Octavius changes name to Augustus and names himself the first Emperor of Rome. He reduces the senate to a personal advice giving body and turns the other assemblies into a formality with no real power
Octavius (with support of the Senate) attacks Antony and defeats him in the Battle of Actium. (Antony escapes to Egypt and commits Suicide with his lover Cleopatra) Leaving Octavius with control over Rome in the east and west.
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus pool their collective resources to remove the leaders of the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar. Both Brutus and Cassius commit suicide after being defeated in battle.
Julius Caesar is assassinated by senators who see him as too powerful.
Caesar annexed new territory and puts down civil war to cement his rule. He then names himself dictator for ten years and later for life.
Caesar marches his personal legion into Italy and is declared a public enemy by the senate. Taking Rome by force, Pompey flees and is murdered in Egypt by the Plolemies before Caesar arrives.
After the death of Crassus the Triumvirate ends as Pompeys aligns himself with the now powerful senate. Civil war breaks out between supporters of Caesar and Pompey/Senate.
Caesar greatly expands Roman territory in Gaul. Due to these conquest he gains a personal loyal army as well as wealth and reputation.
Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar form a pact to help each other obtain political offices and provinces they desired.
Pompey returns to Rome with his victorious army to find the senate firmly in power after putting down an uprising by Catiline.
After defeating the slave revolt lead by Spartacus Crassus joins forces with Pompey. Together they force the senate to elect them consuls under threat of violence. Together they secure personal rule for themselves.
Former aid of Sulla fights a 6 year war ending with the assassination of Sertorius, defeating the popular party.
Pompey defeats the Mithradates and Mediterranean pirates and conquers new land for Rome.
Sulla marches on Rome and captures it installing himself as a dictator. He reorganizes government and brutally destroys his opponents. After three years he retires as dictator and gives power back to senate. He dies shortly after.
Sulla is elected consul and defeats Gaius Marius and the Populares. With Marius in exile Sulla takes power from the assembly and restores senatorial rule.
Sulla defeats the Mithradates and their Greek Allies and returns to Italy
Several Italian Cities rebel against Rome. Rebellion unites opposing political parties and the rebellion is defeated.
As consul Gaius pushes for land reforms and resorts to violence to achieve it. He fails and is driven out of office.
Marius is elected consul five times. Marius reforms military and wins fame on the battlefields in North Africa and against Germanic tribes in the north.
Brothers propose reforms helping veterans and the poor. Both use popular political issues to gain personal power and both are murdered for it.
Rome Destroys Carthage, eliminating its rival in the region. Takes full control over trade in the Mediterean
Hannibal meets Scipio before the battle with a last ditch effort for peace but soon realize the battle is inevitable. Just before the battle Masinissa returns with a large contingent of Numidian cavalry. The horsemen that had been paramount in Hannibal's victories in Italy now oppose him. When th battle began Hannibal sent his elephants at Scipio, but Scipio was ready for them and simply opened his line to let the beast pass to the rear where they were cut down and slaughtered. Next Hannibal set his army into three lines, one of Ligurians and Gauls, the second was the Carthaginian troops and last was Hannibal himself surrounded by his veterans of Italy. The first two lines were smashed by the Romans leaving only Hannibal and his veterans. The veterans fought fiercely but in the end Hannibals cavalry broke and he was surrounded by the legions and Numidian cavalry. Just like at Cannae there was a great slaughter only this time it was the Carthaginians encircled. Hannibal managed to escape but sent word to Carthage saying " We have lost more than a battle; we have lost the war."
Scipio meets the Carthaginians at the Battle of the Great Plains. The Romans are victorious in large part to Scipio's newly acquired Numidian horsemen. After Syphax (King of Numidia) is captured and sent to Rome in chains, Masinissa the now aligned with Rome Chieftain of Numidia ( Masinissa had fought the Romans in Spain) is made the client King of Numidia for Rome.
With the lost to Scipio, Carthage recalls Hannibal from Italy to defend Carthage itself. Hannibal reluctantly sails from Italy and arrives in a unfamiliar place, but a place that he has been fighting for for the majority of his life. His arrival in Africa is the first time since he was nine years old that he stands on African soil. He finds an untrained and unready Carthaginian army to face down the tough disciplined legions of Scipio.
Scipio lands his army in Africa some 30,000 strong. He begins by laying siege to Utica, during the siege his forces are surrounded by their African foes.
The young and successful Proconsul of Spain returns to Rome a hero ladened with Spanish treasure. The Senate goes on the name Scipio consul for the year. Scipio's African invasion plan is opposed by the Senate but they eventually relent on the terms that Scipio take no standing legions. Scipio then goes south to begin recruiting and drilling his new legions. He raises between 12,000 and 20,000 men to fill his African invasion force. Many of the recruits are disgraced exiled veterans of Cannae.
When the snows melt, Hasdrubal crosses the Alps through the same pass as his brother did a decade earlier. Consul Claudius Nero intercepts a letter to Hannibal detailing Hasdrubal's location and plan. Nero moves his army north to confront Hasdrubal. Hasdrubal is surprised by Nero and his host is destroyed and he is killed in the fighting.
The Consul, Marcellus follows Hannibal from port to port but when pressed Hannibal withdraws and refuses to give battle. Marcellus leading a small contingent of Romans in scouting Hannibal's position when they are surprised by Numidian cavalry. Marcellus known as the "sword of Rome" dies in the attack. So died the only man to have success against Hannibal in the field. Hannibal had Marcellus buried with honor, showing the great respect Hannibal had for the Consul.
Hasdrubal, Hannibal's brother and commander of the Carthaginian forces in Spain slips past Scipio. After the lost after the Battle of Baecula, the depleted Carthaginian army follows Hannibal's route to the Alps but choose to wait till spring to cross. Hasdrubal's departure leaves Scipio in complete control of Spain.
Scipio surprises the Carthaginians and conquers the base of Carthaginian power in Spain. Scipio and Rome now hold Hannibal's Spanish home city.
Fabius Maximus captures the seaport of Tarentum by treachery, in much thesame way Hannibal did in 212. The retaking of the city denies Hannibal a major seaport.
In two battles collectivly called the Battle of Upper Baetisa, the Roman army is defeated and both Scipio's are killed. The victory reopens the land route from Spain to Italy for the Carthaginians.
Young Publius Cornelius Scipio, nephew and son the the slain Scipio's in Spain is named Proconsul of Spain.The Senate sends him to succeed in securing the Iberian Peninsula where his uncle and father failed. Young Scipio reminds the Roman people that their true enemy is Carthage not Hannibal. Scipio is a very moving and inspiring leader and is rumored to have been fathered by Jupiter himself.
Romans lay siege to Capua, Hannibal attempts to lift the siege but finds the fortified Roman camp to strong. In attempt to draw away the besieging Romans, Hannibal marches on Rome itself. Fabius Maximus is correct in thinking that Hannibal is trying to draw the Romans from Capua and keeps the siege intact. Hannibal is seen near the gates of Rome but does not assualt, choosing instead to burn and pillage the country surrounding Rome. Shortly after Capua surrenders to Rome.
Hannibal attempts to take the city of Nola but is repelled by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. This defeat is the first time Hannibal suffers heavy casualties. More important than the actual victory was the moral victory, for the Romans for the first time defeated Hannibal.
After Nola, Marcellus is sent to command the attack and later siege of the new Carthaginian Ally of Syracuse. The attack on the city fails due to defensive machines designed by the renowned inventor and Mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse. Finally after to years the Romans capture the city by treachery, during the sack the great Archimedes is slain against direct orders from Marcellus. With the capture of Syracuse, Carthage is denied a foothold in Sicily. An ill fated Carthaginian army lands in Sicily after but is destroyed by plague.
Phillip's messenger is captured trying to return to Greece, a year passes before word from Hannibal reaches the Macedonian King. Roman allies keep Phillip occupied in Greece and he never is able to aid Hannibal.
The Roman army commanded by the brothers Scipio defeat the Carthaginaian force south of the Ebro river in Spain. After hearing the news of the defeat Carthage sends reinforcements meant for Hannibal to Spain.
Carthage attempts to invade the grain rich island of Sardinia off the Italian coast. After being blown off course by a storm they arrive to find the Romans ready and expecting them. The invasion is a complete failure.
On the plain of Cannae the Romans confronted Hannibal. The Roman forces numbered 86,000 and attacked in a powerful full frontal assault. Hannibal used a pincher move and drew the Roman center inward where his line moved into a "V" shape. As in earlier battles Hannibal's cavalry routed the Roman cavalry, then wheeling around attacked the Roman flank to completly encircle the legions. When the dust settled 50,000 Romans lay dead and 4,500 captured compared to only 5,710 Carthaginian casualties. Nearly all the Roman equites class perished along with 50 senators. Cannae would go down as perhaps Rome's worst defeat and Hannibal's greatest victory. And one of the greatest tactical victories in history.
Hannibal sends a messenger to Carthage carrying 6,000 gold rings taken off slain Roman nobles at Cannae. Carthage sends back only 4,000 cavalry and 40 elephants. As word spreads of Cannae Hannibal gains allies in Italy as well as the rich Greek city state of Syrac use and King Phillip V of Macedon. Hannibal then winters his army in the comfortable rich city of Capua.
With the victory at Trebia, Hannibal gained the allegiance of the Gauls in Northern Italy . These new alliances added between 9,000 and 14,000 new forces to his army. The Gauls impatiences forced Hannibal to move before he would have liked. He marched through the Apennines Mountains and through the swamps beyond. All but one of his war elephants would perishes in the cold. Hannibal himself was stricken with a head illness and lose sight in one eye.
Hannibal catches new consul Gaius Flaminius in a trap on the shores of Lake Trasimeno. Taking advantage of early morning fog, Hannibal routes the Roman Legions(Flaminius dies in the fighting). 15,000 Legionaries are taken prisoner, but Hannibal releases the captives of Roman allies claiming to "Wish war only on the city on the Tiber." Back on the march 2,000 Roman cavalry are also captured.
After the failures of the consuls to subdue Hannibal the Senate names Fabius Maximus Dictator.
The dictator Fabius shadows Hannibal as Hannibal burns and pillages Italy. Choosing not to attack Fabius earns the nickname "The Delayer" and loses his command and office when new consuls are chosen at the first of the year. In this time between Trasimeno and Cannae, Rome lands an army in Spain and assembles a new army some 86,000 strong in Italy to defeat Hannibal.
Learning Rome was planning to invade Afica, Hannibal decides to bring the fight to Italy itself. Hannibal's quick March to the Rhone RIver surprising Publius Cornelius Scipio. (Consul of Rome) Who is leading a force to invade Spain. Upon landing on the Rhone River he learns that the young Carthaginian General and his army are encamped up river. Hannibal declines to give battle, crosses the river (defeating hostile Gauls in the process) and marches north intent on crossing the formidable Alps into the Po River Valley.
Hannibal leading an army of 30,000 foot and 8,000 cavalry of many different ethnicity's, as well as 37 war elephants crosses the daunting peaks of the Alps. After fifteen days of extreme hardship Hannibal's host emerges into the Po River Valley in Cisalpine Gaul with the strength of 26,000 combined infantry and cavalry..
Arriving in the Po Valley Hannibal is not met with the support of the Gauls that he was expecting. He is met however by the Roman Legions led by Consul Scipio. In the first skirmish Hannibal's Numidian cavalry defeats their Roman counterparts and the legions retreat to camp without a major battle. (Scipio is injured) This is Hannibal's first chance to study the discipline of the Roman Legions.
Consul Scipio was wounded in the early skirmishes and his colleague Tiberius Sempronius Longus came north with an army to bind his strength to Scipio's and confront Hannibal. On a cold snowy day the two powers collided again. Hannibal had set the battlefield up to his advantage with the high ground, trenches, and a thousand of his best warrior hidden in a gully flanking the Romans. Longus was eager to do battle, with the elections for consul at the first of the year he planned to use his victory over Hannibal to gain re-election. ( A wounded Scipio was against the attack and didn't participate ) In the battle the superior Spanish and African cavalry (with elephants) routed the Roman cavalry and the legions were surrounded. Only the discipline and training of the legions allowed them to break free and retreat to Placentia.
Saguntum, a Greek trading port on the east coast of Spain under Roman protection is laid siege to and taken by Hannibal starting the 2nd Punic War. (Hannibalic War)
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