.

King of Rome, 673 BC – 642 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 588 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 617 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 635 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 615 years later)

Ancus Marcius

reigned 642–617 BC Known from tradition

Traditional reign.

KingRome

The fourth king, said to have bridged the Tiber and founded Ostia.

King of Rome, 642 BC – 617 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 563 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 592 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 610 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 590 years later)

Tarquinius Priscus

reigned 616–579 BC Known from tradition

Traditional reign.

KingRomeArchitecture

The fifth king, an Etruscan newcomer credited with the Circus Maximus and draining the Forum.

King of Rome, 616 BC – 579 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 525 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 554 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 572 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 552 years later)

Servius Tullius

reigned 578–535 BC Known from tradition

Traditional reign.

KingRomeGovernment

The sixth king, credited with the census and the first division of citizens by wealth.

King of Rome, 578 BC – 535 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 481 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 528 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 508 years later)

Tarquinius Superbus

reigned 535–495 BC Known from tradition

Traditional dates. Expelled in 509 BC; died in exile at Cumae.

KingRomeGovernment

"Tarquin the Proud," the seventh and last king, whose tyranny ended the monarchy.

King of Rome, 535 BC – 509 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 441 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 470 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 488 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 468 years later)

Lucius Junius Brutus

509 BC Known from tradition

Tradition dates his consulship and death to 509 BC.

ConsulRomeGovernment

Led the overthrow of the kings and became one of the first two consuls.

Consul, 509 BC

Connections

Written about by

  • Cicero, On the Republic (De re publica) (c. 54 BC, about 455 years later)
  • Virgil, Aeneid (c. 25 BC, about 484 years later)
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities (7 BC, about 502 years later)
  • Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 1 (c. 27 BC, about 482 years later)
  • St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God (c. AD 420, about 928 years later)

Lucretia

509 BC Known from tradition

Tradition dates her death to 509 BC.

NoblewomanRome

Roman noblewoman whose rape by the king's son and suicide sparked the revolt against the monarchy.

Connections

Written about by

Ennius

239–169 BC Documented

PoetRome

The father of Latin poetry. His epic Annales told Rome's story from Aeneas onward.

Wrote

  • Annales, c. 175 BC about Romulus and Remus. Survives only in fragments quoted by later authors.

Fabius Pictor

fl. c. 225–200 BC Documented

Active during the Second Punic War. Birth and death dates are unknown.

Historian · SenatorRome

The first Roman historian. He wrote in Greek, to explain Rome to the Greek world.

Wrote

  • History of Rome (in Greek), c. 200 BC about Romulus and Remus. Lost, but Livy, Dionysius, and Plutarch all used it.

Polybius

c. 200–118 BC Documented

HistorianRomeGovernment

A Greek hostage in Rome who explained how Rome conquered the Mediterranean in fifty-three years.

Wrote

  • Histories, c. 150 BC about Hannibal & the Punic Wars and The Founding of the Republic. Book 6 describes Rome's "mixed constitution," an idea later read closely by the American founders.

St. Helena

c. AD 248–330 Documented

Empress · SaintChurchArchitecture

Constantine's mother, remembered for her pilgrimage to the Holy Land and churches built there.

Connections

Written about by

Lactantius

c. AD 250–325 Documented

Writer · TeacherChurch

Christian teacher of rhetoric who lived through the Great Persecution and tutored Constantine's son.

Wrote

Licinius

c. AD 265–325 Documented

EmperorRome

Emperor in the East, Constantine's partner in the Edict of Milan and later his last rival.

Emperor, AD 308 – AD 324

Connections

Written about by

Constantine the Great

c. AD 272–337 Documented

Born around 272.

EmperorRomeChurchGovernmentArchitecture

The first Christian emperor, who legalized the Church and founded Constantinople.

Emperor, AD 306 – AD 337

Read the lesson →

Connections

  • rival of Maxentius. Defeated him at the Milvian Bridge, 312.
  • allied with Licinius. Agreed the Edict of Milan with him, 313.
  • rival of Licinius. Defeated him in 324.
  • killed Licinius. Had him executed in 325.
  • St. Helena parent of Constantine the Great
  • Licinius related to Constantine the Great. Brother-in-law. He married Constantine's half-sister Constantia.

Written about by

Maxentius

c. AD 278–312 Documented

EmperorRomeArchitecture

Ruled Rome itself until he drowned in the Tiber at the Milvian Bridge.

Emperor (in Rome), AD 306 – AD 312

Connections

Written about by

St. Augustine of Hippo

AD 354–430 Documented

Bishop · Saint · Doctor of the ChurchChurch

Bishop of Hippo, whose City of God answered pagans who blamed Christians for the sack of Rome.

Bishop of Hippo, AD 395 – AD 430

Wrote

Pope St. Leo the Great

c. AD 400–461 Documented

Born around 400; died 461.

Pope · Saint · Doctor of the ChurchChurch

Pope who called Peter and Paul Rome's true founders, in place of Romulus and Remus.

Pope, AD 440 – AD 461

Wrote