726 AUC
- Cast Iron technology first appears in Parthia.
727 AUC
- Titus Antonius captures Berenice VI in battle near Heliopolis, ending the independence of Aegyptus.
728 AUC
- Alarmed by the recent Roman conquests, Zariadres of Armenia and Pacorus of Parthia agree to attack Titus Antonius in support of the Pouplare rebels in Dacia, now led by the idealistic young general, Marcus Octavius Aquilinus.
- Zhao Di steps down as Emperor of Seres, to allow his grandson to reign as Xuan Di. [34]
729 AUC
- Titus Antonius leads a preemptive attack on the Parthians, defeating them near Carrhae.
- An Armenian army ambushes Titus Antonius' force outside of Tigranacerta. Though the Roman force evades the trap sillfully, Titus Antonius dies from infection in a wound received during the battle. [35]
- Titus Antonius' lieutenant, Marcus Aemilius Macer takes over command of the army and demands that the Senate declare him dictator. The Senate, however, declares Quintus Claudius Pulcher as dictator.
730 AUC (24 BC)
- Macer's army engages and defeats a Senatorial army outside of Leptis Magna.
- The Legions stationed in Thracia declare for Octavius and the Populares.
- The Satavahana Empire conquers the Kanva.
- The Pyu city state of Sri Ksetra unites its neighboring cities, forming the Pyu Kingdom. [36]
731 AUC
- Macer's army captures Rome. Pulcher and the Senate flee for Hispania. A rump Senate declares Macer to be dictator.
- The Populares under Octavius capture the northern parts of Anatolia, securing their supply lines with Armenia and Parthia.
- A Nubian army invades Roman Egypt. [37]
732 AUC
- Octavius defeats an army sent by Macer, taking Macedonia and Greece in the process.
- Macer defeats a Senatorial army in Gallia Narbonensis, taking the region from their control.
- One of Macer's armies defeats the Nubian invaders outside of Elaphantine, but is unable to pursue them back to Nubia.
733 AUC
- Pulcher formally steps down as dictator, though he remains in command of the Senatorial armies, and allies the Senatorial faction with Octavius. [38]
734 AUC
- The Populares defeat Macer near Brundisium, allowing them to take Rome. [39]
- Caratacas I succeeds Vercingetorix I as the High King of the Gallic Confederation.
735 AUC
- Octavius defeats Macer outside of Aquileia. Macer is brought back to Rome for trial, where he is sentenced to exile. The Roman Civil War, some 29 years old, ends.
- Octavius calls for a convention to reform the republic and codify the Roman Constitution and legal code. [40]
- Menander III succeeds Demetrius IV as the Indo-Greek King.
736 AUC
- Tigranes III succeeds Zariadres I as King of Armenia.
737 AUC
- The newly reformed and codified Roman Constitution is put into effect.[41]
- Xuan Di commissions new naval expeditions to outlying regions. [42]
738 AUC
- The independence of many of the territories conquered by Titus Antonius is restored, though they remain as client states. Judea and Cyprus, however, remain under direct Roman control.
739 AUC
- Noricum, an old ally of Rome, is annexed into the Republic.
- The Roman calendar is reformed. [43]
740 AUC (14 BC)
- The Roman Republic enters an alliance with the Gallic Confederation.
- Serean ports are established on Luzon.
741 AUC
- The new codification of Roman Law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, is passed.
- Gotarzes II succeeds Pacorus I as King of Parthia.
742 AUC
- A punitive expedition against the Nubians is dispatched by the Roman Senate.
- The Lex Octavia is passed, granting additional rights to heavily Romanized provinces. [44]
- Phraates IV succeeds Gotarzes II as King of Parthia.
743 AUC
- A Roman expedition against the Sarmatian tribes in Pannonia is dispatched, under the command of Octavius.
- Caratacas I extends the Gallic Confederation to the Rhine.
- Artaxias II succeeds Tigranes III as king of Armenia.
744 AUC
- Phraates IV of Parthia is assassinated. A civil war begins between two claimants, Vologases and Artabanus.
- The Kingdom of Jawa Dwipa, in Sumatra and Java becomes a vassal of Seres.
745 AUC
- The Romans sack Napata and Meroe and exact tribute from the Nubians.
- The Satavahanas invade the Indo-Greek Kingdom.
746 AUC
- The Marcomanni tribe of Boiohaemum establishes a kingdom under Maroboduus and allies with neighboring tribes against possible Roman agression.
747 AUC
- The Pannonian campaign concludes, with the entirety of the Danube river secured for the Roman Republic.
- Vercingetorix II succeeds Caratacas I as High King of the Gallic Confederation.
748 AUC
- Several Indo Greek nobles rebel against Menander and form independent states.
749 AUC
- Menander accepts peace with the Satavahanas, losing much territory in the south.
750 AUC (4 BC)
- Liuqiu is conquered by Seres. [45]
*****
[34] Xuan Di is in his early teens at the time of his succession and was a favorite of his grandfather, who continued to advise him while he still lived. Zhao Di had wanted to observe how his successor would rule, to ensure that he would rule well. Zhao Di, 68 at the time, would live for another 13 years.
[35] After this battle, Octavius asks that the Parthians and Armenians not invade Roman territory, to keep from damaging support for his cause. Instead, they send supplies and financial aid.
[36] The Pyu lived in Northern Burma, though they never united in our history, though Sri Ksetra was the most powerful city. Seems they were just too good Buddhists to go to war with anyone. So, Sri Ksetra probably united the city states diplomatically.
[37] This happened in our history as well.
[38] This act is largely symbolic as the Senatorial forces have been greatly depleted, but it adds legitimacy to the Populare cause. The Senate offers to appoint Octavius as dictator, but he asks for a consulship instead.
[39] Octavius does not bring his army to Rome itself, but only enters it with his supporters and those members of the legitimate Senate able to reach the city.
[40] This convention is dominated by the Populares, though it included several opposition statesmen.
[41] While the specific reforms of the constitution are many, the basic thrust of it was to equalize the classes of Rome. The number of voting tribes was increased and more equitably spread about Italia. The powers of the Senate and Centuriate Assembly, both long dominated by the elites, were greatly decreased. The office of Dictator and any similar position was completely abolished, while the office of Consul was slightly strengthened, and the term extended to two years, with the elections of the two consuls staggered. To guard against ambitious governors, the legions are taken from their command, while they are given auxiliary garrison troops for defense purposes. Further reforms were attempted, such as the creation of a new assembly, but these attempts failed.
[42] These expeditions follow the routes of the earlier expeditions to India, as well as exploring the outlying islands. The settlements established earlier are also greatly expanded, particularly the colony on the Isthmus of Kra.
[43] This reform is similar to the Gregorian Calendar of our history (just to avoid the messiness of the Julian Calendar being off). Quintilis is renamed in honor of Julius Caesar, though Sextilis retained its traditional name.
[44] The Lex Octavia establishes Agri Coloniae (Colonial Territories). Essentially, these were large regional colonies, rather than just cities and their environs. These territories were allowed to elect most of their own officials, though Rome still held a large sway over the rule of the territory. This law was a compromise measure, as Octavius had originally wanted to give the Agri Coloniae their own assembly in the Republic.
[45] Taiwan.
