I. Skeleton of Roman History (traditional dates)
A. Regal Period: 753-509 BC
B. Republic: 509-31 BC
C. Principate: AD 27-284
D. Dominate: AD 284-476

II. The Roman Republic: Empire and Its Consequences
A. 509-350: Struggle for Survival in Latium and Etruria; Internal Crises (Struggle of the Orders: Patrician and Plebeian).
B. 350-300: Samnite Wars; Consolidation of Italian Confederacy (Roman flexibility and inclusion principle in dealing with defeated Italian states).
C. 264-241 and 218-202 BC: The Romano-Carthaginian Wars.
1. Roman undisputed Mediterranean superpower.
2. Social and Economic Crises resulting from Roman imperial success (mass
employment of slaves, huge disparity between rich and poor in Roman
society, creation of impoverished urban proletariat at Rome).
D. 200-150 BC: Rome conquers the Hellenistic Greek kingdoms.
E. 150-90 BC: Rise of publicani; Gracchi; Marius and the Warlord Phenomenon; Breakdown in Collegiality of the Senate.
F. 90-70 BC: Civil Wars and Proscriptions; Enfranchisement of Italians and Shrinking Tax Base; New Patronage and Enormous Expense of Political Careers; the Novus Homo (Cicero) and the Disgruntled Aristocrat (Catiline).