The Roman Republic was the period of ancient Roman history between the end of the monarchy and the establishment of the empire. According to tradition, it began in 509 BCE, when the last king Tarquinius Superbus was expelled, and power passed to two elected consuls, advised by the Senate. Over the next centuries Rome conquered Italy and then, after the Punic Wars against Carthage, took control of the Mediterranean. Rapid expansion caused social strains, and the reforms of the Gracchi brothers and rivalries between generals such as Marius and Sulla led to a series of civil wars. Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE, and his heir Octavian defeated Mark Antony at Actium in 31 BCE. In 27 BCE the Senate gave him the title Augustus, marking the start of the empire.
Before and after
- from 525 BCE to 404 BCETwenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt
- c. 520 BCECarving of the Behistun inscription
- from c. 510 BCE to 323 BCEClassical Greece
- c. 510 BCEThe Roman Republic is founded
- from 509 BCE to 27 BCERoman Republic
- 509 BCEOrigins of Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
- c. 509 BCECleisthenes lays the foundations of Athenian democracy
- 6th century BCEConstruction of Parthenon
- c. 500s BCEOrigins of Delhi
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- c. 1,274 BCEConstruction of Abu Simbel
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- from 351 BCE to 1494Construction of Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- 248 BCEConstruction of Terracotta Army
- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 6th century BCE.