Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-6912688-20130416211138/@comment-6912688-20130615184458

I've been thinking, and this seems like a good timeline, as long as it stays plausible:

509 BC – Romans adopt democracy

494 BC – Secession of the plebs. Office of Tribune of the Plebs created. However, the patricians, wanting to retain their stranglehold on politics, ignore all “things” done by the tribune of the plebs.

493 BC – Riots break out in Rome (and next year)

491 BC – Plebs follow up on their promise and found a new city on Mons Sacer. It is named Oppidum Parium (town of equals). Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus is pulled out of his self-imposed exile and named Emergency Military Dictator, being a capable administrator and general, and always being more popular with the Patricians than the Plebians. A message is sent to the plebs saying that the Patricians would keep to the tribune rules, and a quarter of the plebians return to the city. The rest, however, enjoying their new life, stay in Oppidum Parium.

490 BC – Collatinus is again appointed dictator for the first six months, and raises an army composed mostly of equites, rich nobles, and a few of the plebs that returned to the city. Oppidum Parium is sent an ultimatum; have the population surrender and return peacefully, or have the city razed and the population forcefully deported. The new town, confident in their military ability and in their new ally, the Latin city-state of Tibur (who broke their alliance with Rome in a gamble for more political recognition). Collatinus, decides, in a decision that will change history, to follow up on his threat. The Roman army moves against the Oppidum Parium/Tibur army and is defeated handily. The pleb army follows the retreating Romans to the gates of the city of Rome, before they turn back. (note: The plebs want to stay in Oppidum Parium because, as there are no patricians, there is no unfair political discrimination which, of course, still rears its ugly head in Rome).

488 BC – Seeing “Rome’s” precarious situation, the Etruscan city-state of Veii moves in and annihilates the Oppidum Parium army in a battle. Veii, being only 9 miles from Oppidum Parium, manages to sack the city itself before the Tibur reinforcements arrive, and they turn back, not wanting to risk their own nation’s existence on avenging a no-longer-in-existence sort of ally. The survivors from the sack of Oppidum Parium flee to Rome, where they are welcomed into the town. It is laid siege to by Veii forces, but manages to repulse the attack. The Etruscans occupy Oppidum Parium, renaming it Oppidum Victores due to their great victory there (I wanted to write “town of victory” in Etruscan, but you’d be surprised how unhelpful the internet Etruscan dictionaries are. It would almost be better if I wanted to translate it into, say, proto-indo-european).

486 BC – Etruscan and Latin forces lay siege to Rome. Tibur votes to send aid, as many of the former citizens of Oppidum Parium now live in Rome, but Tibur forces are unable to break the siege, and return home beaten and bloody.

484 BC – Tired of the siege, the Etruscans bribe a Roman gatekeeper with a wagonload of silver and storm the east of the city. Fierce Street fighting ensues. Eventually, the coalition manages to capture all of Rome except for the citadel. Looting ensues, with much of the city, including the famous Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, destroyed.

483 BC – The Romans in the citadel surrender. The terms of the peace include a puppet monarch being installed, and Rome paying tribute to Veii and many of the Latin tribes that took part in the war (I’ll specify those later), and a provision putting restrictions on the size of the Roman military. The walls are razed.

482 BC – The Sabines move in and, with Rome’s weakened military and absence of walls, manage to capture Rome. Tibur once again rushes to Rome’s aid, but once again fails. Rome is finally completely destroyed.





And history shall continue as I think up what will happen next…