Here is a map of the Roman far east. Because I was free handing it, the provincial borders are not as exact as they could be, but I tried my best. Also note that I did not draw the borders for the provinces in Germania as I have already posted that in detail further back in the thread. The light purple are areas that are organized into provinces. The dark purple are areas that are not as of 732 AUC (unless I made a mistake) organized into provinces. The light blue color are protectorates: Boiohemia, Noricum, Getae, Galatia, Pontus, Cappadocia, Judea, Characene, and Gedrosia. Also note that the provinces in the far east will eventually be split into smaller entities since some of them are rather large.
A Much Larger Rome that Survives until the Present Day Version 2.0
- Thread starter ericams2786
- Start date
Oh you're right. Yes, Galatia is a province, sorry about that.
And by the way, if anyone notices any problems with continuity in the TL, please let me know so that I can fix it ASAP. Thanks!
Here's the same map I posted earlier, but I fixed Galatia. I also added the other countries/civs around Rome.
733 AUC (20 BCE):
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the construction of a grand temple in honor of his father, the Julium, situated on the south end of the Forum Julium. Ptolemy officially modifies his father’s Edictum Munimentum by declaring the Edictum Munimentum Ptolemium, which makes Roman border defenses much more fluid, yet introduces for the first time the first official Roman recognition of the need for a tangible border. Though his father’s edict dictated border defenses and expressed the need for natural borders, it is Ptolemy’s edict that called for permanent borders (capable of course of being expanded in a systematic way) and several lines of defense (using natural barriers behind the official borders). The entire point of this edict was to ensure that all Roman borders had several points of defense behind them, making strategic withdrawals in the face of an enemy breach of the main border possible. This edict also called for the systematic and careful expansion of the “permanent” border by codifying how defenses should be constructed at future borders to augment the defenses already present at the current borders. Ptolemy’s wife gives birth to a second daughter, Cleopatra Julia Ptolemia. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas dies and Octavian is elected as life-long Consul of the Senate. Several colonies announced nearly a decade ago by Caesar are nearing completion, with several in Germania, Gaul, and Britannia complete by this year. The Via Julia reaches Olissipo in Hispania, marking the end of its construction. Julius Caesar’s former slave and influential political theorist, Eupiphenese, dies at the age of 68. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year. Pannonia and Moesia become senatorial provinces. Titus Meridius is appointed Proconsul of Pannonia and Spurius Amatius Paterculus is appointed Proconsul of Moesia by the Senate. The Senate now has 65 members.
Military: Pollio continues to construct border defenses and a road along the River Indus.
Literature, Art, and Science: Ovidius completes the first edition of the Verborum Latium, a comprehensive Latin dictionary and literary history text.
Foreign: In Arabia, the Shebans declare war on Hadramaut, hoping to expand eastward. The Mathuran Empire officially establishes peaceful contact with Han China. A civil war in Mauretania forces Ptolemy Caesar to send several legions to the area and place the Roman-educated (and friend of both Octavian and Ptolemy) Juba II as King of Mauretania, assuring its continued alliance with Rome and its status as a Roman client state.
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the construction of a grand temple in honor of his father, the Julium, situated on the south end of the Forum Julium. Ptolemy officially modifies his father’s Edictum Munimentum by declaring the Edictum Munimentum Ptolemium, which makes Roman border defenses much more fluid, yet introduces for the first time the first official Roman recognition of the need for a tangible border. Though his father’s edict dictated border defenses and expressed the need for natural borders, it is Ptolemy’s edict that called for permanent borders (capable of course of being expanded in a systematic way) and several lines of defense (using natural barriers behind the official borders). The entire point of this edict was to ensure that all Roman borders had several points of defense behind them, making strategic withdrawals in the face of an enemy breach of the main border possible. This edict also called for the systematic and careful expansion of the “permanent” border by codifying how defenses should be constructed at future borders to augment the defenses already present at the current borders. Ptolemy’s wife gives birth to a second daughter, Cleopatra Julia Ptolemia. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas dies and Octavian is elected as life-long Consul of the Senate. Several colonies announced nearly a decade ago by Caesar are nearing completion, with several in Germania, Gaul, and Britannia complete by this year. The Via Julia reaches Olissipo in Hispania, marking the end of its construction. Julius Caesar’s former slave and influential political theorist, Eupiphenese, dies at the age of 68. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year. Pannonia and Moesia become senatorial provinces. Titus Meridius is appointed Proconsul of Pannonia and Spurius Amatius Paterculus is appointed Proconsul of Moesia by the Senate. The Senate now has 65 members.
Military: Pollio continues to construct border defenses and a road along the River Indus.
Literature, Art, and Science: Ovidius completes the first edition of the Verborum Latium, a comprehensive Latin dictionary and literary history text.
Foreign: In Arabia, the Shebans declare war on Hadramaut, hoping to expand eastward. The Mathuran Empire officially establishes peaceful contact with Han China. A civil war in Mauretania forces Ptolemy Caesar to send several legions to the area and place the Roman-educated (and friend of both Octavian and Ptolemy) Juba II as King of Mauretania, assuring its continued alliance with Rome and its status as a Roman client state.
What can I say? That map not only is very plausible, it captures the majesty and power of a very plausible Super-Rome.
I wonder how the personal relations of Octavian and Ceasarion are? Given how quick Octavian was to dispose of his rival ("too many Caesars is not good") OTL, I can't help but marvel at the amiable division of power between the two. To what do you accredit this partnership, the success of the Julian constitutional system? Or are there hidden tensions under the scenes, just waiting to burst?
Also, since you haven't mentioned her death I presume Cleopatra is still alive. She must be quite powerful -sort of a benign Livia, an eminence grise surrounding her sons reign. Come to think of it, Livia must HATE her! I like very much how you've successfully integrated Egypt into Roman societ, and vice versa, far earlier and more effectively than OTL. I can't help but wonder if this will lead to a more powerful Isis cult though, and that could be problematic.
I wonder how the personal relations of Octavian and Ceasarion are? Given how quick Octavian was to dispose of his rival ("too many Caesars is not good") OTL, I can't help but marvel at the amiable division of power between the two. To what do you accredit this partnership, the success of the Julian constitutional system? Or are there hidden tensions under the scenes, just waiting to burst?
Also, since you haven't mentioned her death I presume Cleopatra is still alive. She must be quite powerful -sort of a benign Livia, an eminence grise surrounding her sons reign. Come to think of it, Livia must HATE her! I like very much how you've successfully integrated Egypt into Roman societ, and vice versa, far earlier and more effectively than OTL. I can't help but wonder if this will lead to a more powerful Isis cult though, and that could be problematic.
Relations between Octavius and Ptolemy are actually quite good at this point since Ptolemy was the successor by law to Caesar's position and Octavius already holds a large amount of clout and power in the new government. Octavius just doesn't have the same mindset as in OTL because he never is named Caesar's successor. Because of this, and the fact that he largely helps raise Ptolemy due to his father's absence, the two get along very well.
Cleopatra is still alive and yes she is quite powerful behind the scenes and by this time actually quite popular despite being foreign. Her and Ptolemy have a strong relationship due to the absence of Caesar for most of his childhood.
Glad you liked my map! Thanks for the comments!
Eurofed
Banned
To build upon the points that ericams makes, I'll remark that Octavius ITTL would be thoroughly in awe of Caesar and would not think of threatening his blood heir and chosen successor. Moreover, he already enjoys a very large degree of power and influence in the imperial ruling elite anyway. It seems that ITTL he plays the role that Agrippa did under him IOTL. Even more so if he helped raise Ptolemy and hence sees him as a foster son of sorts.
Here's a map of the city of Rome (well mostly just the new buildings mentioned in this TL) roughly 732 AUC or so.
Legend:
Purple outline: Forum Julium
Red: Curius Senatus
Orange:Delubrum Martius Grandis
Yellow: Bibliotheca Magna Roma
Blue in middle of Forum Julium: statue of Caesar
Light blue circle: Colosseum
Brown: Temple to Neptune
Bright Green: Religium
Dark Green line: Aqua Caesaria
I apologize for the poor quality in advance.
Legend:
Purple outline: Forum Julium
Red: Curius Senatus
Orange:Delubrum Martius Grandis
Yellow: Bibliotheca Magna Roma
Blue in middle of Forum Julium: statue of Caesar
Light blue circle: Colosseum
Brown: Temple to Neptune
Bright Green: Religium
Dark Green line: Aqua Caesaria
I apologize for the poor quality in advance.
I guess I can see it... after all, in their youth, Agrippa was seen as the more assertive of the two friends, and he ended up being a loyal second, as you say. However, this caveat: as long as Octavian is married to and dominated by Livia Drusilla, he will seek power.. or rather, she will through him. No one will be safe from her daggers and poisons, least of all Ceasarion or Cleopatra.
Maybe Caesar or Cleopatra recognized her treachery and forced Octavian to set her aside? Or has Octavian even married her? Maybe he stayed with Clodia Pulchra, thus keeping strong ties to Antonius (who, after all, he got on well with for a time OTL).
Also, what tribes abut Roman Germania east of the Vistula? Are there still Goths and Vandals in that land? Sarmatians? Or Sclavenoi, proto-Finns, or proto-Balts? OTL Maps of the region in that era aren't that great, unsurprisingly, since the peoples were fairly primitive and it's pretty far behind Rome's OTL frontier, but I'd appreciate your take on it.
Forum Julii
Curia Senatus
Thermae (Ablutiones, if you prefer) Majores Martis
Bibliotheca Magna Urbis
Amphiteatrum Flavium
Aqua Iulia
What is it supposed to be? the Pantheon? the Templum Iovis Optimi Maximi?
I did have Octavius marry Livia Drusilla in this TL, but honestly I just never gave her much thought. Perhaps I can have him divorce her at some point.
Not sure about which tribes live east of Rome in Sarmatia, but here is the map I use to help me with this TL:
http://www.worldhistorymaps.info/images/East-Hem_001ad.jpg
I will eventually fill in the details concerning those tribes that live east of Rome in this TL and I'm thinking Aesti, Finnish tribes, Venedae, and the Navari are a good place to start, plus I'll probably make up some tribe names later on since there isn't a lot of information for northern/eastern Europe at this time.
Not all of the buildings/structures are the same as in OTL, so they aren't going to have the same name. Now granted I probably messed up on putting the Latin together, but some of these buildings are not going to have the names you mentioned. The Forum Julium will retain the name I've given it because as far as I know that's the name of Caesar's forum in OTL and I'm referring to the same one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Julium
Curius Senatus is probably not good Latin, however the building in this TL is not OTL's Curia Julia. Not really sure on the Latin, so you are probably right about the name.
I'm keeping the name of the Great Library of Rome the same, once again not sure on my Latin.
The Colosseum would not be called the Amphitheatrum Flavium in this TL, since it is Caesar who commissions it's construction not Vespasian and Vespasian will not even appear in this TL. I chose Colosseum for the name because I like it, though a more appropriate name would probably be Amphitheatrum Caesarium or something like that.
The Aqua Caesaria in this TL is not OTL's Aqua Iulia.
The Religium is a completely made up building that I have commissioned by Octavius to serve as a precursor to the Pantheon where all of the pagan gods of Rome and those accepted foreign pagan gods are worshipped.
Here is the TL again from the beginning with a few fixes and a few new events added. I also added the year 734 to this update. As I said before, please feel free to shoot me ideas or let me know of problems with continuity in the TL. Thanks!
709 AUC (44 BCE):
Domestic (D): As Julius Caesar leaves for a Senate meeting in Rome on the Ides of March, Marc Antony and Marcus Junius Brutus intercept him (after Tillius Cimber tells Antony of the plot on Caesar’s life) and divulge the details of a planned assassination by a group of senators called the Liberatores. Antony and Brutus’ timely intervention leads to Caesar’s famous speech, the Adfatus in the Forum Julium in which he publically exposes the plot and ridicules those involved. The prompt (yet lenient) prosecution of most of the conspirators takes place over the remainder of the year, with the notable exception of Quintus Ligarius. Caesar reorganizes the Republic during the Transistus Magnus (Great Transition), creating the Senatus Novus (New Senate) and calling for a new code of law or all encompassing Corpus Juris Civilis to replace the Twelve Tablets, the Lex Magnus (Great Law). Octavian is appointed the leader of the New Senate and the body votes to bestow the title Imperator Perpetuus on Julius Caesar. In addition, Caesar appoints Octavian Imperator Interrex. Caesar gets his succession law, the lex Successionis, passed in the Senate, officially naming his son by Cleopatra, Ptolemy XV Caesar as his heir. Caesar divorces his wife Calpurnia and, after changing the marriage laws with his leges Juliae, weds Cleopatra. The first portion of the Lex Magnus (taking into account many of the ideas of Caesar’s slave Eupiphenese), the lex Senatus is passed in November.
Military (M): Also in November, Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony leave Rome for Pella in Macedonia to prepare for Caesar’s future invasion of Thrace, Moesia, Dalmatia, and Pannonia. While in Pella, Caesar hears news of Ptolemy XIV’s treachery in Egypt and he sets sail for the ancient kingdom in December. The Battle of Pelusium Harbor ends in a Roman victory late in December.
Literature, Art, and Science (LAS): Julius Caesar begins work on his Commentarii de Bello Aegyptico. Cicero, showing his appreciation for the general’s pardon after the Caesarian Civil War and for his careful restructuring of Roman law, gives a speech in the New Senate praising Caesar’s accomplishments in September and begins drafting a letter to Caesar, most often referred to as the Efflagitatus Recursus Respublicus (An Urgent Plea for the Return of the Republic) in a desperate attempt to get the dictator to restore at least some semblance of the Old Republic under his rule.
Foreign (F): Antipater the Idumaean, father of Herod the Great of Judaea dies. Comosicus succeeds Burebista as the king of Dacia.
710 AUC (43 BCE):
Domestic: Julius Caesar is proclaimed Pharaoh in Egypt and he appoints Pharxes Kahotep as Egypt’s first Praetor. Caesar sends word to Octavian via letter to officially free his slave, Eupiphenese from his servitude, conferring upon him complete citizenship for informing him before anyone else of the plot against his life. Octavian commissions the completion of the Forum Julium, including the new house of the Senate on the west end of the forum, the Curius Senatus. The Senate officially reorganizes itself completely, becoming the Imperial Senate in February, with Cicero becoming the first Princeps Senatus of the new Senate and Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus being elected life-long Consul of the Senate. Octavian appoints the first senators in the new Senate (and makes sure they agree with Caesar’s policies) rather than being elected by the citizens of the provinces (as they will after the establishment of the lex Provincii). Octavian himself remains a senator, heading the civil law committee. The Senate begins work on the lex Imperius, which deals primarily with the position of the Emperor and the functioning of the imperial government. The last trial of the conspirators is held in June, with the lenient sentencing of both Brutus and Cassius. Lugdunum is founded in Gaul. The great Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) is born. Caesar begins construction of Castrum Thracia, a future imperial prison.
Military: Both the Battle of Memphis and the Battle of Alexandria are won by Julius Caesar, thus completing his conquest of Egypt. Caesar returns to Pella and begins his invasion of Thrace in May, culminating in the Battle of Vordium (R), the Battle of Dordivium (R), and the Battle of the Plotin Plains (R). Other minor battles occur, but ultimately Antony and Caesar conquer Thrace and Moesia throughout the year.
Battles:
Battle of Mount Geru (I)
Battle of Plotinopolis (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Caesar drafts his response to Cicero’s letter, most commonly referred to by scholars as the Arcula (the Argument or Response), praising the senator for his love and concern for the Republic and making a sound logical argument for the changes he and his followers are bringing to the Roman world by showing how the old order was chaotic and flawed.
Foriegn: In India, Nagasena creates the Emerald Buddha, an important factor in the spread of Buddhism throughout the Roman Empire centuries later. Princess Iotapa of Media is born. The Catuvellauni in Britain break their tribute treaty with Rome and expel the Roman diplomat Popius from their capital.
711 AUC (42 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian manages to pass a land redistribution bill in the Senate called II lex Agraria, which sets an absolute cap on the area of land that a single citizen could own, twenty iugeri (80 acres). Caesar appoints Lucius Cornelius Balbus Praetor of Thrace. Cleopatra begins reading Caesar’s commentaries to the Senate and to large crowds of people in Rome. Her reading of the commentaries and her speeches of Caesar’s greatness not only increase Caesar’s popularity, but also her own. The Roman people begin seeing Cleopatra as an adopted Roman rather than a foreign queen as in years past. Pollio establishes the Roman fort, Londinium in Britain.
Military: Caesar recalls Gauis Asinius Pollio from his campaign in Spain and in March, Pollio lands in Britain and begins his campaign to conquer the island. The battles of Durovernum (R), the River Tamesis (R), Verulamium (R), Sorbindunum (R), and Segontium (R) officially mark Pollio’s conquest of southern Britain. Late in the year Pollio invades Caledonia, loosing the Battle of Luguvallium, but winning at Brocavum in the process. Caesar continues his conquest of Moesia, Dalmatia, and Pannonia throughout the entire year and meets Duritista, the Dacian diplomat for the first time. A small revolt, lead by a devoted follower of the late Ptolemy XIV at Memphis in Egypt is defeated by Pharxes in April.
Literature, Art, and Science: Caesar completes his Commentarii de Bello Thracico in which he greatly exaggerates the Roman victory at Vordium. He does this largely to increase his popularity and support among the Roman people just as he did years ago during his wars in Gaul.
Foreign: Queen Anula of Ceylonia dies.
712 AUC (41 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian introduces a bill into the Senate called the lex Epistulus Equinus, which establishes a mail system throughout the Empire starting at Rome and radiating along Rome’s roads to the rest of the empire. The mail system consists of stations approximately 100 miles apart along the roads and one mail runner and horse per station to carry letters and messages from one part of the empire to the next; this is primarily done so that Octavian can communicate better with Caesar. The Senate passes the lex Imperius. The Senate also begins working on the appendix to the, Corpus Juris Civilis (Lex Magnus), the Codex Juris Civilis, a document that would officially replace the common law of the Twelve Tables upon its completion in 716 AUC. The lex Imperius is passed by the Senate. Both Octavian and Eupiphenes begin tutoring Caesarion and teach him how to effectively run the Republic. Lucius Antonius (Marc Antony’s brother) becomes the Praetor of Britannia and Caledonia (though later the island would be split into two provinces). Pollio establishes Campus Caledonia in Caledonia. Arsinoe IV, sister of Cleopatra, renounces all claims to the Egyptian throne from her sanctuary in Ephesus and moves to Rome, becoming an extremely influential and rich woman in the process. Her success is so profound that the birth of her son Decimus Auletius Calidus several years later, is considered the beginning of a new gens in Roman society (the first of many with the expansion of the Republic under Caesar), the Auleti (named after Arsinoe’s father, Ptolemy XII Auletes)
Military: Duritista meets with Julius Caesar for the second time in June after the massive Battle of Carnuntum (R) in which the Pannonian tribal alliance leader, Paeleus of Sirmium is killed, effectively ending major resistance to Julius Caesar’s conquest of Pannonia and Moesia. Caesar and Antony continue to campaign along the Ister and in eastern Moesia and continue to build roads throughout the conquered territories while campaigning. Pollio continues his conquest of Britannia, finally conquering the island after the infamous Battle of Vuvidenum (R). Pollio begins making plans to invade Hibernia before returning to Gaul upon order of Julius Caesar to raise an army for a future campaign in Germania. According to legend, when told by Caesar’s messenger to return to Gaul immediately and prepare for war with Germania, Pollio became so angry that he nearly killed Caesar’s messenger where he stood by shooting an arrow around his head (if the arrow had hit him, then it would have been a bad omen for him to leave Britain, if not he should leave) for even suggesting he leave behind his dreams of conquering Hibernia. Many historians doubt this story however, as nothing in the historical record indicates that Pollio would blatantly disregard an order of Julius Caesar. Regardless, the phrase "ad exspecto arbitratus sagitta" or "to await the arrow’s decision" is still a familiar saying within modern Roman popular culture, and generally applies to someone making a difficult decision, often associated with marriage.
Literature, Art, and Science: Roman sculptor Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus begins a grand statue of Julius Caesar; a statue that to this day stands in the center of the Forum Julium.
713 AUC (40 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian commissions the first mail station in Rome in January, quickly followed by stations along the Via Appia throughout the remainder of the year. The Senate begins its monumental work on the restructuring of the provinces, the lex Provincii. The Roman Senate votes Herod as the “King of Judea” and promises support in ousting the Parthians from Judea. Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus is appointed Praetor of Moesia. Publius Servilius Casca is appointed Praetor of Pannonia.
Military: The Parthian king, Phraates IV , upon seeing a distracted Rome in Dacia, invades Judea and helps Antigonus the Hasmonean exile the Roman-supported ruler of Judea, Hyrcanus II, to Babylon. The Parthians capture Jerusalem after a tremendous battle with Hyrcanus’ forces and Herod flees to Rome where he pleads with the Senate to overthrow Antigonus. Caesar and Antony begin the invasion of Dacia by crossing the River Ister. Pollio returns to Gaul.
Battles:
First Battle of the Ister (R)
Battle of Contra Margum (E)
Battle of Mount Blanae (E)
Second Battle of the Ister (R)
Battle of Drobeta (R)
Battle of Burridava (R)
Battle of Mount Janae (R)
Battle of Cerci (R)
Battle of Stenae (R)
Battle of Ghormium (I)
Battle of Borcu (I)
Second Battle of Borcu (E)
Battle of Sarmizegethusa (R)
First Battle of Blandiana (R)
Battle of Zermizurga (E)
Second Battle of Blandiana (R)
Battle of Norvodava (R)
Battle of Tibiscus (R)
Battle of Jerusalem (E)
Foreign: The Ji Jiu Pian dictionary is published in China.
714 AUC (39 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate passes a measure (the lex Via Appia) extending the Via Appia north from Rome to the city of Florentia, where it then will eventually split further north and end at both Ravenna and Placentia. Arsinoe IV marries Tiberius Calidus in March. The Senate moves into the now completed first section of the Curius Senatus, the Conloquium, where Senate debate and the passing of legislation occur. Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor dies, leaving Octavian's sister, Octavia Minor, widowed. Her daughter, the future first wife of Ptolemy Caesar, Claudia Marcella, is born. A small slave revolt in Arretium, lead by the slave Virtrumus of Zela, is defeated by Marcus Vispanius Agrippa before he leaves in June for Egypt to confront the Parthians in Judea. Gaius Vibius Pansa is made Praetor of Dacia after its conquest and begins work on the Via Pansa. The Pact of Misenum is signed in October between the Senate and Sextus Pompeius, largely to assure Rome’s grain supply until Octavian can muster enough strength to invade Sicily. Caeso Geminius Laterensis, a strong ally of Caesar during the Civil War, becomes Praetor of Iazyga.
Military: Agrippa lands in Egypt, and in conjunction with Pharxes Kahotep and Cleopatra, begins a campaign north to confront the Parthian general Orodoaces in Judea. The Roman campaign in Dacia continues, as Caesar, Antony, and the Getae alliance chase the Dacian king Comosicus into northern Dacia. Caesar invades the lands of the Iazyges tribe, conquering them by late September. Caesar then quarters his army in Noricum in preparation for his invasion of Germania in December. Caesar invades Germania in December. Pollio invades Germania from Gaul, capturing the Usipete capital, Caeduum before the end of the year. Sextus Pompeius, from his rebel base in Sicily, invades and conquers Sardinia, leading to a temporary truce signed at Misenum later in the year between Republican forces and those of the remaining optimates.
Battles:
Battle of Napoca (R)
Battle of Hotovum (R)
Battle of Jiadava (R)
Battle of Trius (R)
Battle of Medoslanium (R)
Battle of Cagliari (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero begins writing his great dissertation on the Lex Magnus and the New Senate, the Nova Respublica. Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus finishes his statue of Julius Caesar and it is erected in the center of the Forum Julium. Caesar begins writing his commentary on the war in Germania, the Commentarii de Bello Germanico.
715 AUC (38 BCE):
Domestic: Arsinoe IV gives birth to Decimus Auletius Calidus. Octavian orders the general Spurius Duilius Aquilinus to invade Sardinia and recapture the island from Sextus Pompieus’ forces. A senator from Neapolis by the name of Vibius Arrius Brocchus proposes a bill into the senate to write off all of the debt incurred during the Caesarian Civil War of all of the plebeians in the city of Rome. The measure is voted on, but narrowly fails to reach a majority. Brocchus, Octavian, and other powerful senators continue to look for a way to help the ailing economy by canceling more of the public’s debt. Herod I is proclaimed the king of Judea. Agrippa returns to Rome where he begins building an army and navy for the eventual overthrow of Sextus Pompieus in Sicily. Lucius Volusius Saturninus, Roman statesmen, is born. Marc Antony begins work on the Via Antonia in eastern Germania along the Vistula. Antony establishes Antonia Naharvalia in eastern Germania, a command center along the border that will eventually become the modern city of Naharva.
Military: Agrippa campaigns against Orodoaces in Judea, finally expelling the Parthians from the Roman client state in August after the Battle of Gamala (R). Both Orodoaces and the Parthian king Orodes II die during the campaign and his general Pacorus takes over command of Parthian forces, invading Roman Syria shortly after. Phraates IV becomes the king of Parthia. Antony invades Germania in January, campaigning along the River Vistula and building forts and roads to secure the Republic’s eastern border. Caesar and Pollio continue their conquest of western and central Germania. Pollio meets stiff resistance from a Cherusci chief named Usivius Belicus, who along with the Langobardi and Chatti (and two minor tribes) form the First Germanic Coalition to resist Roman conquest in northern Germania. He then campaigns against the Chatti chief, Veruenos after he invades previously subdued lands in the west of Germania. Pollio manages to quickly conquer the Chatti and much of northern-central Germania by year’s end. Caesar campaigns against the Juthungi king Hydosius and is defeated horribly at Eburodunum, only to avenge his defeat at Stragona months later before campaigning against King Iulopius of the Marcomanni and the First Hermiones Coalition (consisting of the Marcomanni, several tribes of both the Suebi and the Quadi, the Burgundiones, and the Gothini). Caesar then campaigns into Marcomanni lands, defeating Iulopius at Coridorgis and completing the conquest of the Marcomanni upon the defeat of Iulopius’ son Valitinius after allying with the Boiehemum. He continues to campaign relatively unopposed throughout the remainder of the year, subduing the Silingi before the onset of winter. Spurius Duilius Aquilinus invades Sardinia, but is repulsed by Sextus Pompieus’ forces under the command of Marcus Gratius Caninus at the Battle of Portus Torres.
Battles:
Battle of Samaria (R)
Battle of Murutium (R)
Battle of Bogadium (R)
First Battle of Mediolanium (R)
Battle of the River Vidrus (E)
Second Battle of Mediolanium (R)
Battle of Teuderium (R)
Battle of Phabiranum (R)
First Battle of Alisum (E)
Battle of Manarmanis (R)
Battle of Luppia (R)
Second Battle of Alisum (R)
Battle of Arctaurum (R)
Battle of Eburodunum (E)
First Battle of Medioslanium (R)
Second Battle of Medioslanium (I)
Battle of Trevorium (R)
Battle of Felicia (R)
Battle of Hegetinatia (I)
Battle of Stragona (R)
Battle of Hercynii Pass at Hystus (R)
Battle of Coridorgis (R)
Battle of Rhedintovinum (I)
Battle of Marobuduin (R)
Battle of the River Albis (R)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XXII (E)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XXI (E)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XX (R)
Battle of Gertodunum (R)
Battle of Festadava (R)
Battle of Portus Torres (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero completes his Nova Respublica.
Foreign: The megalomaniac son of King Iulopius of the Marcomanni, Valitinius, deposes his father, becoming king of the Marcomanni and leader of the First Hermiones Coalition. The German historian Agathe of Rhedintovinum travels with Valitinius and begins writing his history on the warlord.
716 AUC: (37 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate completes the new Codex Juris Civilis, completely replacing the old Twelve Tables. The Via Appia reaches Placentia and all of the mail stations along the road are completed by November. The Pact of Pisae, a formal declaration of peace, is signed between the Republic and the forces of Sextus Pompieus, heralding the founding of the short-lived Pompeian Empire of Sicily and Sardinia. The west wing of the Curius Senatus (Senator housing) is completed. Octavian divorces his second wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla. Octavian founds Portus Julius in Italy as a naval base to aid in the eventual re-conquest of Sicily and Sardinia. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year.
Military: Pharxes and Agrippa defeat Pacorus at the Battle of Damascus in Syria, forcing the Parthians to retreat from Roman territory. In October, a truce is signed between the Republic and Parthia. Caesar, Antony, and Pollio continue their campaign to subdue Germania.
Battles:
Battle of Trevorii (R)
First Battle of Virunum (E)
Second Battle of Virunum (R)
Battle of Trevorodunum (R)
Battle of Bunitium (E)
Battle of Susudata (R)
Battle of the Jadua Flow (R)
Battle of Calisia Heights (R)
Battle of Calisia (R)
First Battle of Rhedintovinum (I)
Second Battle of Rhedintovinum (R)
Battle of Mount Faestus (R)
Battle of the Lupos Valley (R)
Second Battle of Hercynii Pass at Asus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Tobias of Halicarnassus begins writing his chronology of Marc Antony’s conquests. Livy begins his monumental biography of Julius Caesar, Caesar Divus.
Foreign: The Chinese mathematician and music theorist, Jing Fang dies. The kingdom of Goguryeo in Korea is founded by Dongmyeong.
717 AUC (36 BCE):
Domestic: The Via Appia reaches Ravenna. The Senate votes to commission the Via Julia, a road that will eventually run throughout Gaul and Spain and the Via Octavia, a road that will run north to Germania, east to Dacia, and south to Greece and Byzantium. The east wing of the Curius Senatus (Senatorial archives) is completed. Agrippa’s daughter, Vipsania Agrippina, is born. Octavian’s daughter Julia Octaviana is born. Octavian begins working in collaboration with the Senate on Caesar’s massive tax reform plan. Antony builds a fort on the island of Rugia in northern Germania where he begins his naval raids of the northern coast of Germania.
Military: Caesar, Pollio, and Antony continue their campaigns in Germania. Agrippa begins a massive military buildup, including a large naval fleet, at the now complete Portus Julius. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus is sent to Hispania by Octavian to complete the conquest of northern and western Spain. Sextus Pompieus’ general Marcus Gratius Caninus breaks the Pact of Pisae and quickly conquers Corsica. Shortly after his conquest of Corsica, Caninus invades Hispania at Carthago Nova. Lepidus diverts his forces from northwest Hispania to southern Hispania in an attempt to stop Caninus’ forces. Lepidus fights Caninus to a stalemate at the Battle of Aspis, forcing Caninus to end his invasion of Hispania at the River Tader. Antony captures the German warlord and future censor of Tarentum, Ivo the Goth.
Battles:
Battle of Meliboeus (R)
Battle of Nerterea Forest (I)
First-Third battles of Tropea Drusi (R) (E) (R)
Battle of Lake Semnon (I)
Battle of Lake Duronus (E)
Battle of Armisia (R)
Battle of Tulisurgium (R)
Battle of Belonium (R)
Battle of Suedatium (R)
Battle of Murra (R)
Battle of Tarodunum (R)
First and Second Battles of Scurgum (R)
Battle of Venedic Bay (R)
Battle of Rugium (I)
Battle of Chalsus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero writes De Octavium (On Octavian), an oration on the effective governance of the Republic under Octavian’s stead during Caesar’s absence. Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus begins sculpting a relief on the front of the Curius Senatus depicting Cicero giving an oration to a full room of Senators. The relief reads: “Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus” or “We are slaves of laws so that we can be free”, a famous quote from Cicero.
Foreign: In China, a Han Dynasty army under the command of General Chen Tang defeats the leader of the Xiongnu leader, Zhizhi Chanyu in the Battle of Zhizhi, leading to a peace treaty between the Han and the Xiongnu that will last for only ten years. In an interesting side note, archaeologists believe that some of the Xiongnu forces killed at Fort Zhizhi may have actually been Roman war prisoners, sold to the Xiongnu as mercenaries by Phraates IV of the Parthian Empire.
718 AUC (35 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian and the Senate finally hammer out the details of a tax reform law and the lex Tributum is passed in June, effectively ending the traditional practice of tax farming in favor of salaried civil service tax collectors or exactori (a new Republican office). The reform law also ended the traditional tribute-style tax levied on the provinces in favor of a flat direct tax on the provinces. The city of Rome (and later province of Latium) was spared direct taxation, but was taxed indirectly through purchased goods, buying and selling of slaves, and estate and property taxes. The Via Pansa is completed in Dacia in August and runs in the south from the southern border of Getae to the northern border of Dacia and the western border with Iazyga. Antony builds Castrum Cimbrium on the Cimbrian peninsula. Pharxes begins building a massive army in Egypt in preparation for Caesar’s future war against Parthia. Marcus Annaeus Caepio becomes the new Praetor of Illyricum. Numerius Fabius Nerva is appointed by Octavian as the new Praetor of recently conquered Sicily.
Military: The Roman campaign in Germania continues. The war against the Pompeian Empire bogs down in Hispania, with Lepidus loosing several battles against Caninus. Agrippa defeats Pompeian naval forces at the Battle of Naulochus Cape, allowing Agrippa to land his forces on the western coast of Sicily. In June, Agrippa defeats the remainder of Sextus’ forces at Messana and prepares his fleet for an invasion of Hispania. Octavian sends Lucius Sempronius Flaccus to quell a rebellion in Illyricum. By the end of the year, the rebellion is defeated and ten years of probationary military rule begins in Illyricum.
Battles:
Battle of Lupphurdum (R)
Fourth Battle of Tropea Drusi (R)
Battle of Tuliphurdum (R)
Battle of Ascalingium (R)
Battle of Pheugarum (R)
Battle of Aq Mattiacae (I)
Battle of Arctaurum (R)
Battle of Alanium Plains (I)
Battle of Gypasian Pass (E)
Battle of Sinus Lagnus (E)
Battle of the River Anglus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Bibaculus completes his relief above the entrance to the Curius Senatus. Cicero writes De Senatus (On the Senate), in which he describes the functioning of the new Senate during this time. Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) writes his Satirae I.
Foreign: Sextus Pompeius dies in combat at Messina. With Rome distracted, the Parthian king Phraates IV, begins a campaign to subjugate the tribes to the southwest and northeast of his eastern border. The Roman Republic and the Persian Empire sign a peace treaty in April, mostly due to the distraction and upheaval in Rome and Phraates IV’s war of conquest on his eastern border. He begins by attacking Bactria in the northeast, taking the city of Bactria in August and ousting the king of the small kingdom, Rhadapdizes. Rhadapdizes flees north to Sogdiana with his son, Sapabdizes.
719 AUC (34 BCE):
Domestic: The lex Provincii passes the Senate and the Senate appoints two Senators for each of the sixteen provinces (senatorial) of the Republic (Sicily, Illyricum, and Sardinia and Corsica, just recently re-conquered, are military provinces). Thrace, Dacia, Moesia, Pannonia, Aegyptus, Iazyga and Britannia and Caledonia are incorporated as military provinces and given no representation in the Senate. Getae, Judea, and Galatia are considered tributary or protectorate states. Italia, minus Rome, is incorporated as the only imperial province at this time, receiving three senators elected from voting citizens (land owning citizens). The city of Rome is given 10 senators to show its importance and primacy in the new Imperial Senate (at this time known as just simply the Senate). The membership of the new official Senate stands at 45 in this year. The Via Julia reaches Hasta in northwestern Italy. Grain imports are stabilized for the first time in years after Agrippa’s complete pacification of Sicily, and this along with the flood of spoils from Caesar’s completed conquest of Germania and the full flow of gold from Dacian gold mines, helps rejuvenate both the economy and Republican coffers. Caesar and Pollio return to Rome in August, and Caesar claims power or Postulo Imperium from Octavian, who willingly resigns the powers of Imperator Interrex. Postulo Imperium is a legal term in Roman law meaning that the emperor can "claim power or empire" back from the interim emperor, and though the emperor already is higher in rank than the interim emperor and assumes his power upon returning to Rome anyway, the ceremony of Postulo Imperium is still performed to this day as a symbol of submitting to the emperor. The opposite of this process in Roman law is Impertio Imperium, or to "bestow power or empire" to the interim emperor. Caesar immediately begins working on a complete overhaul of the Roman army to improve on the old Marian reforms. In addition to this, Caesar also issues his first edict as emperor, the Edictum Colonium, which establishes 38 new colonies throughout his new conquests (the majority of them being in Germania and Gaul). The edict allows those retiring from the military and the urban poor of the city of Rome and other cities in Italy to move to the new colonies at the expense of the state, given that able-bodied men join the local military garrison and that they continue to pay their taxes. In addition, all prior debt accumulated up to the time an individual or family moves, is completely wiped clean. Cleopatra becomes pregnant with Caesar’s third child. The Roman colony Caesaria Albia is founded by Caesar before he begins his journey back to Rome.
Establishments commissioned by the Edictum Colonium:
Germania:
Caesaria Marcomannia
Caesaria Vistula
Mogontiacum
Saxonum
Caesarium
Pollium Langobardum
Albidunum
Caesaria Hermundurium
Havatoronium
Portus Germanicus
Caesaria Hyrcenia
Gaul:
Durocortorum
Caesarodunum
Aquitania
Alesium
Vercingetora
Quartonesis
Portus Sequanus
Hispania:
Caesarium Tarraconensis
Felicitas Julia
Emeritium
Lepida Hispana
Pannonia:
Raetonum Antonium
Moesia:
Mortogunum
Iulium Caesarium
Thrace:
Thrax
Egypt:
Caesaria
Pompium
Cleopatra Aegyptica
Britannia/Caledonia:
Eboracum
Iscarensis
Portus Britannicus
Caledonus Antonius
Iazyga:
Iazyganum
Dacia:
Caesarina
Thorodunum
Uvio
Contra Antonia
Military: Antony begins his campaign between the River Vistula and the River Hypanus Septentrionalis and into the Carpathian Mountains (as well as along the River Hypanus Australis). Agrippa blockades southern Hispania with his navy and besieges Carthago Nova in early April. Agrippa defeats Caninus at the fierce Battle of Carthago Nova (R), ending the short lived Pompeian Empire and the last remnants of optimate resistance to Caesar until the Iunius Coniuratius (June Plot) 7 years later. Lepidus continues his previously aborted campaign to subjugate the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Battles:
Battle of Ulopum (R)
First and Second Battles of Phurogunum (R) (I)
Battle of the River Sala (R)
Battle of Caucium (R)
Battle of Cimbria Cacumena (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) writes Bellum Britannicum, a history of both Caesar’s and Pollio’s invasions of Britain shortly before his death later in the year. Livy begins writing his monumental, life-time literary achievement, Ab Urbe Condita.
Foreign: Parthia officially annexes Bactria. Phraates IV and his general Pacorus invade Aria and Drangiana to avenge the loss of these two areas by the empire decades earlier, starting a ferocious guerilla war with the native peoples that will badly drain the Parthian army and leave it in a weakened state when the Romans invade the empire two years later.
720 AUC (33 BCE):
Domestic: Quintus Aurelius Trio is elected Princeps Senatus of the Senate. Caesar begins many of his long-delayed public works projects in the city of Rome and throughout Roman territory. Caesar began the two most important public works projects in his agenda in Rome during this year, commissioning both the Delubrum Martius Grandis (the Great Temple of Mars) and a massive theater, the Colosseum, in which Caesar intended to entertain the populace of Rome with gladiator fights and naval battles, built along the side of the infamous Tarpeian Rock. Caesar also commissioned through edict the draining of the Pomptine Marshes which, when taken together with his expansion of the Forum Julium and the two aforementioned projects, greatly reduced unemployment in the city of Rome and many of its surrounding cities. Caesar’s third child, a daughter named Julia Caesaria Cleopatra, is born. All mail stations are completed along the Via Appia in this year and mail stations along the Via Julia extend as far as the road itself, which reaches toward Noviodunum (in the north) and Massilia (in the south) in Gaul. Also in this year Caesar issues the Edictum Militaris, an edict that completely reorganizes the Roman military. These changes are also known as the Caesarian Reforms. Caesar begins to reorganize the legions within the Roman military and train his army according to the new reforms for the future war with Parthia. Caesar issues the Edictum Munimentum, an edict regulating the layout of border defenses and military forts in general. This edict will be very influential in Caesar’s later modification of municipal planning. Upon hearing of Antony’s success and the terrain east of Germania from one of Antony’s messengers, Caesar sends word to him about the Edictum Munimentum, and conveys to him a plan for the building of a defensive wall at the narrowest point between the two Hypanis Rivers (north and south). Sallust dies at the age of 53. The Senate officially annexes all of Germania east to the River Vistula to the Republic, leaving Frisia and Boiohemia as protectorates because of their help during the war. Marcus Junius Brutus, the pardoned leader of Caesar’s failed assassination, is appointed Praetor of all of Germania until the newly conquered territory can be divided into provinces. Brutus immediately begins construction on the Via Brutia a road that runs west-to-east along the northern coast of Germania. The estimated population of the Roman Republic is 40 million people.
Military: Lepidus continues his campaign in northwestern Hispania, defeating a coalition of the Gravii, Bracarii, and Cantabri tribes at the Battle of Praesiduum (R) in May. He campaigns along the western coast of Hispania for the rest of the year. Antony decisively defeats the Carpi in the collective Battles of the Carpathian Mountains (R), annexing all of the land south of the River Hypanus Australis to the border with Dacia to the Republic. Antony also conquers the land between the River Vistula and the River Hypanus Septentrionalis. He builds a road and border defenses along the entire southern bank of the River Hypanus Septentrionalis to connect with previously built border defenses along and the River Hypanus Australis.
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero writes Pro Caesaro, a treatise on his endorsement of Caesar’s reforms of the Republic, especially the Codex Juris Civilis. This will be the last major work Cicero will write before his death a year later. Publish Vergilius Maro (Virgil) begins writing his famous Georgics. Greek writer Athanasius of Aegina writes his most famous play, The Ambition of Caesar, a play about the rise of Caesar, the failed assassination attempt on his life, and his transformation of Rome. Bibaculus begins sculpting his now famous statue of Romulus and Remus dueling on the dome of the Curius Senatus.
Foreign: King Bocchus II of Mauretania dies and Numidia becomes a province of the Roman Republic, with Marcus Sicinius Dolabella becoming the province’s first Proconsul (Numidia enters the Republic as a Senatorial province because it was acquired by peaceful means and not through conquest). The Senate now has 47 members. Mauretania becomes a protectorate of the Roman Republic. The Parthian king Phraates IV conquers Aria and Drangiana, extending his eastern border significantly. The occupation strains his army, as the guerrilla war in the mountains of Drangiana drags on. Despite these setbacks, Phraates IV manages to swell his army with mercenaries and hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Persia and begins campaigning in Arachosia and Gedrosia late in the year. Emperor Yuan of the Han Chinese Empire dies and is succeeded by his son, Emperor Cheng of the Han.
721 AUC (32 BCE):
Domestic: Cicero dies at the age of 74. Caesar commissions the Bibliotheca Magna Roma (the Great Library of Rome) based on the Great Library at Alexandria and puts Marcus Terrentius Varro, famous Roman writer and scholar, in charge of obtaining and organizing the most famous of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian texts. Caesar also commissions a new aqueduct for Rome, the Aqua Caesaria, to run from the east of the city past the Palatine Hill and to the south end of Capitoline Hill to furnish households and the new future Colosseum with water. Early in the year, Caesar introduces the II lex Julia Municipalis, an amendment to the bill he got passed in 708 which clearly defines the organization of all Roman cities and new colonies along the same standards. Caesar completes his overhaul, reorganization, and training of his veteran legions in April, and designates his former Legio X Equestris as his formal body guard. He renames the legion Legio X and makes it the head of the Praetorian Guard, the group of seven legions that has served as the Emperors’ bodyguard throughout imperial history. Legio X will go on to be the most famous and prestigious of the Legions, and traditionally is commanded by the first born (and generally heir) of each Emperor. The Caesarian Reforms of the army continue, with the permanent establishment of eighty offensive legions of 5,000 men plus 3000 auxiliary each (easily attained because of the lenient criteria necessary to join the army under Caesar’s reforms). His reforms also establish an additional thirty defensive or domestic legions of equal strength to the offensive ones which are stationed at various places along Rome’s extensive border. Caesar leaves for Syria in July with 25 legions, landing at Sidon in August, where he begins to assemble his army for the coming invasion of Parthia. Agrippa and Pollio also leave with Caesar to Syria, bringing with them a combined strength of 25 legions. Caesar, Pollio, and Agrippa immediately begin recruiting and training an additional ten legions for the coming war with Parthia. Marc Antony builds Castrum Hypanium Antonium, a major command center for the frontier legions manning the border defenses between the two Hypanis Rivers. Antony’s army begins construction on the Murus Carpathia, a large defensive wall approximately fifty miles long with fortified embattlements (and housing for soldiers) every five miles. Lepidus becomes the first Praetor of the province of Gallaecia in northwestern Hispania. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Vitruvius) begins work on the building of the Colosseum. Octavian reassumes the role of Imperator Interrex upon Caesar’s departure from Rome. The draining of the Pomptine Marshes begins with a large number of fatalities due to malaria. Agrippa’s father-in-law Titus Pomponius Atticus, suffering from a serious illness at the time, commits suicide, but Agrippa isn’t made aware of the event (which will ultimately cause him much grief) until his return to Rome many years later.
Military: Lepidus finishes his campaign in western and northwestern Spain after defeating the Cantabri chieftain Amatus of Juuobrigu at the Battle of Burum (R). Antony campaigns against Asander of the Bosporan Kingdom by invading Taurica by the end of the year and besieging Chersonesos in November.
Literature, Art, and Science: Horace writes Epodes. Bibaculus finishes his statue of Romulus and Remus on the dome of the Curius Senatus.
Foreign: Phraates IV reaches the River Indus, annexing all of Gedrosia and Arachosia by July after besieging Patala (along the River Indus) and successfully defeating the Indian warlord Upatadpses. King Parnavaz II of Caucasian Iberia dies and is succeeded by Mirian II.
722 AUC (31 BCE):
Domestic: Antony constructs Castrum Tauricum Antonium, the modern port city of Tauricum and home of the famous 2600’s AUC Olympic gold-medalist Petrus Opidus Gulva Olympus. Octavian oversees the beginning of the massive project to drain the Pomptine Marshes. According to historical figures recorded by both Livy and Vitruvius (in De Architectura), there were nearly one hundred thousand men (including at least forty thousand slaves) working on the gigantic project. Publius Servilius Vatius Isauricus dies and Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is elected Consul of the Senate. The Via Julia reaches Lutetia in Gaul and the Via Octavia reaches Narona in Illyricum. Octavian (on behalf of Caesar’s title of Pontifex Maximus) officially makes several Germanic gods (most prominently Frige, Tiw, and Freo) part of the Roman pantheon, beginning a long tradition of adding foreign gods to the Roman pagan belief system. Antony continues to build border forts and extend the Via Antonia during his campaign in Taurica and into Scythian lands near the River Borysthenes. Ptolemy Caesar takes command of Legio X at the age of 16 and begins his formal military training. Octavian commissions Roman cartographer Tiberius Laelius Cordus and a group of explorers to chart and map Germania. The project will take several years and will involve official mapping and naming of several rivers and mountain ranges. The main reason behind this effort is to find favorable areas for future colonization and to determine the best way to divide the primitive area into viable Roman provinces (given the lack of infrastructure in most of the area known as Germania).
Military: Caesar and Pollio invade the Parthian Empire from Roman Syria, while Agrippa commands an army of 90,000 Romans and allied Galatians against King Artavasdes II of Armenia (who had turned against the Romans after the Battle of Carrhae and joined the Parthians in 700 AUC). Antony campaigns against the aging King Palakus of the Scythians, defeating his army and killing him in battle during the Battle of the River Borysthenes (R) in July.
Battles:
Siege of Edessa (R)
Siege and Battle of Nicophorum (R)
Battle of River Araxes (R)
Battle of Circesium (R)
Battle of Hatra (I)
Battle of Nineveh (R)
First Battle of the River Tigris (R)
Second Battle of River Tigris (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Virgil writes Eclogues. The Egyptian poet Ptah writes Land of Gods, a series of poems describing the history of Egypt’s pharaohs from Tiu to Caesar. The Hellenistic Era of art ends and the Latin Era in art begins with the sculpting of the Martius Colossicus by Sextus Flavius Verres in front of the partially completed Delubrum Martius Grandis.
Foreign: Phraates IV makes peace with the Indian prince, Draupadi, due to the new war with Rome. After the death of Palakus, Scrofuctus the Terrible becomes king of the Scythians, now confined to north of the Borysthenes.
723 AUC (30 BCE):
Domestic: The draining of the Pomptine Marshes hits an unexpected obstacle when nearly 5,000 men die after a massive collapse of one of the main drainage canals. Octavian temporarily orders a halt to the project until engineers can devise a way to keep the canals from collapsing (a major problem with the project given the saturated marshlands). Vitruvius completes the foundation and basement area of the Colosseum in June. Octavian makes all of the major Egyptian gods, including Osiris and Isis, an official part of the Roman pantheon. A former optimate and current Senator named Decimus Coruncanius Aesillio begins openly criticizing Octavian and Caesar in the Senate during times of Octavian’s absence. Though ignored as the usual uneasiness of some Senators with the growing power of Caesar’s unique office, some Senators close to Aesillio form a small committee dedicated to defeating Octavian’s legislative agenda. This committee represents the beginning of what will quickly grow into a block of Senators called the “Neo-Optimates” which will be influential in the Iunius Coniuratius against Caesar and Octavian. The Senate passes a resolution annexing Armenia, Adiabene, Atropatene, Mesopotamia, and Scythia south of the River Borysthenes to the Roman Republic (officially making these areas military provinces).
New Praetors:
Armenia: Lucius Gratius
Adiabene: Lucius Herennius Aculeo
Atropatene: Servius Iulius Bubulcus
Mesopotamia: Marcus Labienus
Scythia: Quintus Irminius Dentatus
Military: The Roman campaign in Parthia continues after an initial ceasefire. Antony begins his campaign south into the Caucasus Mountains after resting his army for several months at a makeshift fort on the River Tanais. Antony moves quickly to secure ports along the eastern coast of the Pontus Euxinus in his march south toward Colchis and Iberia. In June, after his capture of Cercetus just north of the Kingdom of Colchis, Antony sends word to Octavian in Rome for the need of additional legions in his conquest of the Caucasus.
Battles:
Battle of Babylon (R)
Battle of Lake Dalmos (R)
Battle of Praaspa (E)
Siege of Charax (R)
Battle of Ctesiphon (R)
First Battle of Susa (E)
Second Siege/Battle of Ctesiphon (R)
Second Battle of Praaspa (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Bibaculus dies at the age of 57 while sculpting a statue of Octavian with eagle’s wings that was to be placed in the main hall of the Curius Senatus. His apprentice, the 17-year-old Vibius Pontius Macer continues the work of Bibaculus. Macer later becomes Ptolemy Caesar’s court artist and it is believed that he is the distant ancestor of Emperor Urban Pontius. Caesar begins to write his never-finished Commentarii de Bello Parthico.
Foreign: King Rhadapdizes of Sogdiana, the ousted former king of Bactria, secures a peace treaty with the Xiongnu, freeing him to build up his forces to eventually re-conquer Bactria. Characene becomes a protectorate of the Roman Republic.
724 AUC (29 BCE):
Domestic: A minor slave revolt in Rome leads to a devastating fire that destroys the grain storage buildings and a number of residencies in a poorer section of the city. The revolt is rather easily put down, but the incident prompts Octavius to reorganize the city’s police and firefighting force and restructure the way in which the city is managed. Later in the year, Octavian introduces a bill into the Senate called the lex Praefectus, which proposes to create a police force known as the cohorts urbanae (urban cohort) and a firefighting force called the vigils. The law also proposes the creation of two new offices: that of the praefectus urbanus (or Urban Prefect), which basically acts as the executive and police chief of the city of Rome and the iudex urbanus (Urban Judge) who has final legal jurisdiction within the city of Rome (this position leads much later in history to the creation of the judicial branch of government for the Empire). Octavian, due to the grain shortages for the first half of 724, imposes the first grain ration in several years, leading to widespread unrest in the city. The Murus Carpathia is finished by the border legions left behind several years earlier by Antony.
Military: Antony conquers both the Kingdom of Colchis and the Kingdom of Iberia by the end of the year and rests his army in preparation for an eventual invasion of Parthia in support of Caesar’s war effort.
Battles:
Battle of Harsi Tabir (R)
Second Battle of Susa (R)
Battle of Persepolis (E)
Battle of Pasargadae (I)
Siege of Pasargadae (E)
Second Battle of Persepolis (R)
Second Battle of Pasargadae (R)
Battle of Lake Zargusae (E)
Battle of Mount Tyraios (R)
Foreign: A former Parthian general named Golgitones establishes an independent kingdom in Osroene after a successful rebellion against the occupying Romans. Herod the Great of Judea finishes building the massive fortress of Masada.
725 AUC (28 BCE):
Domestic: Ivo the Goth is freed by Antony’s will after the general’s death and he moves to Tarentum in Italy where he begins writing a memoire. Caesar begins his infamous affair with a former Bactrian princess named Taxiana. According to Livy’s account of the incident, Caesar fathered a second son with Taxiana, though this account cannot be substantiated by any other historian. Despite this, the famous general Gauis Julius Mus (who served during Ptolemy’s reign), also born in this year, is often linked to Livy’s account and many speculate that he may actually have been the second son of Caesar. According to the official historical record, Mus is born in Rhagae to a distant relative of Caesar and a Persian woman named Zagalia. Upon hearing of the death of Marc Antony, Caesar promotes Gauis Asinius Pollio to the position of Magister Equitum. The Senate passes the Lex Praefectus, with an amendment that would allow for the Urban Prefect and Urban Judge to both be elected offices rather than appointed by the Imperator Perpetuus. Sextus Mocius Celsus is elected the first Urban Prefect and Cauis Didius Flavus, a prominent lawyer and friend of Octavius, is elected the first Urban Judge of Rome. The block of Senators actively opposed to Octavius’ (and thus Caesar’s) political agenda, form a factio or faction of Senators called the Neo-Optimates. The main agenda of the Neo-Optimates is to always vote against the legislation proposed by Octavian or his allies and all members of the faction vote as a block. One of the more radical members, a Senator from Hispania named Quintus Sergius Gurges, begins to plan a plot to overthrow Octavius and restore the Roman state to a truly Republican form of government. Work on the draining of the Pomptine Marshes begins again after a two-year delay. Colchis, Iberia, and Albania are all officially annexed by the Senate in July, with Appius Hirtius becoming the Praetor of Colchis, Marcus Licinius Natta becoming Praetor of Iberia, and Gaius Vedius Brutus becoming Praetor of Albania.
Military: Agrippa manages to end both the rebellion in Armenia and Mesopotamia. He establishes a well-guarded supply and water train that helps supply the Roman army further east under the command of Caesar and Pollio. Caesar and Pollio continue their campaigns in Parthia. Antony invades Armenia to aid Agrippa in defeating the rebellion sparked by Haerodates, but dies later in the year at the Battle of Artaxata due to a battle wound.
Battles:
First Battle of Amida (E)
Second Battle of Amida (I)
Battle of Armaztsikhe (R)
Battle of Lake Sevan (R)
Siege of Tigranocerta (R)
Battle of Mount Ararat (R)
Third Battle of Pasargadae (R)
Siege of Rhagae (R)
Battle of Pura (R)
Siege of Artaxata (R)
Battle of Gorneas (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Macer finally finishes the statue of Winged Octavian that was first begun by Bibaculus. The statue is placed in the main hall of the Curius Senatus. Publius Vergilius Maro begins composing the Aeneid.
Foreign: Haerodates of Armenia rebels against the Roman Republic and establishes an independent Armenian state. Golgitones declares the creation of the Golgite Empire. Civil war rages in Parthia as several generals vie for complete control of the Parthian state. The wheelbarrow is invented in China. King Takpahlav-reh of the Kingdom of Gedrosia allies with the Romans after the defeat of the Parthians by Roman general Spurius Hostilius Barbatus.
726 AUC (27 BCE):
Domestic: Throughout the first half of 726, Senators Gurges and Aesillio begin seeking out members of the Senatorial Guard who are sympathetic to the Neo-Optimate cause and as the elected (within the Senate) civilian commander of the Senatorial Guard, Aesillio, fires the Senatorial Prefect (military head of the Senatorial Guard) and hires a radical former optimate named Lucius Herennius Tuditanus (who had previously been pardoned by Caesar during the trials of the conspirators in 709 and 710) to head the Guard. By May, Aesillio and Gurges’ political strength was such that they had attracted nearly 14 members of the Senate to their side and had infiltrated the Senatorial Guard to such a degree that it was a given that any order given by Aesillio was almost destined to be fulfilled. On the night of June 4th, Aesillio ordered the kidnapping of Octavius from his residence and 10 Senators considered his most powerful allies by the Senatorial Guard, thus starting the two-week long Iunius Coniuratius (June Plot), the attempted overthrow of Octavius in Caesar’s absence. The June Plot ends on June 25th, with the defeat of the Senatorial Guard by the Praetorian Guard (headed by Ptolemy Caesar) and the beheading of both Aesillio and Gurges. Octavian restores order in Rome throughout the rest of the year and sends word to Caesar of the plot. Trials of all the Senators involved in the plot occur during the remainder of the year and elections are held in the provinces represented by the Neo-Optimate Senators to fill the vacant Senate seats. The grain supply is once again stabilized, with the grain reserve nearly full from the now completely stabilized grain market. The grain ration ends in April with a full week of games held at the partially-completed Colosseum to celebrate the end of the ration. Though only 12 years old, Claudia Marcella is betrothed to the 20-year-old Ptolemy Caesar to strengthen the ties between Octavian and Caesar’s family lines. Cleopatra begins a rather public affair with a powerful Senator named Marcus Menenius Bulbus. Though rumors abound in contemporary histories of the time that Cleopatra had a number of low-profile affairs during times of her husband’s absence, none are so clearly documented as her affair with Bulbus, which continued for several years. It is mentioned in Maro’s Historia Julia (written c. 782 AUC) that Cleopatra became pregnant with Bulbus’ child, but she miscarried the pregnancy and it was at this point that she decided to end her affair with Bulbus. A mention of this pregnancy also appears in one line of Ovidius’ Amatoria Cleopatra (Cleopatra’s Lovers). In addition, there is rumored in many of the contemporary histories of the time of a son born to Cleopatra by a man she was having an affair with during Caesar’s campaign in Germania, though no proof of a birth is officially recorded (all of the related histories on this topic label the rumor as hearsay). Despite this, the rumor of Cleopatra giving birth to another man’s son would play a pivotal role in the usurpation of the Roman emperorship by Imperator Cnaeus Julius Philadelphus Bucco two centuries later. In Aegyptus, the northern statue of the Colossi of Memnon is shattered by an earthquake according to the Greek historian Strabo in Geographica.
Military: The Roman military campaign continues in southern and eastern Parthia with a campaign by Caesar and Pollio north toward Hecamtompylos and the Caspian Gates. A minor rebellion in Colchis is put down by the local Roman military garrison. The famous crossing of the Kavir Desert by Caesar’s army occurs. Caesar allies with the Parthian general Bahardarnes and camps his army in Neh before campaigning north with Bahardarnes against the Kingdom of Bactria.
Battles:
Battle of Tarkala (R)
Battle of Pattala (R)
Battle of the Caspian Gates (R)
Siege of Hecamtompylos (R)
Battle of Alexandria (R)
Battle of Susia (E)
Battle of the Bolan Pass (E)
Battle of Guidola (I)
Literature, Art, and Science: Though only 16 years old, the young Publius Ovidius Naso begins composing several poems that will eventually constitute his famous Heroides.
Foreign: The Indian prince Draupadi crosses the River Indus with the intent of conquering Indo-Parthia and avenging his prior losses at the hands of Phraates IV. Draupadi is defeated at the Battle of Tarkala by an alliance of the Roman general Barbatus and the Gedrosian king Takpahlav-reh and is forced to retreat back across the Indus after another defeat at Pattala. Various factions fight for control of the Parthian state in the wake of the defeat and death of Parthian king Rhaphaeshaz and numerous leaders declare themselves king of Parthia during the first half of the year, as civil war engulfs the rump Parthian state. Rhadapdizes, son of the last king of the former Kingdom of Bactria, re-conquers his kingdom and re-establishes the Kingdom of Bactria while fighting for the title of Parthian king against several other factions.
727 AUC (26 BCE):
Domestic: The last trials of those involved in the June Plot the year before are held, with all involved being executed for treason. Work on the Aqua Caesaria, first commissioned in 721, officially begins. The Via Julia reaches Tarraco in Hispania in the south and reaches Durocortorum in the north of Gaul. Octavian pushes a bill through the Senate called the lex Factionis which officially outlaws factions within the Senate and voting as a block. Vitruvius and his workers finish the upper (that which is built into the Tarpeian Rock) section of the Colosseum in February, thus completing its construction. The Via Octavia reaches Stobi in Macedonia.
Military: A joint Parthian and Roman campaign against King Rhadapdizes of Bactria ends badly for Caesar when Bahardarnes turns on the Romans at the Second Battle of Merv. After being badly wounded, Caesar retreats with his army to Hecatompylos, where he spends most of the remainder of the year recovering from his injury (under the care of the Persian doctor Adidales) and plotting revenge against Bahardarnes. At the end of the year, Caesar begins his campaign to capture Neh. Pollio begins a difficult campaign against the Bactrians and the Khwarazmians along the River Oxus.
Battles:
Second Battle of Merv (E)
Siege of Asaak (R)
Battle of Dara (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: A Roman scientist by the name of Tiberius Capenius Scaevola invents the rolling-element bearing, which within a decade will be used extensively by the Roman navy on its ships. An improved version of the bearing invented some twenty years later will be used extensively in the artillery used by the Roman army.
Foreign: The ruling dynasty of the Satavahana Empire in eastern India changes from the Kanva dynasty to the Andhra dynasty. After defeating both the forces of Haxamanish and Satriapose in Gedrosia, the Roman general Barbatus marries the daughter of the late king Takpahlav-reh, Utana, and declares himself king of Gedrosia.
728 AUC (25 BCE):
Domestic: The probationary period of military rule ends in Illyricum and the province is incorporated as a senatorial province. Sicilia and Sardinia and Corsica also are incorporated as senatorial provinces in this year. The Senate now has 55 members. Quintus Acilius Regillus is appointed the first Proconsul of Illyricum by the Senate. The Via Octavia reaches Pella in Macedonia and Sarmizegetusa in Dacia, where it connects to the Via Pansa. The effort to drain the Pomptine Marshes hits yet another snag as a complete collapse of one of the main water wheels being used to divert run-off from the drainage system just recently built breaks, causing the death of nearly 400 workers and destroys much of the progress made since 725. Octavian commissions the construction of two temples on the Circus Flaminius, a temple to Neptune and a temple called the Religium (the precursor to the Pantheon), which would serve for several decades as a temple honoring all of the gods constituting the Roman pantheon. The Roman doctor Aulus Cornelius Celsus is born. Marcus Terrentius Varro dies, leaving his unfinished project to translate and copy Latin, Greek, and Egyptian texts for the Bibliotheca Magna Roma to the young Ovidius.
Military: Caesar captures Neh from Bahardarnes, killing the king in the process and utterly destroys the city. The destruction and debauchery wrought by Caesar’s army enrages many previously subjugated cities in the north, which break out in open rebellion and swell the ranks of Parthian general Ghriapatius, “The Most Feared Man in the East” (due to his nearly flawless record on the battle field – both against the kingdoms along the Indus and the Romans). Pollio continues his campaign against the Bactrians and their Khwarazmian allies along the Oxus.
Battles:
First Battle of Neh (I)
Second Battle of Neh (R)
Battle of Mount Terrastoccus (I)
Battles of the Western Alboruz (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Macer begins sculpting several statues for the Religium and also begins work with another Roman sculptor of the period named Manius Duilius Buteo to work on Neptunus Rex (Neptune the King), a massive statue of Neptune that stood outside of Octavian’s recently commissioned temple for the sea god which stood for several centuries before it was destroyed during a siege of Rome during one the Empire’s several civil wars. Today, the only part of the statue that survives is the head of Neptune, currently housed in the Imperial Art Museum at Olissipo. The statue served as a shining example of a Latin Era sculpture, as it displayed all five characteristics of Latin Era art: rugged or sharp edges, depiction of fluid motion, [generally] military themed, intense and angular facial expressions, [generally] massive in scale.
Foreign: Parthian general Ghriapatius declares himself the King of Parthia (and he will serve as the last king of Parthia before its complete absorption by the Roman Republic). Barbatus’ wife Utana gives birth to a son named Sextus Hostilius Atellus. King Amyntas of Galatia dies and Galatia becomes a military province of Rome with Spurius Marcius Scrofa being appointed Proconsul of the newly acquired province. Admaatus the Severe replaces Uastud as High Chieftain of the Frisii tribe (and thus the King of Frisia (a Roman protectorate in Germania)).
729 AUC (24 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian falls ill and is unable to perform his job as Imperator Interrex for several months, during which time his trusted friend and young supporter of the Caesarian agenda, Lucius Marius Crispus, temporarily fulfills the duties of Octavian’s office. In September, Octavian returns to his job and immediately begins working on yet another land reform bill, the III lex Agraria, to reign in the abuses of former Latifunda owners joining together in “joint contract farms” or Coagmenta, which for all intents and purposes held as much power as the former gigantic Latifunda did just two decades prior. Cordus and his band of explorers finish their mapping and surveying of Germania and present a finished map to Octavian, who promptly divides the territory into ten provinces. Octavian also draws up plans for developing infrastructure in Germania and organizes the first migration of colonizers early in the year, sending them to the eleven Roman colonies already decreed by Caesar. Octavian commissions the Via Germania, a road in Germania which will eventually connect to the Via Octavia in the west, the Via Antonia in the east, and the Via Pansa in the south. The Greek historian Strabo dies in this year.
New Praetors:
Germania Inferior: Tiberius Horatius Paetus
Germania Superior: Aulus Terentius Varro Murena
Cimbrica: Gaius Caelius Longus
Quadia: Caius Gratius
Omannia: Lucius Licinius
Gothica: Gnaeus Iuventius Calidus
Marsignia: Lucius Gellius Scipio
Langobardia: Tiberius Furius
Military: Caesar campaigns against the last king of Parthia, Ghriapatius, and attempts to quell the rebellious cities and territories north of Neh. Pollio finishes his campaign against the Bactrians and Khwarazmians along the Oxus and turns south to aid Caesar in his campaign against Ghriapatius. The Roman campaign in Parthia officially ends with Caesar claiming the title of Shahanshah or “King of Kings” of all of the former domains of the Parthian Empire. Caesar and Pollio continue to campaign in the east against several Indian kingdoms throughout the rest of the year.
Battles:
First Battle of Farah (E)
Second Battle of Farah (R)
Second Battle of Dara (R)
Battle of Asaak (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Vergilius finishes composing the Aeneid.
730 AUC (23 BCE):
Domestic: The III lex Agraria barely passes the Senate and makes illegal the large “joint contract farms” that had served as a substitute for the former Latifunda throughout Italy. Aegyptus becomes a Senatorial province and the Senate votes to place Pharxes Kahotep (recently returned from the ongoing invasion of Parthia), the former Praetor of Aegyptus, as Proconsul. The Imperial Senate now has 57 members. Ptolemy Caesar marries the sixteen-year-old Claudia Marcella in a huge public ceremony held in the Forum Julium in May. The Via Julia reaches Carthago Nova in Hispania and the northeastern split in the road in Gaul reaches Juliobona on the Atlantic coast. The first Roman colony in Germania, Caesarium located in the newly defined province of Germania Inferior, is established by 1200 colonists in May according Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita. It is estimated that Rome becomes the largest city in the world in this year, surpassing the previous holder of that title and capital of China, Chang’an. The Senate, upon hearing of Caesar’s completed conquest of Parthia, annexes all of the former domains of the Parthian Empire east to the River Indus and north to the River Oxus. The new provinces organized from the conquest of Parthia include (in addition to the previous four annexed in 723) Persia, Carmania, Media, Parthia Inferior, Parthia Superior, Drangiana, Margiana, Bactria, Arachosia, Oxia, and India Occidia, with Characene and Gedrosia becoming protectorates of the Republic. Octavian commissions several roads throughout the new conquests including the Via Agrippa, the Via Parthia, the Via Pollia, the Via Alexandria, and the Via Barbata. Gnaeus Licinius Ocella is elected Princeps Senatus of the Senate.
Military: The Roman campaign along the Indus ends in victory, but Caesar is severely wounded at the Battle of Taxila, forcing him to begin an arduous 10-month journey back to Rome. Pollio remains along the Indus, campaigning against various Indian kingdoms, building border defenses, and building a road parallel to the River Indus that will later be termed the Via India. Agrippa begins his campaign against the invading Nubians, who take the city of Elephantine in Aegyptus by August after a lengthy siege.
Battles:
Battle of Zadracarta (R)
Battle of Drapsaca (R)
Siege and Battle of Taxila (R)
Siege and Battle of Elephantine (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: The temple to Neptune on the Circus Flaminius is completed in this year and the foundation of the Religium is laid later in the year. Vitruvius finishes writing De Architectura. Macer and Buteo finish carving Neptunus Rex.
Foreign: The Indian king Hadraagupta crosses the River Indus in a bid to capture Pattala. The Nubian queen, Candace Amanirenas invades Aegyptus in March, having heard from her advisors that Rome was too distracted in the East to put up an effective defense. Herod the Great in Judaea builds the fortress Herodian in Jerusalem.
731 AUC (22 BCE):
Domestic: Caesar arrives at Tyre on the Mediterranean and sails to Rome, returning in late December in bad health. A rebellion of several former Latifunda and Coagmenta owners throughout northern Italy is crushed in August after a bloody skirmish at Vercellae. Ptolemy Caesar’s first daughter, Claudia Julia Marcella Ptolemia is born late in the year. Thracia becomes a Senatorial province and the former Praetor, Lucius Cornelius Balbus is appointed Proconsul by the Senate. The Senate now has 59 members. All of the initial infrastructure for the main drainage system is complete in the Pomptine Marshes (after a total of 9 years of work) and the second phase of the massive project begins with the creation of an intricate aqueduct system to help control the flow and direction of water drainage from the marshes.
Military: Agrippa crushes the Nubians under Queen Candace Amanirenas at the Battle of Luxor (R), but is unable to pursue her because of the losses inflicted by the Nubian cavalry on his forces during the battle. The Nubian War becomes a stalemate for the rest of the year, with Agrippa basing his forces out of Thebes and Candace basing her forces primarily out of Edfu. Several naval battles are fought on the Nile between Republican and Nubian forces, with one battle going particularly bad for Agrippa’s navy, forcing him to spend several months rebuilding his flotilla in preparation for his joint naval-land campaign south against the Nubians. Pollio defeats an invasion across the River Indus by the king of the Pariyatra (an Indian kingdom), Haadragupta, at the Battle of Mohenjo-Daro (R), killing him and destroying his army in the process. Pollio continues to campaign south along the Indus toward Patala to confront yet another invasion by King Draupadi. A border raid by a Sarmatian tribe is defeated by the local Roman garrison.
Literature, Art, and Science: Work officially begins on the construction of the Aqua Caesaria.
Foreign: The Han Chinese general Peng Hsia decisively defeats a Xiongnu incursion into the Western Regions, forcing many of the Xiongnu chieftains to begin planning incursions further west into Roman-controlled former Parthia. Axum officially begins trading with several kingdoms on the Arabian penninsula including Sheba and Saba. King Lakshmigopal of the Mathuran Empire conquers Pariyatra shortly after the defeat of Haadragupta by Pollio and the Mathurans quickly dispatch an ambassador to make contact with the Romans and establish formal borders. Scrofuctus the Terrible, king of the Scythian tribes northwest of the Caucasus, is assassinated by his son, Traearchus.
732 AUC (21 BCE):
Domestic: Gaius Julius Caesar dies at the age of 77 on February 23rd and Ptolemy XV Philopater Philometor Caesar quickly claims the titles of Imperator Perpetuus, Shahanshah of all Persia and Parthia, and Pharaoh of Aegytus from his father at the age of 25. The Senate quickly passes a measure approving the accession of Ptolemy or Caesarion to the highest executive office and grants Julius Caesar posthumously the titles of Victrix (victorious) and Augustus (the revered one), formally making Rome’s most famous general Gauis Julius Caesar Victrix Augustus. The Senate also passes a measure just three weeks after Caesar’s death deifying him as the newest god to enter the Roman pantheon. Ptolemy moves with amazing speed to secure the loyalty of his father’s legions and declares 100 days of feasts and festivities in Rome in honor of his father’s many accomplishments. Livy estimates in his Caesar Divus that nearly two hundred thousand people attended the massive funeral of Julius Caesar on February 26th to pay their respects to the general. Marcus Junius Brutus delivers the keynote speech, the Praedicum, at the funeral, praising Caesar for his accomplishments. Caesar is entombed temporarily at the Curius Senatus until a fitting tomb/temple can be built in his honor. In modern times, February 26th is annually celebrated as an imperial holiday, Diem Caesarus (The Day of Caesar). Ptolemy appoints Agrippa as his Magister Equitum. The Via Octavia finally reaches Sparta in Achaea, marking the end of the road’s construction. Britannia becomes a Senatorial and Lucius Antonius is appointed Proconsul of the new senatorial province. The Senate now has 61 members. It is this year, because of the ascension of Ptolemy Caesar to the title of Imperator Perpetuus by hereditary means, that many historians consider as the first year marking the official beginning of the Imperium Romanum (Roman Empire) and the Early Imperial Era (ERE). Though some historians count the passage of the lex Imperius to be the first true marker of the end of the Republic, many insist that a more accurate marker for the beginning of the empire is the death of Caesar and beginning of Ptolemy’s reign.
Military: Pollio besieges Patala and defeats King Draupadi in a dramatic battle that forces the ambitious Indian king to retreat toward the River Indus. Pollio gives chase and over a period of two months, utterly destroys Draupadi’s army, killing him in the massive Battle of the Indus (R). Pollio spends the rest of the year building border defenses along the Indus and sending diplomatic missions to the Mathuran Empire. Agrippa begins his offensive south in February, winning a decisive naval victory against the Nubian navy, allowing him to circumvent Edfu and cut off Nubian supply lines. The indecisive Battle of Kom Ombo (I) stalls Agrippa’s campaign for several months, but his crushing defeat of Queen Candace (and her subsequent death) at the Battle of Aswan (R) later, forces the Nubians to withdraw from Roman territory after Candace’s general, Oebmaatre, claiming the title of King of Nubia, asks for a formal peace treaty between his kingdom and the Republic. The treaty formally establishes the Roman border with Nubia forty miles south of Philae, running straight to the Mare Rubrum.
Literature, Art, and Science: The first Roman naval ship featuring Tiberius Capenius Scaevola’s rolling-element bearing is built in this year. Publius Ovidius Naso finishes composing his Heroides.
Foreign: The Mathuran Empire conquers the Kingdom of Draupad in India. Peng Hsia defeats an army of Western Xiongnu under the fierce general Daohn Gaognu, forcing the nearby Xiongnu leaders to sign a treaty with Han China. The battle also cements Chinese control over the Tarim Basin for the time being. Gaognu begins looking southwest as an avenue for further expansion rather than northwestern China. The Chinese also defeat the Xiongnu chanyu Huduershi later in the year and Huduershi enters into a tributary relationship with Han China. The Scythians attempt a raid across the Roman border defenses, but are defeated by the Roman defenders.
733 AUC (20 BCE):
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the construction of a grand temple in honor of his father, the Julium, situated on the south end of the Forum Julium. Ptolemy officially modifies his father’s Edictum Munimentum by declaring the Edictum Munimentum Ptolemium, which makes Roman border defenses much more fluid, yet introduces for the first time the first official Roman recognition of the need for a tangible border. Though his father’s edict dictated border defenses and expressed the need for natural borders, it is Ptolemy’s edict that called for permanent borders (capable of course of being expanded in a systematic way) and several lines of defense (using natural barriers behind the official borders). The entire point of this edict was to ensure that all Roman borders had several points of defense behind them, making strategic withdrawals in the face of an enemy breach of the main border possible. This edict also called for the systematic and careful expansion of the “permanent” border by codifying how defenses should be constructed at future borders to augment the defenses already present at the current borders. Ptolemy’s wife gives birth to a second daughter, Cleopatra Julia Ptolemia. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas dies and Octavian is elected as life-long Consul of the Senate. Several colonies announced nearly a decade ago by Caesar are nearing completion, with several in Germania, Gaul, and Britannia complete by this year. The Via Julia reaches Olissipo in Hispania, marking the end of its construction. Julius Caesar’s former slave and influential political theorist, Eupiphenese, dies at the age of 68. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year. Pannonia and Moesia become senatorial provinces. Titus Meridius is appointed Proconsul of Pannonia and Spurius Amatius Paterculus is appointed Proconsul of Moesia by the Senate. The Senate now has 65 members.
Military: Pollio continues to construct border defenses and a road along the River Indus.
Literature, Art, and Science: Ovidius completes the first edition of the Verborum Latium, a comprehensive Latin dictionary and literary history text.
Foreign: In Arabia, the Shebans declare war on Hadramaut, hoping to expand eastward. The Mathuran Empire officially establishes peaceful contact with Han China. A civil war in Mauretania forces Ptolemy Caesar to send several legions to the area and place the Roman-educated (and friend of both Octavian and Ptolemy) Juba II as King of Mauretania, assuring its continued alliance with Rome and its status as a Roman client state.
734 AUC (19 BCE):
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the Via Britannica in Britannia and the Via Nila in Aegyptus (mostly to help defend against any future incursions by the Nubians or Axumites and provide a conduit for a future Roman conquest of the areas south of Aegyptus). Marcus Antonius’ former slave, Ivo the Goth, publishes his memoire and account of the war in Germania in Tarentum, making him an extremely popular person in the city despite his foreign heritage (mostly because of his favorable portrayal of both Antony and Caesar in his work). Ptolemy names an old friend of his and former Senator, Manius Genucius, as his Imperator Interrex in case of a future absence from Rome. The lex Census is passed in the Senate, mandating an official census every ten years in each province, carried out by provincial censors. These individual provincial census reports are then to be combined every tenth year starting from the year 735 to give an accurate account of the population of the Empire. Dacia and Iazyga become senatorial provinces. Caeso Geminius Laterensis is appointed the first Proconsul of Iazyga and Lucius Gratius is appointed the first Proconsul of Dacia by the Senate. The Senate now has 69 members.
Military: Pollio defeats a minor rebellion in Bactria during the first half of the year, and Bactria enters a 10-year long martial law probationary status in addition to its remaining sixteen years as a military province.
Literature, Art, and Science: The Aqua Caesaria is finished by July and the first mock naval battle is held in the Colosseum in September to commemorate Agrippa’s defeat of Sextus Pompieus’ naval forces years ago. The Religium is also finished in this year. Construction of the Bibliotheca Magna Roma is finally finished in this year as well, with Ovidius being appointed by Ptolemy as the first curator of the library.
Foreign: The Han Chinese send an emissary by the name of Bao Zhuang to establish contact with Daqin (Rome) upon hearing by way of the Xiongnu that the Parthian Empire had fallen several years before and replaced with this new western power. The Kingdom of Sheba makes modest gains against Hadramaut, but is defeated at the Battle of Shabwah, ending their push into Hadramaut territory. The Garamantes in Africa raid the Roman frontier, but are eventually defeated and retreat from Imperial territory.
709 AUC (44 BCE):
Domestic (D): As Julius Caesar leaves for a Senate meeting in Rome on the Ides of March, Marc Antony and Marcus Junius Brutus intercept him (after Tillius Cimber tells Antony of the plot on Caesar’s life) and divulge the details of a planned assassination by a group of senators called the Liberatores. Antony and Brutus’ timely intervention leads to Caesar’s famous speech, the Adfatus in the Forum Julium in which he publically exposes the plot and ridicules those involved. The prompt (yet lenient) prosecution of most of the conspirators takes place over the remainder of the year, with the notable exception of Quintus Ligarius. Caesar reorganizes the Republic during the Transistus Magnus (Great Transition), creating the Senatus Novus (New Senate) and calling for a new code of law or all encompassing Corpus Juris Civilis to replace the Twelve Tablets, the Lex Magnus (Great Law). Octavian is appointed the leader of the New Senate and the body votes to bestow the title Imperator Perpetuus on Julius Caesar. In addition, Caesar appoints Octavian Imperator Interrex. Caesar gets his succession law, the lex Successionis, passed in the Senate, officially naming his son by Cleopatra, Ptolemy XV Caesar as his heir. Caesar divorces his wife Calpurnia and, after changing the marriage laws with his leges Juliae, weds Cleopatra. The first portion of the Lex Magnus (taking into account many of the ideas of Caesar’s slave Eupiphenese), the lex Senatus is passed in November.
Military (M): Also in November, Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony leave Rome for Pella in Macedonia to prepare for Caesar’s future invasion of Thrace, Moesia, Dalmatia, and Pannonia. While in Pella, Caesar hears news of Ptolemy XIV’s treachery in Egypt and he sets sail for the ancient kingdom in December. The Battle of Pelusium Harbor ends in a Roman victory late in December.
Literature, Art, and Science (LAS): Julius Caesar begins work on his Commentarii de Bello Aegyptico. Cicero, showing his appreciation for the general’s pardon after the Caesarian Civil War and for his careful restructuring of Roman law, gives a speech in the New Senate praising Caesar’s accomplishments in September and begins drafting a letter to Caesar, most often referred to as the Efflagitatus Recursus Respublicus (An Urgent Plea for the Return of the Republic) in a desperate attempt to get the dictator to restore at least some semblance of the Old Republic under his rule.
Foreign (F): Antipater the Idumaean, father of Herod the Great of Judaea dies. Comosicus succeeds Burebista as the king of Dacia.
710 AUC (43 BCE):
Domestic: Julius Caesar is proclaimed Pharaoh in Egypt and he appoints Pharxes Kahotep as Egypt’s first Praetor. Caesar sends word to Octavian via letter to officially free his slave, Eupiphenese from his servitude, conferring upon him complete citizenship for informing him before anyone else of the plot against his life. Octavian commissions the completion of the Forum Julium, including the new house of the Senate on the west end of the forum, the Curius Senatus. The Senate officially reorganizes itself completely, becoming the Imperial Senate in February, with Cicero becoming the first Princeps Senatus of the new Senate and Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus being elected life-long Consul of the Senate. Octavian appoints the first senators in the new Senate (and makes sure they agree with Caesar’s policies) rather than being elected by the citizens of the provinces (as they will after the establishment of the lex Provincii). Octavian himself remains a senator, heading the civil law committee. The Senate begins work on the lex Imperius, which deals primarily with the position of the Emperor and the functioning of the imperial government. The last trial of the conspirators is held in June, with the lenient sentencing of both Brutus and Cassius. Lugdunum is founded in Gaul. The great Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) is born. Caesar begins construction of Castrum Thracia, a future imperial prison.
Military: Both the Battle of Memphis and the Battle of Alexandria are won by Julius Caesar, thus completing his conquest of Egypt. Caesar returns to Pella and begins his invasion of Thrace in May, culminating in the Battle of Vordium (R), the Battle of Dordivium (R), and the Battle of the Plotin Plains (R). Other minor battles occur, but ultimately Antony and Caesar conquer Thrace and Moesia throughout the year.
Battles:
Battle of Mount Geru (I)
Battle of Plotinopolis (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Caesar drafts his response to Cicero’s letter, most commonly referred to by scholars as the Arcula (the Argument or Response), praising the senator for his love and concern for the Republic and making a sound logical argument for the changes he and his followers are bringing to the Roman world by showing how the old order was chaotic and flawed.
Foriegn: In India, Nagasena creates the Emerald Buddha, an important factor in the spread of Buddhism throughout the Roman Empire centuries later. Princess Iotapa of Media is born. The Catuvellauni in Britain break their tribute treaty with Rome and expel the Roman diplomat Popius from their capital.
711 AUC (42 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian manages to pass a land redistribution bill in the Senate called II lex Agraria, which sets an absolute cap on the area of land that a single citizen could own, twenty iugeri (80 acres). Caesar appoints Lucius Cornelius Balbus Praetor of Thrace. Cleopatra begins reading Caesar’s commentaries to the Senate and to large crowds of people in Rome. Her reading of the commentaries and her speeches of Caesar’s greatness not only increase Caesar’s popularity, but also her own. The Roman people begin seeing Cleopatra as an adopted Roman rather than a foreign queen as in years past. Pollio establishes the Roman fort, Londinium in Britain.
Military: Caesar recalls Gauis Asinius Pollio from his campaign in Spain and in March, Pollio lands in Britain and begins his campaign to conquer the island. The battles of Durovernum (R), the River Tamesis (R), Verulamium (R), Sorbindunum (R), and Segontium (R) officially mark Pollio’s conquest of southern Britain. Late in the year Pollio invades Caledonia, loosing the Battle of Luguvallium, but winning at Brocavum in the process. Caesar continues his conquest of Moesia, Dalmatia, and Pannonia throughout the entire year and meets Duritista, the Dacian diplomat for the first time. A small revolt, lead by a devoted follower of the late Ptolemy XIV at Memphis in Egypt is defeated by Pharxes in April.
Literature, Art, and Science: Caesar completes his Commentarii de Bello Thracico in which he greatly exaggerates the Roman victory at Vordium. He does this largely to increase his popularity and support among the Roman people just as he did years ago during his wars in Gaul.
Foreign: Queen Anula of Ceylonia dies.
712 AUC (41 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian introduces a bill into the Senate called the lex Epistulus Equinus, which establishes a mail system throughout the Empire starting at Rome and radiating along Rome’s roads to the rest of the empire. The mail system consists of stations approximately 100 miles apart along the roads and one mail runner and horse per station to carry letters and messages from one part of the empire to the next; this is primarily done so that Octavian can communicate better with Caesar. The Senate passes the lex Imperius. The Senate also begins working on the appendix to the, Corpus Juris Civilis (Lex Magnus), the Codex Juris Civilis, a document that would officially replace the common law of the Twelve Tables upon its completion in 716 AUC. The lex Imperius is passed by the Senate. Both Octavian and Eupiphenes begin tutoring Caesarion and teach him how to effectively run the Republic. Lucius Antonius (Marc Antony’s brother) becomes the Praetor of Britannia and Caledonia (though later the island would be split into two provinces). Pollio establishes Campus Caledonia in Caledonia. Arsinoe IV, sister of Cleopatra, renounces all claims to the Egyptian throne from her sanctuary in Ephesus and moves to Rome, becoming an extremely influential and rich woman in the process. Her success is so profound that the birth of her son Decimus Auletius Calidus several years later, is considered the beginning of a new gens in Roman society (the first of many with the expansion of the Republic under Caesar), the Auleti (named after Arsinoe’s father, Ptolemy XII Auletes)
Military: Duritista meets with Julius Caesar for the second time in June after the massive Battle of Carnuntum (R) in which the Pannonian tribal alliance leader, Paeleus of Sirmium is killed, effectively ending major resistance to Julius Caesar’s conquest of Pannonia and Moesia. Caesar and Antony continue to campaign along the Ister and in eastern Moesia and continue to build roads throughout the conquered territories while campaigning. Pollio continues his conquest of Britannia, finally conquering the island after the infamous Battle of Vuvidenum (R). Pollio begins making plans to invade Hibernia before returning to Gaul upon order of Julius Caesar to raise an army for a future campaign in Germania. According to legend, when told by Caesar’s messenger to return to Gaul immediately and prepare for war with Germania, Pollio became so angry that he nearly killed Caesar’s messenger where he stood by shooting an arrow around his head (if the arrow had hit him, then it would have been a bad omen for him to leave Britain, if not he should leave) for even suggesting he leave behind his dreams of conquering Hibernia. Many historians doubt this story however, as nothing in the historical record indicates that Pollio would blatantly disregard an order of Julius Caesar. Regardless, the phrase "ad exspecto arbitratus sagitta" or "to await the arrow’s decision" is still a familiar saying within modern Roman popular culture, and generally applies to someone making a difficult decision, often associated with marriage.
Literature, Art, and Science: Roman sculptor Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus begins a grand statue of Julius Caesar; a statue that to this day stands in the center of the Forum Julium.
713 AUC (40 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian commissions the first mail station in Rome in January, quickly followed by stations along the Via Appia throughout the remainder of the year. The Senate begins its monumental work on the restructuring of the provinces, the lex Provincii. The Roman Senate votes Herod as the “King of Judea” and promises support in ousting the Parthians from Judea. Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus is appointed Praetor of Moesia. Publius Servilius Casca is appointed Praetor of Pannonia.
Military: The Parthian king, Phraates IV , upon seeing a distracted Rome in Dacia, invades Judea and helps Antigonus the Hasmonean exile the Roman-supported ruler of Judea, Hyrcanus II, to Babylon. The Parthians capture Jerusalem after a tremendous battle with Hyrcanus’ forces and Herod flees to Rome where he pleads with the Senate to overthrow Antigonus. Caesar and Antony begin the invasion of Dacia by crossing the River Ister. Pollio returns to Gaul.
Battles:
First Battle of the Ister (R)
Battle of Contra Margum (E)
Battle of Mount Blanae (E)
Second Battle of the Ister (R)
Battle of Drobeta (R)
Battle of Burridava (R)
Battle of Mount Janae (R)
Battle of Cerci (R)
Battle of Stenae (R)
Battle of Ghormium (I)
Battle of Borcu (I)
Second Battle of Borcu (E)
Battle of Sarmizegethusa (R)
First Battle of Blandiana (R)
Battle of Zermizurga (E)
Second Battle of Blandiana (R)
Battle of Norvodava (R)
Battle of Tibiscus (R)
Battle of Jerusalem (E)
Foreign: The Ji Jiu Pian dictionary is published in China.
714 AUC (39 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate passes a measure (the lex Via Appia) extending the Via Appia north from Rome to the city of Florentia, where it then will eventually split further north and end at both Ravenna and Placentia. Arsinoe IV marries Tiberius Calidus in March. The Senate moves into the now completed first section of the Curius Senatus, the Conloquium, where Senate debate and the passing of legislation occur. Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor dies, leaving Octavian's sister, Octavia Minor, widowed. Her daughter, the future first wife of Ptolemy Caesar, Claudia Marcella, is born. A small slave revolt in Arretium, lead by the slave Virtrumus of Zela, is defeated by Marcus Vispanius Agrippa before he leaves in June for Egypt to confront the Parthians in Judea. Gaius Vibius Pansa is made Praetor of Dacia after its conquest and begins work on the Via Pansa. The Pact of Misenum is signed in October between the Senate and Sextus Pompeius, largely to assure Rome’s grain supply until Octavian can muster enough strength to invade Sicily. Caeso Geminius Laterensis, a strong ally of Caesar during the Civil War, becomes Praetor of Iazyga.
Military: Agrippa lands in Egypt, and in conjunction with Pharxes Kahotep and Cleopatra, begins a campaign north to confront the Parthian general Orodoaces in Judea. The Roman campaign in Dacia continues, as Caesar, Antony, and the Getae alliance chase the Dacian king Comosicus into northern Dacia. Caesar invades the lands of the Iazyges tribe, conquering them by late September. Caesar then quarters his army in Noricum in preparation for his invasion of Germania in December. Caesar invades Germania in December. Pollio invades Germania from Gaul, capturing the Usipete capital, Caeduum before the end of the year. Sextus Pompeius, from his rebel base in Sicily, invades and conquers Sardinia, leading to a temporary truce signed at Misenum later in the year between Republican forces and those of the remaining optimates.
Battles:
Battle of Napoca (R)
Battle of Hotovum (R)
Battle of Jiadava (R)
Battle of Trius (R)
Battle of Medoslanium (R)
Battle of Cagliari (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero begins writing his great dissertation on the Lex Magnus and the New Senate, the Nova Respublica. Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus finishes his statue of Julius Caesar and it is erected in the center of the Forum Julium. Caesar begins writing his commentary on the war in Germania, the Commentarii de Bello Germanico.
715 AUC (38 BCE):
Domestic: Arsinoe IV gives birth to Decimus Auletius Calidus. Octavian orders the general Spurius Duilius Aquilinus to invade Sardinia and recapture the island from Sextus Pompieus’ forces. A senator from Neapolis by the name of Vibius Arrius Brocchus proposes a bill into the senate to write off all of the debt incurred during the Caesarian Civil War of all of the plebeians in the city of Rome. The measure is voted on, but narrowly fails to reach a majority. Brocchus, Octavian, and other powerful senators continue to look for a way to help the ailing economy by canceling more of the public’s debt. Herod I is proclaimed the king of Judea. Agrippa returns to Rome where he begins building an army and navy for the eventual overthrow of Sextus Pompieus in Sicily. Lucius Volusius Saturninus, Roman statesmen, is born. Marc Antony begins work on the Via Antonia in eastern Germania along the Vistula. Antony establishes Antonia Naharvalia in eastern Germania, a command center along the border that will eventually become the modern city of Naharva.
Military: Agrippa campaigns against Orodoaces in Judea, finally expelling the Parthians from the Roman client state in August after the Battle of Gamala (R). Both Orodoaces and the Parthian king Orodes II die during the campaign and his general Pacorus takes over command of Parthian forces, invading Roman Syria shortly after. Phraates IV becomes the king of Parthia. Antony invades Germania in January, campaigning along the River Vistula and building forts and roads to secure the Republic’s eastern border. Caesar and Pollio continue their conquest of western and central Germania. Pollio meets stiff resistance from a Cherusci chief named Usivius Belicus, who along with the Langobardi and Chatti (and two minor tribes) form the First Germanic Coalition to resist Roman conquest in northern Germania. He then campaigns against the Chatti chief, Veruenos after he invades previously subdued lands in the west of Germania. Pollio manages to quickly conquer the Chatti and much of northern-central Germania by year’s end. Caesar campaigns against the Juthungi king Hydosius and is defeated horribly at Eburodunum, only to avenge his defeat at Stragona months later before campaigning against King Iulopius of the Marcomanni and the First Hermiones Coalition (consisting of the Marcomanni, several tribes of both the Suebi and the Quadi, the Burgundiones, and the Gothini). Caesar then campaigns into Marcomanni lands, defeating Iulopius at Coridorgis and completing the conquest of the Marcomanni upon the defeat of Iulopius’ son Valitinius after allying with the Boiehemum. He continues to campaign relatively unopposed throughout the remainder of the year, subduing the Silingi before the onset of winter. Spurius Duilius Aquilinus invades Sardinia, but is repulsed by Sextus Pompieus’ forces under the command of Marcus Gratius Caninus at the Battle of Portus Torres.
Battles:
Battle of Samaria (R)
Battle of Murutium (R)
Battle of Bogadium (R)
First Battle of Mediolanium (R)
Battle of the River Vidrus (E)
Second Battle of Mediolanium (R)
Battle of Teuderium (R)
Battle of Phabiranum (R)
First Battle of Alisum (E)
Battle of Manarmanis (R)
Battle of Luppia (R)
Second Battle of Alisum (R)
Battle of Arctaurum (R)
Battle of Eburodunum (E)
First Battle of Medioslanium (R)
Second Battle of Medioslanium (I)
Battle of Trevorium (R)
Battle of Felicia (R)
Battle of Hegetinatia (I)
Battle of Stragona (R)
Battle of Hercynii Pass at Hystus (R)
Battle of Coridorgis (R)
Battle of Rhedintovinum (I)
Battle of Marobuduin (R)
Battle of the River Albis (R)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XXII (E)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XXI (E)
Battle of Castrum Antonium XX (R)
Battle of Gertodunum (R)
Battle of Festadava (R)
Battle of Portus Torres (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero completes his Nova Respublica.
Foreign: The megalomaniac son of King Iulopius of the Marcomanni, Valitinius, deposes his father, becoming king of the Marcomanni and leader of the First Hermiones Coalition. The German historian Agathe of Rhedintovinum travels with Valitinius and begins writing his history on the warlord.
716 AUC: (37 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate completes the new Codex Juris Civilis, completely replacing the old Twelve Tables. The Via Appia reaches Placentia and all of the mail stations along the road are completed by November. The Pact of Pisae, a formal declaration of peace, is signed between the Republic and the forces of Sextus Pompieus, heralding the founding of the short-lived Pompeian Empire of Sicily and Sardinia. The west wing of the Curius Senatus (Senator housing) is completed. Octavian divorces his second wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla. Octavian founds Portus Julius in Italy as a naval base to aid in the eventual re-conquest of Sicily and Sardinia. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year.
Military: Pharxes and Agrippa defeat Pacorus at the Battle of Damascus in Syria, forcing the Parthians to retreat from Roman territory. In October, a truce is signed between the Republic and Parthia. Caesar, Antony, and Pollio continue their campaign to subdue Germania.
Battles:
Battle of Trevorii (R)
First Battle of Virunum (E)
Second Battle of Virunum (R)
Battle of Trevorodunum (R)
Battle of Bunitium (E)
Battle of Susudata (R)
Battle of the Jadua Flow (R)
Battle of Calisia Heights (R)
Battle of Calisia (R)
First Battle of Rhedintovinum (I)
Second Battle of Rhedintovinum (R)
Battle of Mount Faestus (R)
Battle of the Lupos Valley (R)
Second Battle of Hercynii Pass at Asus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Tobias of Halicarnassus begins writing his chronology of Marc Antony’s conquests. Livy begins his monumental biography of Julius Caesar, Caesar Divus.
Foreign: The Chinese mathematician and music theorist, Jing Fang dies. The kingdom of Goguryeo in Korea is founded by Dongmyeong.
717 AUC (36 BCE):
Domestic: The Via Appia reaches Ravenna. The Senate votes to commission the Via Julia, a road that will eventually run throughout Gaul and Spain and the Via Octavia, a road that will run north to Germania, east to Dacia, and south to Greece and Byzantium. The east wing of the Curius Senatus (Senatorial archives) is completed. Agrippa’s daughter, Vipsania Agrippina, is born. Octavian’s daughter Julia Octaviana is born. Octavian begins working in collaboration with the Senate on Caesar’s massive tax reform plan. Antony builds a fort on the island of Rugia in northern Germania where he begins his naval raids of the northern coast of Germania.
Military: Caesar, Pollio, and Antony continue their campaigns in Germania. Agrippa begins a massive military buildup, including a large naval fleet, at the now complete Portus Julius. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus is sent to Hispania by Octavian to complete the conquest of northern and western Spain. Sextus Pompieus’ general Marcus Gratius Caninus breaks the Pact of Pisae and quickly conquers Corsica. Shortly after his conquest of Corsica, Caninus invades Hispania at Carthago Nova. Lepidus diverts his forces from northwest Hispania to southern Hispania in an attempt to stop Caninus’ forces. Lepidus fights Caninus to a stalemate at the Battle of Aspis, forcing Caninus to end his invasion of Hispania at the River Tader. Antony captures the German warlord and future censor of Tarentum, Ivo the Goth.
Battles:
Battle of Meliboeus (R)
Battle of Nerterea Forest (I)
First-Third battles of Tropea Drusi (R) (E) (R)
Battle of Lake Semnon (I)
Battle of Lake Duronus (E)
Battle of Armisia (R)
Battle of Tulisurgium (R)
Battle of Belonium (R)
Battle of Suedatium (R)
Battle of Murra (R)
Battle of Tarodunum (R)
First and Second Battles of Scurgum (R)
Battle of Venedic Bay (R)
Battle of Rugium (I)
Battle of Chalsus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero writes De Octavium (On Octavian), an oration on the effective governance of the Republic under Octavian’s stead during Caesar’s absence. Gnaeus Minius Bibaculus begins sculpting a relief on the front of the Curius Senatus depicting Cicero giving an oration to a full room of Senators. The relief reads: “Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus” or “We are slaves of laws so that we can be free”, a famous quote from Cicero.
Foreign: In China, a Han Dynasty army under the command of General Chen Tang defeats the leader of the Xiongnu leader, Zhizhi Chanyu in the Battle of Zhizhi, leading to a peace treaty between the Han and the Xiongnu that will last for only ten years. In an interesting side note, archaeologists believe that some of the Xiongnu forces killed at Fort Zhizhi may have actually been Roman war prisoners, sold to the Xiongnu as mercenaries by Phraates IV of the Parthian Empire.
718 AUC (35 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian and the Senate finally hammer out the details of a tax reform law and the lex Tributum is passed in June, effectively ending the traditional practice of tax farming in favor of salaried civil service tax collectors or exactori (a new Republican office). The reform law also ended the traditional tribute-style tax levied on the provinces in favor of a flat direct tax on the provinces. The city of Rome (and later province of Latium) was spared direct taxation, but was taxed indirectly through purchased goods, buying and selling of slaves, and estate and property taxes. The Via Pansa is completed in Dacia in August and runs in the south from the southern border of Getae to the northern border of Dacia and the western border with Iazyga. Antony builds Castrum Cimbrium on the Cimbrian peninsula. Pharxes begins building a massive army in Egypt in preparation for Caesar’s future war against Parthia. Marcus Annaeus Caepio becomes the new Praetor of Illyricum. Numerius Fabius Nerva is appointed by Octavian as the new Praetor of recently conquered Sicily.
Military: The Roman campaign in Germania continues. The war against the Pompeian Empire bogs down in Hispania, with Lepidus loosing several battles against Caninus. Agrippa defeats Pompeian naval forces at the Battle of Naulochus Cape, allowing Agrippa to land his forces on the western coast of Sicily. In June, Agrippa defeats the remainder of Sextus’ forces at Messana and prepares his fleet for an invasion of Hispania. Octavian sends Lucius Sempronius Flaccus to quell a rebellion in Illyricum. By the end of the year, the rebellion is defeated and ten years of probationary military rule begins in Illyricum.
Battles:
Battle of Lupphurdum (R)
Fourth Battle of Tropea Drusi (R)
Battle of Tuliphurdum (R)
Battle of Ascalingium (R)
Battle of Pheugarum (R)
Battle of Aq Mattiacae (I)
Battle of Arctaurum (R)
Battle of Alanium Plains (I)
Battle of Gypasian Pass (E)
Battle of Sinus Lagnus (E)
Battle of the River Anglus (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Bibaculus completes his relief above the entrance to the Curius Senatus. Cicero writes De Senatus (On the Senate), in which he describes the functioning of the new Senate during this time. Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) writes his Satirae I.
Foreign: Sextus Pompeius dies in combat at Messina. With Rome distracted, the Parthian king Phraates IV, begins a campaign to subjugate the tribes to the southwest and northeast of his eastern border. The Roman Republic and the Persian Empire sign a peace treaty in April, mostly due to the distraction and upheaval in Rome and Phraates IV’s war of conquest on his eastern border. He begins by attacking Bactria in the northeast, taking the city of Bactria in August and ousting the king of the small kingdom, Rhadapdizes. Rhadapdizes flees north to Sogdiana with his son, Sapabdizes.
719 AUC (34 BCE):
Domestic: The lex Provincii passes the Senate and the Senate appoints two Senators for each of the sixteen provinces (senatorial) of the Republic (Sicily, Illyricum, and Sardinia and Corsica, just recently re-conquered, are military provinces). Thrace, Dacia, Moesia, Pannonia, Aegyptus, Iazyga and Britannia and Caledonia are incorporated as military provinces and given no representation in the Senate. Getae, Judea, and Galatia are considered tributary or protectorate states. Italia, minus Rome, is incorporated as the only imperial province at this time, receiving three senators elected from voting citizens (land owning citizens). The city of Rome is given 10 senators to show its importance and primacy in the new Imperial Senate (at this time known as just simply the Senate). The membership of the new official Senate stands at 45 in this year. The Via Julia reaches Hasta in northwestern Italy. Grain imports are stabilized for the first time in years after Agrippa’s complete pacification of Sicily, and this along with the flood of spoils from Caesar’s completed conquest of Germania and the full flow of gold from Dacian gold mines, helps rejuvenate both the economy and Republican coffers. Caesar and Pollio return to Rome in August, and Caesar claims power or Postulo Imperium from Octavian, who willingly resigns the powers of Imperator Interrex. Postulo Imperium is a legal term in Roman law meaning that the emperor can "claim power or empire" back from the interim emperor, and though the emperor already is higher in rank than the interim emperor and assumes his power upon returning to Rome anyway, the ceremony of Postulo Imperium is still performed to this day as a symbol of submitting to the emperor. The opposite of this process in Roman law is Impertio Imperium, or to "bestow power or empire" to the interim emperor. Caesar immediately begins working on a complete overhaul of the Roman army to improve on the old Marian reforms. In addition to this, Caesar also issues his first edict as emperor, the Edictum Colonium, which establishes 38 new colonies throughout his new conquests (the majority of them being in Germania and Gaul). The edict allows those retiring from the military and the urban poor of the city of Rome and other cities in Italy to move to the new colonies at the expense of the state, given that able-bodied men join the local military garrison and that they continue to pay their taxes. In addition, all prior debt accumulated up to the time an individual or family moves, is completely wiped clean. Cleopatra becomes pregnant with Caesar’s third child. The Roman colony Caesaria Albia is founded by Caesar before he begins his journey back to Rome.
Establishments commissioned by the Edictum Colonium:
Germania:
Caesaria Marcomannia
Caesaria Vistula
Mogontiacum
Saxonum
Caesarium
Pollium Langobardum
Albidunum
Caesaria Hermundurium
Havatoronium
Portus Germanicus
Caesaria Hyrcenia
Gaul:
Durocortorum
Caesarodunum
Aquitania
Alesium
Vercingetora
Quartonesis
Portus Sequanus
Hispania:
Caesarium Tarraconensis
Felicitas Julia
Emeritium
Lepida Hispana
Pannonia:
Raetonum Antonium
Moesia:
Mortogunum
Iulium Caesarium
Thrace:
Thrax
Egypt:
Caesaria
Pompium
Cleopatra Aegyptica
Britannia/Caledonia:
Eboracum
Iscarensis
Portus Britannicus
Caledonus Antonius
Iazyga:
Iazyganum
Dacia:
Caesarina
Thorodunum
Uvio
Contra Antonia
Military: Antony begins his campaign between the River Vistula and the River Hypanus Septentrionalis and into the Carpathian Mountains (as well as along the River Hypanus Australis). Agrippa blockades southern Hispania with his navy and besieges Carthago Nova in early April. Agrippa defeats Caninus at the fierce Battle of Carthago Nova (R), ending the short lived Pompeian Empire and the last remnants of optimate resistance to Caesar until the Iunius Coniuratius (June Plot) 7 years later. Lepidus continues his previously aborted campaign to subjugate the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Battles:
Battle of Ulopum (R)
First and Second Battles of Phurogunum (R) (I)
Battle of the River Sala (R)
Battle of Caucium (R)
Battle of Cimbria Cacumena (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) writes Bellum Britannicum, a history of both Caesar’s and Pollio’s invasions of Britain shortly before his death later in the year. Livy begins writing his monumental, life-time literary achievement, Ab Urbe Condita.
Foreign: Parthia officially annexes Bactria. Phraates IV and his general Pacorus invade Aria and Drangiana to avenge the loss of these two areas by the empire decades earlier, starting a ferocious guerilla war with the native peoples that will badly drain the Parthian army and leave it in a weakened state when the Romans invade the empire two years later.
720 AUC (33 BCE):
Domestic: Quintus Aurelius Trio is elected Princeps Senatus of the Senate. Caesar begins many of his long-delayed public works projects in the city of Rome and throughout Roman territory. Caesar began the two most important public works projects in his agenda in Rome during this year, commissioning both the Delubrum Martius Grandis (the Great Temple of Mars) and a massive theater, the Colosseum, in which Caesar intended to entertain the populace of Rome with gladiator fights and naval battles, built along the side of the infamous Tarpeian Rock. Caesar also commissioned through edict the draining of the Pomptine Marshes which, when taken together with his expansion of the Forum Julium and the two aforementioned projects, greatly reduced unemployment in the city of Rome and many of its surrounding cities. Caesar’s third child, a daughter named Julia Caesaria Cleopatra, is born. All mail stations are completed along the Via Appia in this year and mail stations along the Via Julia extend as far as the road itself, which reaches toward Noviodunum (in the north) and Massilia (in the south) in Gaul. Also in this year Caesar issues the Edictum Militaris, an edict that completely reorganizes the Roman military. These changes are also known as the Caesarian Reforms. Caesar begins to reorganize the legions within the Roman military and train his army according to the new reforms for the future war with Parthia. Caesar issues the Edictum Munimentum, an edict regulating the layout of border defenses and military forts in general. This edict will be very influential in Caesar’s later modification of municipal planning. Upon hearing of Antony’s success and the terrain east of Germania from one of Antony’s messengers, Caesar sends word to him about the Edictum Munimentum, and conveys to him a plan for the building of a defensive wall at the narrowest point between the two Hypanis Rivers (north and south). Sallust dies at the age of 53. The Senate officially annexes all of Germania east to the River Vistula to the Republic, leaving Frisia and Boiohemia as protectorates because of their help during the war. Marcus Junius Brutus, the pardoned leader of Caesar’s failed assassination, is appointed Praetor of all of Germania until the newly conquered territory can be divided into provinces. Brutus immediately begins construction on the Via Brutia a road that runs west-to-east along the northern coast of Germania. The estimated population of the Roman Republic is 40 million people.
Military: Lepidus continues his campaign in northwestern Hispania, defeating a coalition of the Gravii, Bracarii, and Cantabri tribes at the Battle of Praesiduum (R) in May. He campaigns along the western coast of Hispania for the rest of the year. Antony decisively defeats the Carpi in the collective Battles of the Carpathian Mountains (R), annexing all of the land south of the River Hypanus Australis to the border with Dacia to the Republic. Antony also conquers the land between the River Vistula and the River Hypanus Septentrionalis. He builds a road and border defenses along the entire southern bank of the River Hypanus Septentrionalis to connect with previously built border defenses along and the River Hypanus Australis.
Literature, Art, and Science: Cicero writes Pro Caesaro, a treatise on his endorsement of Caesar’s reforms of the Republic, especially the Codex Juris Civilis. This will be the last major work Cicero will write before his death a year later. Publish Vergilius Maro (Virgil) begins writing his famous Georgics. Greek writer Athanasius of Aegina writes his most famous play, The Ambition of Caesar, a play about the rise of Caesar, the failed assassination attempt on his life, and his transformation of Rome. Bibaculus begins sculpting his now famous statue of Romulus and Remus dueling on the dome of the Curius Senatus.
Foreign: King Bocchus II of Mauretania dies and Numidia becomes a province of the Roman Republic, with Marcus Sicinius Dolabella becoming the province’s first Proconsul (Numidia enters the Republic as a Senatorial province because it was acquired by peaceful means and not through conquest). The Senate now has 47 members. Mauretania becomes a protectorate of the Roman Republic. The Parthian king Phraates IV conquers Aria and Drangiana, extending his eastern border significantly. The occupation strains his army, as the guerrilla war in the mountains of Drangiana drags on. Despite these setbacks, Phraates IV manages to swell his army with mercenaries and hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Persia and begins campaigning in Arachosia and Gedrosia late in the year. Emperor Yuan of the Han Chinese Empire dies and is succeeded by his son, Emperor Cheng of the Han.
721 AUC (32 BCE):
Domestic: Cicero dies at the age of 74. Caesar commissions the Bibliotheca Magna Roma (the Great Library of Rome) based on the Great Library at Alexandria and puts Marcus Terrentius Varro, famous Roman writer and scholar, in charge of obtaining and organizing the most famous of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian texts. Caesar also commissions a new aqueduct for Rome, the Aqua Caesaria, to run from the east of the city past the Palatine Hill and to the south end of Capitoline Hill to furnish households and the new future Colosseum with water. Early in the year, Caesar introduces the II lex Julia Municipalis, an amendment to the bill he got passed in 708 which clearly defines the organization of all Roman cities and new colonies along the same standards. Caesar completes his overhaul, reorganization, and training of his veteran legions in April, and designates his former Legio X Equestris as his formal body guard. He renames the legion Legio X and makes it the head of the Praetorian Guard, the group of seven legions that has served as the Emperors’ bodyguard throughout imperial history. Legio X will go on to be the most famous and prestigious of the Legions, and traditionally is commanded by the first born (and generally heir) of each Emperor. The Caesarian Reforms of the army continue, with the permanent establishment of eighty offensive legions of 5,000 men plus 3000 auxiliary each (easily attained because of the lenient criteria necessary to join the army under Caesar’s reforms). His reforms also establish an additional thirty defensive or domestic legions of equal strength to the offensive ones which are stationed at various places along Rome’s extensive border. Caesar leaves for Syria in July with 25 legions, landing at Sidon in August, where he begins to assemble his army for the coming invasion of Parthia. Agrippa and Pollio also leave with Caesar to Syria, bringing with them a combined strength of 25 legions. Caesar, Pollio, and Agrippa immediately begin recruiting and training an additional ten legions for the coming war with Parthia. Marc Antony builds Castrum Hypanium Antonium, a major command center for the frontier legions manning the border defenses between the two Hypanis Rivers. Antony’s army begins construction on the Murus Carpathia, a large defensive wall approximately fifty miles long with fortified embattlements (and housing for soldiers) every five miles. Lepidus becomes the first Praetor of the province of Gallaecia in northwestern Hispania. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Vitruvius) begins work on the building of the Colosseum. Octavian reassumes the role of Imperator Interrex upon Caesar’s departure from Rome. The draining of the Pomptine Marshes begins with a large number of fatalities due to malaria. Agrippa’s father-in-law Titus Pomponius Atticus, suffering from a serious illness at the time, commits suicide, but Agrippa isn’t made aware of the event (which will ultimately cause him much grief) until his return to Rome many years later.
Military: Lepidus finishes his campaign in western and northwestern Spain after defeating the Cantabri chieftain Amatus of Juuobrigu at the Battle of Burum (R). Antony campaigns against Asander of the Bosporan Kingdom by invading Taurica by the end of the year and besieging Chersonesos in November.
Literature, Art, and Science: Horace writes Epodes. Bibaculus finishes his statue of Romulus and Remus on the dome of the Curius Senatus.
Foreign: Phraates IV reaches the River Indus, annexing all of Gedrosia and Arachosia by July after besieging Patala (along the River Indus) and successfully defeating the Indian warlord Upatadpses. King Parnavaz II of Caucasian Iberia dies and is succeeded by Mirian II.
722 AUC (31 BCE):
Domestic: Antony constructs Castrum Tauricum Antonium, the modern port city of Tauricum and home of the famous 2600’s AUC Olympic gold-medalist Petrus Opidus Gulva Olympus. Octavian oversees the beginning of the massive project to drain the Pomptine Marshes. According to historical figures recorded by both Livy and Vitruvius (in De Architectura), there were nearly one hundred thousand men (including at least forty thousand slaves) working on the gigantic project. Publius Servilius Vatius Isauricus dies and Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is elected Consul of the Senate. The Via Julia reaches Lutetia in Gaul and the Via Octavia reaches Narona in Illyricum. Octavian (on behalf of Caesar’s title of Pontifex Maximus) officially makes several Germanic gods (most prominently Frige, Tiw, and Freo) part of the Roman pantheon, beginning a long tradition of adding foreign gods to the Roman pagan belief system. Antony continues to build border forts and extend the Via Antonia during his campaign in Taurica and into Scythian lands near the River Borysthenes. Ptolemy Caesar takes command of Legio X at the age of 16 and begins his formal military training. Octavian commissions Roman cartographer Tiberius Laelius Cordus and a group of explorers to chart and map Germania. The project will take several years and will involve official mapping and naming of several rivers and mountain ranges. The main reason behind this effort is to find favorable areas for future colonization and to determine the best way to divide the primitive area into viable Roman provinces (given the lack of infrastructure in most of the area known as Germania).
Military: Caesar and Pollio invade the Parthian Empire from Roman Syria, while Agrippa commands an army of 90,000 Romans and allied Galatians against King Artavasdes II of Armenia (who had turned against the Romans after the Battle of Carrhae and joined the Parthians in 700 AUC). Antony campaigns against the aging King Palakus of the Scythians, defeating his army and killing him in battle during the Battle of the River Borysthenes (R) in July.
Battles:
Siege of Edessa (R)
Siege and Battle of Nicophorum (R)
Battle of River Araxes (R)
Battle of Circesium (R)
Battle of Hatra (I)
Battle of Nineveh (R)
First Battle of the River Tigris (R)
Second Battle of River Tigris (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Virgil writes Eclogues. The Egyptian poet Ptah writes Land of Gods, a series of poems describing the history of Egypt’s pharaohs from Tiu to Caesar. The Hellenistic Era of art ends and the Latin Era in art begins with the sculpting of the Martius Colossicus by Sextus Flavius Verres in front of the partially completed Delubrum Martius Grandis.
Foreign: Phraates IV makes peace with the Indian prince, Draupadi, due to the new war with Rome. After the death of Palakus, Scrofuctus the Terrible becomes king of the Scythians, now confined to north of the Borysthenes.
723 AUC (30 BCE):
Domestic: The draining of the Pomptine Marshes hits an unexpected obstacle when nearly 5,000 men die after a massive collapse of one of the main drainage canals. Octavian temporarily orders a halt to the project until engineers can devise a way to keep the canals from collapsing (a major problem with the project given the saturated marshlands). Vitruvius completes the foundation and basement area of the Colosseum in June. Octavian makes all of the major Egyptian gods, including Osiris and Isis, an official part of the Roman pantheon. A former optimate and current Senator named Decimus Coruncanius Aesillio begins openly criticizing Octavian and Caesar in the Senate during times of Octavian’s absence. Though ignored as the usual uneasiness of some Senators with the growing power of Caesar’s unique office, some Senators close to Aesillio form a small committee dedicated to defeating Octavian’s legislative agenda. This committee represents the beginning of what will quickly grow into a block of Senators called the “Neo-Optimates” which will be influential in the Iunius Coniuratius against Caesar and Octavian. The Senate passes a resolution annexing Armenia, Adiabene, Atropatene, Mesopotamia, and Scythia south of the River Borysthenes to the Roman Republic (officially making these areas military provinces).
New Praetors:
Armenia: Lucius Gratius
Adiabene: Lucius Herennius Aculeo
Atropatene: Servius Iulius Bubulcus
Mesopotamia: Marcus Labienus
Scythia: Quintus Irminius Dentatus
Military: The Roman campaign in Parthia continues after an initial ceasefire. Antony begins his campaign south into the Caucasus Mountains after resting his army for several months at a makeshift fort on the River Tanais. Antony moves quickly to secure ports along the eastern coast of the Pontus Euxinus in his march south toward Colchis and Iberia. In June, after his capture of Cercetus just north of the Kingdom of Colchis, Antony sends word to Octavian in Rome for the need of additional legions in his conquest of the Caucasus.
Battles:
Battle of Babylon (R)
Battle of Lake Dalmos (R)
Battle of Praaspa (E)
Siege of Charax (R)
Battle of Ctesiphon (R)
First Battle of Susa (E)
Second Siege/Battle of Ctesiphon (R)
Second Battle of Praaspa (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Bibaculus dies at the age of 57 while sculpting a statue of Octavian with eagle’s wings that was to be placed in the main hall of the Curius Senatus. His apprentice, the 17-year-old Vibius Pontius Macer continues the work of Bibaculus. Macer later becomes Ptolemy Caesar’s court artist and it is believed that he is the distant ancestor of Emperor Urban Pontius. Caesar begins to write his never-finished Commentarii de Bello Parthico.
Foreign: King Rhadapdizes of Sogdiana, the ousted former king of Bactria, secures a peace treaty with the Xiongnu, freeing him to build up his forces to eventually re-conquer Bactria. Characene becomes a protectorate of the Roman Republic.
724 AUC (29 BCE):
Domestic: A minor slave revolt in Rome leads to a devastating fire that destroys the grain storage buildings and a number of residencies in a poorer section of the city. The revolt is rather easily put down, but the incident prompts Octavius to reorganize the city’s police and firefighting force and restructure the way in which the city is managed. Later in the year, Octavian introduces a bill into the Senate called the lex Praefectus, which proposes to create a police force known as the cohorts urbanae (urban cohort) and a firefighting force called the vigils. The law also proposes the creation of two new offices: that of the praefectus urbanus (or Urban Prefect), which basically acts as the executive and police chief of the city of Rome and the iudex urbanus (Urban Judge) who has final legal jurisdiction within the city of Rome (this position leads much later in history to the creation of the judicial branch of government for the Empire). Octavian, due to the grain shortages for the first half of 724, imposes the first grain ration in several years, leading to widespread unrest in the city. The Murus Carpathia is finished by the border legions left behind several years earlier by Antony.
Military: Antony conquers both the Kingdom of Colchis and the Kingdom of Iberia by the end of the year and rests his army in preparation for an eventual invasion of Parthia in support of Caesar’s war effort.
Battles:
Battle of Harsi Tabir (R)
Second Battle of Susa (R)
Battle of Persepolis (E)
Battle of Pasargadae (I)
Siege of Pasargadae (E)
Second Battle of Persepolis (R)
Second Battle of Pasargadae (R)
Battle of Lake Zargusae (E)
Battle of Mount Tyraios (R)
Foreign: A former Parthian general named Golgitones establishes an independent kingdom in Osroene after a successful rebellion against the occupying Romans. Herod the Great of Judea finishes building the massive fortress of Masada.
725 AUC (28 BCE):
Domestic: Ivo the Goth is freed by Antony’s will after the general’s death and he moves to Tarentum in Italy where he begins writing a memoire. Caesar begins his infamous affair with a former Bactrian princess named Taxiana. According to Livy’s account of the incident, Caesar fathered a second son with Taxiana, though this account cannot be substantiated by any other historian. Despite this, the famous general Gauis Julius Mus (who served during Ptolemy’s reign), also born in this year, is often linked to Livy’s account and many speculate that he may actually have been the second son of Caesar. According to the official historical record, Mus is born in Rhagae to a distant relative of Caesar and a Persian woman named Zagalia. Upon hearing of the death of Marc Antony, Caesar promotes Gauis Asinius Pollio to the position of Magister Equitum. The Senate passes the Lex Praefectus, with an amendment that would allow for the Urban Prefect and Urban Judge to both be elected offices rather than appointed by the Imperator Perpetuus. Sextus Mocius Celsus is elected the first Urban Prefect and Cauis Didius Flavus, a prominent lawyer and friend of Octavius, is elected the first Urban Judge of Rome. The block of Senators actively opposed to Octavius’ (and thus Caesar’s) political agenda, form a factio or faction of Senators called the Neo-Optimates. The main agenda of the Neo-Optimates is to always vote against the legislation proposed by Octavian or his allies and all members of the faction vote as a block. One of the more radical members, a Senator from Hispania named Quintus Sergius Gurges, begins to plan a plot to overthrow Octavius and restore the Roman state to a truly Republican form of government. Work on the draining of the Pomptine Marshes begins again after a two-year delay. Colchis, Iberia, and Albania are all officially annexed by the Senate in July, with Appius Hirtius becoming the Praetor of Colchis, Marcus Licinius Natta becoming Praetor of Iberia, and Gaius Vedius Brutus becoming Praetor of Albania.
Military: Agrippa manages to end both the rebellion in Armenia and Mesopotamia. He establishes a well-guarded supply and water train that helps supply the Roman army further east under the command of Caesar and Pollio. Caesar and Pollio continue their campaigns in Parthia. Antony invades Armenia to aid Agrippa in defeating the rebellion sparked by Haerodates, but dies later in the year at the Battle of Artaxata due to a battle wound.
Battles:
First Battle of Amida (E)
Second Battle of Amida (I)
Battle of Armaztsikhe (R)
Battle of Lake Sevan (R)
Siege of Tigranocerta (R)
Battle of Mount Ararat (R)
Third Battle of Pasargadae (R)
Siege of Rhagae (R)
Battle of Pura (R)
Siege of Artaxata (R)
Battle of Gorneas (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Macer finally finishes the statue of Winged Octavian that was first begun by Bibaculus. The statue is placed in the main hall of the Curius Senatus. Publius Vergilius Maro begins composing the Aeneid.
Foreign: Haerodates of Armenia rebels against the Roman Republic and establishes an independent Armenian state. Golgitones declares the creation of the Golgite Empire. Civil war rages in Parthia as several generals vie for complete control of the Parthian state. The wheelbarrow is invented in China. King Takpahlav-reh of the Kingdom of Gedrosia allies with the Romans after the defeat of the Parthians by Roman general Spurius Hostilius Barbatus.
726 AUC (27 BCE):
Domestic: Throughout the first half of 726, Senators Gurges and Aesillio begin seeking out members of the Senatorial Guard who are sympathetic to the Neo-Optimate cause and as the elected (within the Senate) civilian commander of the Senatorial Guard, Aesillio, fires the Senatorial Prefect (military head of the Senatorial Guard) and hires a radical former optimate named Lucius Herennius Tuditanus (who had previously been pardoned by Caesar during the trials of the conspirators in 709 and 710) to head the Guard. By May, Aesillio and Gurges’ political strength was such that they had attracted nearly 14 members of the Senate to their side and had infiltrated the Senatorial Guard to such a degree that it was a given that any order given by Aesillio was almost destined to be fulfilled. On the night of June 4th, Aesillio ordered the kidnapping of Octavius from his residence and 10 Senators considered his most powerful allies by the Senatorial Guard, thus starting the two-week long Iunius Coniuratius (June Plot), the attempted overthrow of Octavius in Caesar’s absence. The June Plot ends on June 25th, with the defeat of the Senatorial Guard by the Praetorian Guard (headed by Ptolemy Caesar) and the beheading of both Aesillio and Gurges. Octavian restores order in Rome throughout the rest of the year and sends word to Caesar of the plot. Trials of all the Senators involved in the plot occur during the remainder of the year and elections are held in the provinces represented by the Neo-Optimate Senators to fill the vacant Senate seats. The grain supply is once again stabilized, with the grain reserve nearly full from the now completely stabilized grain market. The grain ration ends in April with a full week of games held at the partially-completed Colosseum to celebrate the end of the ration. Though only 12 years old, Claudia Marcella is betrothed to the 20-year-old Ptolemy Caesar to strengthen the ties between Octavian and Caesar’s family lines. Cleopatra begins a rather public affair with a powerful Senator named Marcus Menenius Bulbus. Though rumors abound in contemporary histories of the time that Cleopatra had a number of low-profile affairs during times of her husband’s absence, none are so clearly documented as her affair with Bulbus, which continued for several years. It is mentioned in Maro’s Historia Julia (written c. 782 AUC) that Cleopatra became pregnant with Bulbus’ child, but she miscarried the pregnancy and it was at this point that she decided to end her affair with Bulbus. A mention of this pregnancy also appears in one line of Ovidius’ Amatoria Cleopatra (Cleopatra’s Lovers). In addition, there is rumored in many of the contemporary histories of the time of a son born to Cleopatra by a man she was having an affair with during Caesar’s campaign in Germania, though no proof of a birth is officially recorded (all of the related histories on this topic label the rumor as hearsay). Despite this, the rumor of Cleopatra giving birth to another man’s son would play a pivotal role in the usurpation of the Roman emperorship by Imperator Cnaeus Julius Philadelphus Bucco two centuries later. In Aegyptus, the northern statue of the Colossi of Memnon is shattered by an earthquake according to the Greek historian Strabo in Geographica.
Military: The Roman military campaign continues in southern and eastern Parthia with a campaign by Caesar and Pollio north toward Hecamtompylos and the Caspian Gates. A minor rebellion in Colchis is put down by the local Roman military garrison. The famous crossing of the Kavir Desert by Caesar’s army occurs. Caesar allies with the Parthian general Bahardarnes and camps his army in Neh before campaigning north with Bahardarnes against the Kingdom of Bactria.
Battles:
Battle of Tarkala (R)
Battle of Pattala (R)
Battle of the Caspian Gates (R)
Siege of Hecamtompylos (R)
Battle of Alexandria (R)
Battle of Susia (E)
Battle of the Bolan Pass (E)
Battle of Guidola (I)
Literature, Art, and Science: Though only 16 years old, the young Publius Ovidius Naso begins composing several poems that will eventually constitute his famous Heroides.
Foreign: The Indian prince Draupadi crosses the River Indus with the intent of conquering Indo-Parthia and avenging his prior losses at the hands of Phraates IV. Draupadi is defeated at the Battle of Tarkala by an alliance of the Roman general Barbatus and the Gedrosian king Takpahlav-reh and is forced to retreat back across the Indus after another defeat at Pattala. Various factions fight for control of the Parthian state in the wake of the defeat and death of Parthian king Rhaphaeshaz and numerous leaders declare themselves king of Parthia during the first half of the year, as civil war engulfs the rump Parthian state. Rhadapdizes, son of the last king of the former Kingdom of Bactria, re-conquers his kingdom and re-establishes the Kingdom of Bactria while fighting for the title of Parthian king against several other factions.
727 AUC (26 BCE):
Domestic: The last trials of those involved in the June Plot the year before are held, with all involved being executed for treason. Work on the Aqua Caesaria, first commissioned in 721, officially begins. The Via Julia reaches Tarraco in Hispania in the south and reaches Durocortorum in the north of Gaul. Octavian pushes a bill through the Senate called the lex Factionis which officially outlaws factions within the Senate and voting as a block. Vitruvius and his workers finish the upper (that which is built into the Tarpeian Rock) section of the Colosseum in February, thus completing its construction. The Via Octavia reaches Stobi in Macedonia.
Military: A joint Parthian and Roman campaign against King Rhadapdizes of Bactria ends badly for Caesar when Bahardarnes turns on the Romans at the Second Battle of Merv. After being badly wounded, Caesar retreats with his army to Hecatompylos, where he spends most of the remainder of the year recovering from his injury (under the care of the Persian doctor Adidales) and plotting revenge against Bahardarnes. At the end of the year, Caesar begins his campaign to capture Neh. Pollio begins a difficult campaign against the Bactrians and the Khwarazmians along the River Oxus.
Battles:
Second Battle of Merv (E)
Siege of Asaak (R)
Battle of Dara (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: A Roman scientist by the name of Tiberius Capenius Scaevola invents the rolling-element bearing, which within a decade will be used extensively by the Roman navy on its ships. An improved version of the bearing invented some twenty years later will be used extensively in the artillery used by the Roman army.
Foreign: The ruling dynasty of the Satavahana Empire in eastern India changes from the Kanva dynasty to the Andhra dynasty. After defeating both the forces of Haxamanish and Satriapose in Gedrosia, the Roman general Barbatus marries the daughter of the late king Takpahlav-reh, Utana, and declares himself king of Gedrosia.
728 AUC (25 BCE):
Domestic: The probationary period of military rule ends in Illyricum and the province is incorporated as a senatorial province. Sicilia and Sardinia and Corsica also are incorporated as senatorial provinces in this year. The Senate now has 55 members. Quintus Acilius Regillus is appointed the first Proconsul of Illyricum by the Senate. The Via Octavia reaches Pella in Macedonia and Sarmizegetusa in Dacia, where it connects to the Via Pansa. The effort to drain the Pomptine Marshes hits yet another snag as a complete collapse of one of the main water wheels being used to divert run-off from the drainage system just recently built breaks, causing the death of nearly 400 workers and destroys much of the progress made since 725. Octavian commissions the construction of two temples on the Circus Flaminius, a temple to Neptune and a temple called the Religium (the precursor to the Pantheon), which would serve for several decades as a temple honoring all of the gods constituting the Roman pantheon. The Roman doctor Aulus Cornelius Celsus is born. Marcus Terrentius Varro dies, leaving his unfinished project to translate and copy Latin, Greek, and Egyptian texts for the Bibliotheca Magna Roma to the young Ovidius.
Military: Caesar captures Neh from Bahardarnes, killing the king in the process and utterly destroys the city. The destruction and debauchery wrought by Caesar’s army enrages many previously subjugated cities in the north, which break out in open rebellion and swell the ranks of Parthian general Ghriapatius, “The Most Feared Man in the East” (due to his nearly flawless record on the battle field – both against the kingdoms along the Indus and the Romans). Pollio continues his campaign against the Bactrians and their Khwarazmian allies along the Oxus.
Battles:
First Battle of Neh (I)
Second Battle of Neh (R)
Battle of Mount Terrastoccus (I)
Battles of the Western Alboruz (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: Macer begins sculpting several statues for the Religium and also begins work with another Roman sculptor of the period named Manius Duilius Buteo to work on Neptunus Rex (Neptune the King), a massive statue of Neptune that stood outside of Octavian’s recently commissioned temple for the sea god which stood for several centuries before it was destroyed during a siege of Rome during one the Empire’s several civil wars. Today, the only part of the statue that survives is the head of Neptune, currently housed in the Imperial Art Museum at Olissipo. The statue served as a shining example of a Latin Era sculpture, as it displayed all five characteristics of Latin Era art: rugged or sharp edges, depiction of fluid motion, [generally] military themed, intense and angular facial expressions, [generally] massive in scale.
Foreign: Parthian general Ghriapatius declares himself the King of Parthia (and he will serve as the last king of Parthia before its complete absorption by the Roman Republic). Barbatus’ wife Utana gives birth to a son named Sextus Hostilius Atellus. King Amyntas of Galatia dies and Galatia becomes a military province of Rome with Spurius Marcius Scrofa being appointed Proconsul of the newly acquired province. Admaatus the Severe replaces Uastud as High Chieftain of the Frisii tribe (and thus the King of Frisia (a Roman protectorate in Germania)).
729 AUC (24 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian falls ill and is unable to perform his job as Imperator Interrex for several months, during which time his trusted friend and young supporter of the Caesarian agenda, Lucius Marius Crispus, temporarily fulfills the duties of Octavian’s office. In September, Octavian returns to his job and immediately begins working on yet another land reform bill, the III lex Agraria, to reign in the abuses of former Latifunda owners joining together in “joint contract farms” or Coagmenta, which for all intents and purposes held as much power as the former gigantic Latifunda did just two decades prior. Cordus and his band of explorers finish their mapping and surveying of Germania and present a finished map to Octavian, who promptly divides the territory into ten provinces. Octavian also draws up plans for developing infrastructure in Germania and organizes the first migration of colonizers early in the year, sending them to the eleven Roman colonies already decreed by Caesar. Octavian commissions the Via Germania, a road in Germania which will eventually connect to the Via Octavia in the west, the Via Antonia in the east, and the Via Pansa in the south. The Greek historian Strabo dies in this year.
New Praetors:
Germania Inferior: Tiberius Horatius Paetus
Germania Superior: Aulus Terentius Varro Murena
Cimbrica: Gaius Caelius Longus
Quadia: Caius Gratius
Omannia: Lucius Licinius
Gothica: Gnaeus Iuventius Calidus
Marsignia: Lucius Gellius Scipio
Langobardia: Tiberius Furius
Military: Caesar campaigns against the last king of Parthia, Ghriapatius, and attempts to quell the rebellious cities and territories north of Neh. Pollio finishes his campaign against the Bactrians and Khwarazmians along the Oxus and turns south to aid Caesar in his campaign against Ghriapatius. The Roman campaign in Parthia officially ends with Caesar claiming the title of Shahanshah or “King of Kings” of all of the former domains of the Parthian Empire. Caesar and Pollio continue to campaign in the east against several Indian kingdoms throughout the rest of the year.
Battles:
First Battle of Farah (E)
Second Battle of Farah (R)
Second Battle of Dara (R)
Battle of Asaak (R)
Literature, Art, and Science: Vergilius finishes composing the Aeneid.
730 AUC (23 BCE):
Domestic: The III lex Agraria barely passes the Senate and makes illegal the large “joint contract farms” that had served as a substitute for the former Latifunda throughout Italy. Aegyptus becomes a Senatorial province and the Senate votes to place Pharxes Kahotep (recently returned from the ongoing invasion of Parthia), the former Praetor of Aegyptus, as Proconsul. The Imperial Senate now has 57 members. Ptolemy Caesar marries the sixteen-year-old Claudia Marcella in a huge public ceremony held in the Forum Julium in May. The Via Julia reaches Carthago Nova in Hispania and the northeastern split in the road in Gaul reaches Juliobona on the Atlantic coast. The first Roman colony in Germania, Caesarium located in the newly defined province of Germania Inferior, is established by 1200 colonists in May according Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita. It is estimated that Rome becomes the largest city in the world in this year, surpassing the previous holder of that title and capital of China, Chang’an. The Senate, upon hearing of Caesar’s completed conquest of Parthia, annexes all of the former domains of the Parthian Empire east to the River Indus and north to the River Oxus. The new provinces organized from the conquest of Parthia include (in addition to the previous four annexed in 723) Persia, Carmania, Media, Parthia Inferior, Parthia Superior, Drangiana, Margiana, Bactria, Arachosia, Oxia, and India Occidia, with Characene and Gedrosia becoming protectorates of the Republic. Octavian commissions several roads throughout the new conquests including the Via Agrippa, the Via Parthia, the Via Pollia, the Via Alexandria, and the Via Barbata. Gnaeus Licinius Ocella is elected Princeps Senatus of the Senate.
Military: The Roman campaign along the Indus ends in victory, but Caesar is severely wounded at the Battle of Taxila, forcing him to begin an arduous 10-month journey back to Rome. Pollio remains along the Indus, campaigning against various Indian kingdoms, building border defenses, and building a road parallel to the River Indus that will later be termed the Via India. Agrippa begins his campaign against the invading Nubians, who take the city of Elephantine in Aegyptus by August after a lengthy siege.
Battles:
Battle of Zadracarta (R)
Battle of Drapsaca (R)
Siege and Battle of Taxila (R)
Siege and Battle of Elephantine (E)
Literature, Art, and Science: The temple to Neptune on the Circus Flaminius is completed in this year and the foundation of the Religium is laid later in the year. Vitruvius finishes writing De Architectura. Macer and Buteo finish carving Neptunus Rex.
Foreign: The Indian king Hadraagupta crosses the River Indus in a bid to capture Pattala. The Nubian queen, Candace Amanirenas invades Aegyptus in March, having heard from her advisors that Rome was too distracted in the East to put up an effective defense. Herod the Great in Judaea builds the fortress Herodian in Jerusalem.
731 AUC (22 BCE):
Domestic: Caesar arrives at Tyre on the Mediterranean and sails to Rome, returning in late December in bad health. A rebellion of several former Latifunda and Coagmenta owners throughout northern Italy is crushed in August after a bloody skirmish at Vercellae. Ptolemy Caesar’s first daughter, Claudia Julia Marcella Ptolemia is born late in the year. Thracia becomes a Senatorial province and the former Praetor, Lucius Cornelius Balbus is appointed Proconsul by the Senate. The Senate now has 59 members. All of the initial infrastructure for the main drainage system is complete in the Pomptine Marshes (after a total of 9 years of work) and the second phase of the massive project begins with the creation of an intricate aqueduct system to help control the flow and direction of water drainage from the marshes.
Military: Agrippa crushes the Nubians under Queen Candace Amanirenas at the Battle of Luxor (R), but is unable to pursue her because of the losses inflicted by the Nubian cavalry on his forces during the battle. The Nubian War becomes a stalemate for the rest of the year, with Agrippa basing his forces out of Thebes and Candace basing her forces primarily out of Edfu. Several naval battles are fought on the Nile between Republican and Nubian forces, with one battle going particularly bad for Agrippa’s navy, forcing him to spend several months rebuilding his flotilla in preparation for his joint naval-land campaign south against the Nubians. Pollio defeats an invasion across the River Indus by the king of the Pariyatra (an Indian kingdom), Haadragupta, at the Battle of Mohenjo-Daro (R), killing him and destroying his army in the process. Pollio continues to campaign south along the Indus toward Patala to confront yet another invasion by King Draupadi. A border raid by a Sarmatian tribe is defeated by the local Roman garrison.
Literature, Art, and Science: Work officially begins on the construction of the Aqua Caesaria.
Foreign: The Han Chinese general Peng Hsia decisively defeats a Xiongnu incursion into the Western Regions, forcing many of the Xiongnu chieftains to begin planning incursions further west into Roman-controlled former Parthia. Axum officially begins trading with several kingdoms on the Arabian penninsula including Sheba and Saba. King Lakshmigopal of the Mathuran Empire conquers Pariyatra shortly after the defeat of Haadragupta by Pollio and the Mathurans quickly dispatch an ambassador to make contact with the Romans and establish formal borders. Scrofuctus the Terrible, king of the Scythian tribes northwest of the Caucasus, is assassinated by his son, Traearchus.
732 AUC (21 BCE):
Domestic: Gaius Julius Caesar dies at the age of 77 on February 23rd and Ptolemy XV Philopater Philometor Caesar quickly claims the titles of Imperator Perpetuus, Shahanshah of all Persia and Parthia, and Pharaoh of Aegytus from his father at the age of 25. The Senate quickly passes a measure approving the accession of Ptolemy or Caesarion to the highest executive office and grants Julius Caesar posthumously the titles of Victrix (victorious) and Augustus (the revered one), formally making Rome’s most famous general Gauis Julius Caesar Victrix Augustus. The Senate also passes a measure just three weeks after Caesar’s death deifying him as the newest god to enter the Roman pantheon. Ptolemy moves with amazing speed to secure the loyalty of his father’s legions and declares 100 days of feasts and festivities in Rome in honor of his father’s many accomplishments. Livy estimates in his Caesar Divus that nearly two hundred thousand people attended the massive funeral of Julius Caesar on February 26th to pay their respects to the general. Marcus Junius Brutus delivers the keynote speech, the Praedicum, at the funeral, praising Caesar for his accomplishments. Caesar is entombed temporarily at the Curius Senatus until a fitting tomb/temple can be built in his honor. In modern times, February 26th is annually celebrated as an imperial holiday, Diem Caesarus (The Day of Caesar). Ptolemy appoints Agrippa as his Magister Equitum. The Via Octavia finally reaches Sparta in Achaea, marking the end of the road’s construction. Britannia becomes a Senatorial and Lucius Antonius is appointed Proconsul of the new senatorial province. The Senate now has 61 members. It is this year, because of the ascension of Ptolemy Caesar to the title of Imperator Perpetuus by hereditary means, that many historians consider as the first year marking the official beginning of the Imperium Romanum (Roman Empire) and the Early Imperial Era (ERE). Though some historians count the passage of the lex Imperius to be the first true marker of the end of the Republic, many insist that a more accurate marker for the beginning of the empire is the death of Caesar and beginning of Ptolemy’s reign.
Military: Pollio besieges Patala and defeats King Draupadi in a dramatic battle that forces the ambitious Indian king to retreat toward the River Indus. Pollio gives chase and over a period of two months, utterly destroys Draupadi’s army, killing him in the massive Battle of the Indus (R). Pollio spends the rest of the year building border defenses along the Indus and sending diplomatic missions to the Mathuran Empire. Agrippa begins his offensive south in February, winning a decisive naval victory against the Nubian navy, allowing him to circumvent Edfu and cut off Nubian supply lines. The indecisive Battle of Kom Ombo (I) stalls Agrippa’s campaign for several months, but his crushing defeat of Queen Candace (and her subsequent death) at the Battle of Aswan (R) later, forces the Nubians to withdraw from Roman territory after Candace’s general, Oebmaatre, claiming the title of King of Nubia, asks for a formal peace treaty between his kingdom and the Republic. The treaty formally establishes the Roman border with Nubia forty miles south of Philae, running straight to the Mare Rubrum.
Literature, Art, and Science: The first Roman naval ship featuring Tiberius Capenius Scaevola’s rolling-element bearing is built in this year. Publius Ovidius Naso finishes composing his Heroides.
Foreign: The Mathuran Empire conquers the Kingdom of Draupad in India. Peng Hsia defeats an army of Western Xiongnu under the fierce general Daohn Gaognu, forcing the nearby Xiongnu leaders to sign a treaty with Han China. The battle also cements Chinese control over the Tarim Basin for the time being. Gaognu begins looking southwest as an avenue for further expansion rather than northwestern China. The Chinese also defeat the Xiongnu chanyu Huduershi later in the year and Huduershi enters into a tributary relationship with Han China. The Scythians attempt a raid across the Roman border defenses, but are defeated by the Roman defenders.
733 AUC (20 BCE):
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the construction of a grand temple in honor of his father, the Julium, situated on the south end of the Forum Julium. Ptolemy officially modifies his father’s Edictum Munimentum by declaring the Edictum Munimentum Ptolemium, which makes Roman border defenses much more fluid, yet introduces for the first time the first official Roman recognition of the need for a tangible border. Though his father’s edict dictated border defenses and expressed the need for natural borders, it is Ptolemy’s edict that called for permanent borders (capable of course of being expanded in a systematic way) and several lines of defense (using natural barriers behind the official borders). The entire point of this edict was to ensure that all Roman borders had several points of defense behind them, making strategic withdrawals in the face of an enemy breach of the main border possible. This edict also called for the systematic and careful expansion of the “permanent” border by codifying how defenses should be constructed at future borders to augment the defenses already present at the current borders. Ptolemy’s wife gives birth to a second daughter, Cleopatra Julia Ptolemia. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas dies and Octavian is elected as life-long Consul of the Senate. Several colonies announced nearly a decade ago by Caesar are nearing completion, with several in Germania, Gaul, and Britannia complete by this year. The Via Julia reaches Olissipo in Hispania, marking the end of its construction. Julius Caesar’s former slave and influential political theorist, Eupiphenese, dies at the age of 68. Agrippa returns to Rome late in the year. Pannonia and Moesia become senatorial provinces. Titus Meridius is appointed Proconsul of Pannonia and Spurius Amatius Paterculus is appointed Proconsul of Moesia by the Senate. The Senate now has 65 members.
Military: Pollio continues to construct border defenses and a road along the River Indus.
Literature, Art, and Science: Ovidius completes the first edition of the Verborum Latium, a comprehensive Latin dictionary and literary history text.
Foreign: In Arabia, the Shebans declare war on Hadramaut, hoping to expand eastward. The Mathuran Empire officially establishes peaceful contact with Han China. A civil war in Mauretania forces Ptolemy Caesar to send several legions to the area and place the Roman-educated (and friend of both Octavian and Ptolemy) Juba II as King of Mauretania, assuring its continued alliance with Rome and its status as a Roman client state.
734 AUC (19 BCE):
Domestic: Ptolemy Caesar commissions the Via Britannica in Britannia and the Via Nila in Aegyptus (mostly to help defend against any future incursions by the Nubians or Axumites and provide a conduit for a future Roman conquest of the areas south of Aegyptus). Marcus Antonius’ former slave, Ivo the Goth, publishes his memoire and account of the war in Germania in Tarentum, making him an extremely popular person in the city despite his foreign heritage (mostly because of his favorable portrayal of both Antony and Caesar in his work). Ptolemy names an old friend of his and former Senator, Manius Genucius, as his Imperator Interrex in case of a future absence from Rome. The lex Census is passed in the Senate, mandating an official census every ten years in each province, carried out by provincial censors. These individual provincial census reports are then to be combined every tenth year starting from the year 735 to give an accurate account of the population of the Empire. Dacia and Iazyga become senatorial provinces. Caeso Geminius Laterensis is appointed the first Proconsul of Iazyga and Lucius Gratius is appointed the first Proconsul of Dacia by the Senate. The Senate now has 69 members.
Military: Pollio defeats a minor rebellion in Bactria during the first half of the year, and Bactria enters a 10-year long martial law probationary status in addition to its remaining sixteen years as a military province.
Literature, Art, and Science: The Aqua Caesaria is finished by July and the first mock naval battle is held in the Colosseum in September to commemorate Agrippa’s defeat of Sextus Pompieus’ naval forces years ago. The Religium is also finished in this year. Construction of the Bibliotheca Magna Roma is finally finished in this year as well, with Ovidius being appointed by Ptolemy as the first curator of the library.
Foreign: The Han Chinese send an emissary by the name of Bao Zhuang to establish contact with Daqin (Rome) upon hearing by way of the Xiongnu that the Parthian Empire had fallen several years before and replaced with this new western power. The Kingdom of Sheba makes modest gains against Hadramaut, but is defeated at the Battle of Shabwah, ending their push into Hadramaut territory. The Garamantes in Africa raid the Roman frontier, but are eventually defeated and retreat from Imperial territory.
Ok so I've come to a decision as for what to do about Livia Drusillia after doing some research (which admittedly I should have done originally). Anyway, changes are in bold:
714 AUC (39 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate passes a measure (the lex Via Appia) extending the Via Appia north from Rome to the city of Florentia, where it then will eventually split further north and end at both Ravenna and Placentia. Arsinoe IV marries Tiberius Calidus in March. The Senate moves into the now completed first section of the Curius Senatus, the Conloquium, where Senate debate and the passing of legislation occur. Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor dies, leaving Octavian's sister, Octavia Minor, widowed. Her daughter, the future first wife of Ptolemy Caesar, Claudia Marcella, is born. A small slave revolt in Arretium, lead by the slave Virtrumus of Zela, is defeated by Marcus Vispanius Agrippa before he leaves in June for Egypt to confront the Parthians in Judea. Gaius Vibius Pansa is made Praetor of Dacia after its conquest and begins work on the Via Pansa. The Pact of Misenum is signed in October between the Senate and Sextus Pompeius, largely to assure Rome’s grain supply until Octavian can muster enough strength to invade Sicily. Caeso Geminius Laterensis, a strong ally of Caesar during the Civil War, becomes Praetor of Iazyga. Octavius, on behalf Caesar, issues a general amnesty to all former supporters of Caesar’s enemies during the Caesarian Civil War. In response to the amnesty, Livia Drusillia, the wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero, a former enemy of Caesar, returns to Rome. Octavius is so smitten by Drusillia, that he forces Nero to divorce her and he marries her just three days later in a small public ceremony. Octavius immediately adopts her three-year-old son, Tiberius Claudius Nero the Younger (granting to him the agnomen Octavius in the process) and her unborn son by Nero, Decimus Claudius Thurinus Drusus.
722 AUC (31 BCE):
Domestic: Antony constructs Castrum Tauricum Antonium, the modern port city of Tauricum and home of the famous 2600’s AUC Olympic gold-medalist Petrus Opidus Gulva Olympus. Octavian oversees the beginning of the massive project to drain the Pomptine Marshes. According to historical figures recorded by both Livy and Vitruvius (in De Architectura), there were nearly one hundred thousand men (including at least forty thousand slaves) working on the gigantic project. Publius Servilius Vatius Isauricus dies and Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is elected Consul of the Senate. The Via Julia reaches Lutetia in Gaul and the Via Octavia reaches Narona in Illyricum. Octavian (on behalf of Caesar’s title of Pontifex Maximus) officially makes several Germanic gods (most prominently Frige, Tiw, and Freo) part of the Roman pantheon, beginning a long tradition of adding foreign gods to the Roman pagan belief system. Antony continues to build border forts and extend the Via Antonia during his campaign in Taurica and into Scythian lands near the River Borysthenes. Ptolemy Caesar takes command of Legio X at the age of 16 and begins his formal military training. Octavian commissions Roman cartographer Tiberius Laelius Cordus and a group of explorers to chart and map Germania. The project will take several years and will involve official mapping and naming of several rivers and mountain ranges. The main reason behind this effort is to find favorable areas for future colonization and to determine the best way to divide the primitive area into viable Roman provinces (given the lack of infrastructure in most of the area known as Germania). According to ancient sources closest to Octavius, Livia Drusillia begins actively trying to influence her husband’s political career by manipulating his feelings for her and she begins to actively push for her son Tiberius to have an active role in governance of the Republic when he comes of age.
729 AUC (24 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian falls ill and is unable to perform his job as Imperator Interrex for several months, during which time his trusted friend and young supporter of the Caesarian agenda, Lucius Marius Crispus, temporarily fulfills the duties of Octavian’s office. It is discovered during this interim (by way of a slave loyal to Octavius) that Livia Drusilla and her son Tiberius poisoned Octavius with fresh figs in an attempt to assassinate him and stage a coup against the Senate in order to install Tiberius as Imperator Perpetuus. Octavius orders her immediate arrest and banishment from Rome and the execution of Tiberius. Octavius almost orders the execution of his other adopted son, Decimus Claudius Thurinus Drusus, but spares him because of the strong relationship between the two and Drusus’ immediate denouncement of his mother’s plot (it is also a well known historical fact that much animosity existed between Tiberius and Drusus because of Drusillia’s favoritism toward Tiberius). Octavius is devastated by Drusillia's treachery and his difficult decision to order her banishment is dramatized in Lucius Gemeulaes' play Tragoedia Octavia (The Tragedy of Octavius) written in 1124 AUC. In September, Octavius returns to his job and immediately begins working on yet another land reform bill, the III lex Agraria, to reign in the abuses of former Latifunda owners joining together in “joint contract farms” or Coagmenta, which for all intents and purposes held as much power as the former gigantic Latifunda did just two decades prior. Cordus and his band of explorers finish their mapping and surveying of Germania and present a finished map to Octavian, who promptly divides the territory into ten provinces. Octavian also draws up plans for developing infrastructure in Germania and organizes the first migration of colonizers early in the year, sending them to the eleven Roman colonies already decreed by Caesar. Octavian commissions the Via Germania, a road in Germania which will eventually connect to the Via Octavia in the west, the Via Antonia in the east, and the Via Pansa in the south. The Greek historian Strabo dies in this year.
In addition to the above changes, because in this TL the Second Triumvirate is never formed and thus the need to marry Clodia Pulchra never arises, he also never marries Scribonia. So in this TL, Livia Drusillia is his first and only wife.
714 AUC (39 BCE):
Domestic: The Senate passes a measure (the lex Via Appia) extending the Via Appia north from Rome to the city of Florentia, where it then will eventually split further north and end at both Ravenna and Placentia. Arsinoe IV marries Tiberius Calidus in March. The Senate moves into the now completed first section of the Curius Senatus, the Conloquium, where Senate debate and the passing of legislation occur. Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor dies, leaving Octavian's sister, Octavia Minor, widowed. Her daughter, the future first wife of Ptolemy Caesar, Claudia Marcella, is born. A small slave revolt in Arretium, lead by the slave Virtrumus of Zela, is defeated by Marcus Vispanius Agrippa before he leaves in June for Egypt to confront the Parthians in Judea. Gaius Vibius Pansa is made Praetor of Dacia after its conquest and begins work on the Via Pansa. The Pact of Misenum is signed in October between the Senate and Sextus Pompeius, largely to assure Rome’s grain supply until Octavian can muster enough strength to invade Sicily. Caeso Geminius Laterensis, a strong ally of Caesar during the Civil War, becomes Praetor of Iazyga. Octavius, on behalf Caesar, issues a general amnesty to all former supporters of Caesar’s enemies during the Caesarian Civil War. In response to the amnesty, Livia Drusillia, the wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero, a former enemy of Caesar, returns to Rome. Octavius is so smitten by Drusillia, that he forces Nero to divorce her and he marries her just three days later in a small public ceremony. Octavius immediately adopts her three-year-old son, Tiberius Claudius Nero the Younger (granting to him the agnomen Octavius in the process) and her unborn son by Nero, Decimus Claudius Thurinus Drusus.
722 AUC (31 BCE):
Domestic: Antony constructs Castrum Tauricum Antonium, the modern port city of Tauricum and home of the famous 2600’s AUC Olympic gold-medalist Petrus Opidus Gulva Olympus. Octavian oversees the beginning of the massive project to drain the Pomptine Marshes. According to historical figures recorded by both Livy and Vitruvius (in De Architectura), there were nearly one hundred thousand men (including at least forty thousand slaves) working on the gigantic project. Publius Servilius Vatius Isauricus dies and Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is elected Consul of the Senate. The Via Julia reaches Lutetia in Gaul and the Via Octavia reaches Narona in Illyricum. Octavian (on behalf of Caesar’s title of Pontifex Maximus) officially makes several Germanic gods (most prominently Frige, Tiw, and Freo) part of the Roman pantheon, beginning a long tradition of adding foreign gods to the Roman pagan belief system. Antony continues to build border forts and extend the Via Antonia during his campaign in Taurica and into Scythian lands near the River Borysthenes. Ptolemy Caesar takes command of Legio X at the age of 16 and begins his formal military training. Octavian commissions Roman cartographer Tiberius Laelius Cordus and a group of explorers to chart and map Germania. The project will take several years and will involve official mapping and naming of several rivers and mountain ranges. The main reason behind this effort is to find favorable areas for future colonization and to determine the best way to divide the primitive area into viable Roman provinces (given the lack of infrastructure in most of the area known as Germania). According to ancient sources closest to Octavius, Livia Drusillia begins actively trying to influence her husband’s political career by manipulating his feelings for her and she begins to actively push for her son Tiberius to have an active role in governance of the Republic when he comes of age.
729 AUC (24 BCE):
Domestic: Octavian falls ill and is unable to perform his job as Imperator Interrex for several months, during which time his trusted friend and young supporter of the Caesarian agenda, Lucius Marius Crispus, temporarily fulfills the duties of Octavian’s office. It is discovered during this interim (by way of a slave loyal to Octavius) that Livia Drusilla and her son Tiberius poisoned Octavius with fresh figs in an attempt to assassinate him and stage a coup against the Senate in order to install Tiberius as Imperator Perpetuus. Octavius orders her immediate arrest and banishment from Rome and the execution of Tiberius. Octavius almost orders the execution of his other adopted son, Decimus Claudius Thurinus Drusus, but spares him because of the strong relationship between the two and Drusus’ immediate denouncement of his mother’s plot (it is also a well known historical fact that much animosity existed between Tiberius and Drusus because of Drusillia’s favoritism toward Tiberius). Octavius is devastated by Drusillia's treachery and his difficult decision to order her banishment is dramatized in Lucius Gemeulaes' play Tragoedia Octavia (The Tragedy of Octavius) written in 1124 AUC. In September, Octavius returns to his job and immediately begins working on yet another land reform bill, the III lex Agraria, to reign in the abuses of former Latifunda owners joining together in “joint contract farms” or Coagmenta, which for all intents and purposes held as much power as the former gigantic Latifunda did just two decades prior. Cordus and his band of explorers finish their mapping and surveying of Germania and present a finished map to Octavian, who promptly divides the territory into ten provinces. Octavian also draws up plans for developing infrastructure in Germania and organizes the first migration of colonizers early in the year, sending them to the eleven Roman colonies already decreed by Caesar. Octavian commissions the Via Germania, a road in Germania which will eventually connect to the Via Octavia in the west, the Via Antonia in the east, and the Via Pansa in the south. The Greek historian Strabo dies in this year.
In addition to the above changes, because in this TL the Second Triumvirate is never formed and thus the need to marry Clodia Pulchra never arises, he also never marries Scribonia. So in this TL, Livia Drusillia is his first and only wife.
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