Draft:Timeline of Roman Kingdom

This is a timeline of the Roman Kingdom, comprising important events and dates in the Roman Kingdom.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

8th and 7th centuries BC

Year	Date	Event
754 BC		Battle of Alba Longa. King of Alba Longa, Amulius, who had previously usurped power is defeated, and killed along with his sons by his Brother Numitor, and great-nephew Romulus, who led a sizable warband.
753 BC		Romulus, and his brother Remus devise a plan, and set out to found a new settlement, with their followers. They are supported by their grandfather, Numitor who provides money, weapons, slaves, and food until the town becomes self-sufficient. Upon arrival at the site near the 7 hills, the brothers divided spilt their population into two, one led by Romulus, another by Remus.
		A rift eventually developed between the brothers. Romulus preferred to settle the Palatine Hill, and Remus another hill he wanted to call Remoria, while Romulus picked the name Rome, both after themselves. On the Palatine, Romulus built the Roma Quadrata, which was probably a monument. The brothers refereed to Numitor, to pick the leader of the settlement, who told them to consult the gods. The brothers went to their respective hills to await a signal, Romulus claimed he had 12 vultures fly overhead, while Remus likewise saw 6 birds fly over his position. According to one of many versions, a skirmish occurred between followers of Romulus and Remus, during which, Remus, along with Faustulus, and Pleistinus are killed. Romulus organized a funeral for the dead, and afterwards was left as sole leader.
		Romulus prepared and conducted a large scale sacrifice, and saw a favorable conclusion. Romulus performed a symbolic gesture by having his followers jump over an open fire, symbolically cleansing their souls of the death of Remus and the others. Romulus summoned to the Palatine, an Etrurian priest who was knowledgably in the various rites associated with founding a city. Romulus, on April 23rd, 753 BCE, directed workers to excavate a trench on the Palatine, which received the name Mundus, and participates depositing sacred offerings into the trench. Outside of the trench, Romulus outlined another perimeter with a plough by both a white bull and cow. Following this ritual, Romulus sacrificed the bull and cow. April 23rd is traditionally referred to as the founding of Rome.
		Romulus created a policy of offering sanctuary to anyone who wished to live in Rome, and constructed an asylum rested between two copses on a nearby hill called Mons Saturnius (later Capitoline Hill). In the asylum, anyone regardless of past crimes or debts would be welcome to seek sanctuary, with the only pretense, being they must be freemen. Romulus offered to let the people of Rome choose what form of government they wanted the city to have, and they referred Romulus as the king of Rome. Shortly afterwards, in the early morning, Romulus marched out into the open, and prayed to a variety of deities, including Jupiter. Romulus asked the gods to give him a definitive sign on whether he had the divine right to rule as king, and apparently a lightning bolt darted across the sky from left to right, which seemed to confirmed Romulus's kingship. Romulus next convened his people and informed them that the gods approved their decision. As king, Romulus was to act as the city's chief executive, religious, and general.
		Romulus instituted a new Roman Calendar, in order to help his people in cultivating land, as well as observing holidays, and performing sacrifices. Romulus named the first month Martius (Mars), after the god. The Romulean calendar consisted of 304 days, which was done because Romulus felt that it roughly correlated to human gestation. Romulus, next conducted a very rough census, arranging his subjects into class, and organizing a militia, and designing a system of government. Romulus used the Lacedaemonians' constitution (and possibly Alba Longa's) to announce rights, expectations, and military duties, for each class of people. Romulus devised a method to qualify for military service, and assigned them to military bodies called legions. Romulus, next selected 100 of the wealthiest men from his body, established the Roman Senate, which was to serve as his advisory board. Romulus called the 100 men of the senate, patres (Patrician), there were to serve as priests, judges, and administrators. The rest of the population were called plebeians. Romulus established public offices, including lictors, who numbered 12 in total, and acted as attendants and bodyguards to the king.
		Romulus organized the people into a voting body to allow a democratic element in his government, although their power was limited. Romulus gave the people power to elect judges, cast their votes on proposed laws, and debate declarations of war. Romulus further increased his popularity, by decreeing that each Roman would be granted two jugera of land (equivalent to 1.3 acres). Romulus expanded Rome's walls to cover Rome's expansion. Romulus's city was left with an abundance of military aged males, and very few woman to marry. Romulus has furthermore been unable to establish alliances with neighboring kingdoms and cities, who scorned the Romans. Romulus discussed this problem with his newly created senate, who agreed with his apprehension, and suggested that diplomatic enjoys be dispatched to create alliance treaties, which promote intermarriage between their peoples. Romulus dispatched emissaries to nearby Latin and Sabine towns, but ended in failure and were insulted.
		Romulus and his advisors devised a clever strategy to entice a large group of woman to Rome, from where they would be abducted, and forced to marry them. Romulus was endorsed in his plan, by his grandfather, Numitor. Romulus swore an oath to a deity named Consus, and pledged that if the ploy was a success, then he would celebrate an annual festival in the gods honor. Romulus shared his plan with the senate, who readily approved it. To make sure the festival was splendid enough, Romulus secured money to finance the event. Romulus acquired a host of animals for the feast, servants, imported wine, and cooked deserts, and assembled staging areas for sacrifices.. Romulus dispatched messages to communities around Rome, including Caenina, Antemnae, Crustrumerium, and possibly Fidenae and Cures. The letters informed the Latins and Sabines, that Romulus had discovered an ancient, sacred altar, which had been buried and forgotten. Romulus announced that he had organized a multiple-day event, and invited nearby people to take part in the celebration. The invitees seeing the grand celebration as an attractive proposition, agreed.
		According to tradition, the ceremony was dating in either August, 753 BCE, or 749 BCE. The Latin and Sabine woman arrived in Rome, and the sequence of events occurred. The celebration's climax, on the final day was a horse race, but before the crowds had gathered near the track, Romulus quietly armed his followers with swords, and to take strategic positions around the track and to remain alert until he gave the signal. When the drunken attendees arrived at the track, and the race began, Romulus gave the signal for the attack. Roman men swept into the panic stricken crowd, and snatched vulnerable young woman. In one purported case, a group of men had seized a young woman, and had taken her to the man, form whom she had been captured for. Another group of Romans confronted them along the way, and demanded they release the woman to them, who refused as she was reserved to an widely admired man named Talassius. The Romans allowed the families of the woman to leave the city. The next day, Romulus spoke to the woman, and explained the situation to them, reassuring them of there future, making the declaration that they would enter into marriage with the Romans. The total number of woman, captured was as low as 30, and as many 683. A total number of 383 marriages occurred following the kidnapping. Romulus made certain for each wedding, the proper religious rites took place. Romulus himself married a Sabine noblewoman named Hersilia.
		Afterwards, envoys from the affected city states arrived to meat with Romulus. They called for the woman to be returned to their respective homelands, and publicly apologize for his actions. The envoys even offered to ally with Romulus, if he agreed to their demands. Romulus, however refused their demands, and counter-offered, which dictated that the Romans and woman would marry. This was refused by the ambassadors, and they returned home empty handed. The Latins and Sabines formed a coalition against Rome consisting, of Caenina, Antemnae, Crustrumerium, and Cures. The elected leader of the coalition was aging king of Cures, Titus Tatius, who held great influence and could muster a substantial army. The Romans suffered a dynastic issues as many newly weds had failed to become pregnant, and a rash of miscarriage's. Romulus consulted an Etruscan augur, who had emigrated to Rome, and who believed what needed to be done. The augur killed a male goat and cut its skin into strips that were used to flagellate the woman's backs. This strange ceremony seemed to solve the issue, and thus finally Romulus had the children he wanted for his city.
		Battle of Rome. Acron is defeated and killed by Romulus personally, while his Army is annihilated leaving the way to Caenina wide open.
		Battle of Caenina. Romulus attacks and easily captures Caenina. Romulus's peace terms forced the Caeninenses to relinquish their weapons and many of the remaining adults would be forced to relocate to Rome, where they would become Roman citizens. The Caeninenses were forced to handoff a number of children, to serve as hostages, and the majority of Caenina was destroyed, including the walls and gate. Romulus forced the Caeninenses to do the razing themselves. Romulus looted everything of value, before handing out the spoils to his men, before finally returning to Rome.
		Second Battle of Rome. Antemnae attempted an invasion of Roman territory in order to pillage and ravage the land. Romulus surprises them however, and attacks their disorganized forces and crushes them.
		Battle of Antemnae. Romulus attacks and sacks Antemnae, who suffer the same fate as Caenina in Romulus's peace treaty, and including surrendering weapons and hostages.
	References