753 BC C.700 C.600 507
C.500
497
484-425
C.460-400
454-429
C450
C428-354
390
387
C.380
C.300
C.280
264-241
C.250
225
218-201
202
C.200-C.118
149-146
135-50
133
121
C.75
C.60-C.30
C.60 BC - c. AD 15
Traditional date of foundation of Rome by Romulus. Hallstatt period.
First Celtic tribes in Ireland.
Deposition of last Roman king, Tarquinius Superbus, and foundation of Roman Republic.
Separation of Goidelic (Q) and Brythonic (P) Celts in Britain.
Death of Pythagoras.
Life dates of Herodotus, Greek ‘father of history’, who describes Celts, Iberians and Scythians; tells us that the Celts came originally from the area of the Danube.
Thucydides, Greek historian.
Age of Pericles at Athens.
First Celtic invasions of Italy, first Celtic incursions into Iberian peninsula.
Xenophon, Greek historian.
Battle of Clusium; Celts sack all Rome except Capitol.
Celts defeat Romans on River Allia.
Plato’s Republic.
Beginning of the La Tene period in Ireland; creation of the first heroic and royal sagas.
Celtic tribes advance into Galatia in Asia Minor.
First Punic (Carthaginian) Wars.
La Tene culture gains predominance in Britain.
Battle of Telemon; all Celtic tribes south of River Po destroyed; Roman expansion begins.
Second Punic Wars, Celtic tribes employed as mercenaries. Hannibal defeated by Scipio; extensive Romanization of Celtic tribes begins.
Polybius, Greek historian and politician, writes popular account of Rome’s rise, including many descriptions of early Celts.
Third Punic Wars.
Poseidonius, Syrian historian, travels extensively, probably meets Celtic tribes first-hand.
Galatia is bequeathed to Rome as a semi-autonomous Celtic province.
Roman annexation of Gallia Narbonensis (southern Gaul). Belgic tribes cross the Channel into Britain.
Diodorus Siculus writes his world history, which includes vivid descriptions of the Celts.
Life dates of Livy, Roman historian, whose Early History of Rome includes descriptions of Celtic battle tactics.
58-51 Julius Caesar’s viaories in Gallic and Civil Wars.
55 Caesar leads first Roman invasion of Britain.
54 Second Roman invasion of Britain; King Cassivellaunus
Subjugated and required to pay tribute.
53-50 Caesar defeats Vercingetorix and pacifies Gaul.
51 Queen Cartimandua allies with Rome.
46 Vercingetorix is executed.
44 Caesar is assassinated.
After 22 BC Diodorus Siculus dies.
AD 5 Cunobelinus (Cymbeline) recognized by Rome as King of
Britain.
43 Claudian invasion; permanent Roman occupation of Britain
Begins.
60 Agricola, Tacitus’s future father-in-law, takes his first command in Britain.
61 Suetonius Paulinus defeats Boudica, Queen of the Iceni.
77 Tacitus marries Agricola’s daughter.
98 Tacitus publishes a biography of his father-in-law. Agricola,
Which includes detailed descriptions of Britain and British Celtic tribes.
C.122 Emperor Hadrian erects a defensive wall in northern
Britain.
C.230 fl. Dio Cassius, Roman historian.
285 Diocletian partitions Roman Empire.
296 Roman rule in Britain restored.
330-395 Life dates of Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus.
395-405 Irish raids on northern and western British coasts.
410 Emperor Honorius abandons Britain; troops withdraw.
C.450 Partition of Ireland into northern and southern kingdoms;
Christianity spreads.
C.450-850 Successive waves of invasion of Britain by Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
C.500 St. Patrick arrives in Ireland.
C.540-550 St. David converts Wales to Christianity.
C.540-550 King Arthur, British military leader, killed at the Battle of Camlann.
597 St. Augustine lands in Kent to begin conversion of Angles,
Saxons and Jutes (the ‘English’) to Christianity.
793, 795 Celtic monasteries at Lindisfame and Iona are destroyed by Vikings.
C. lOOO Irish Christianity is restored; the Book of Kells and the Book
Of Durrow are produced.
1066 Norman invasion of Britain led by William the Conqueror.
C. l 110-1300 Earliest written texts of Celtic literature.
World History
