ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of the city of Rome

Okay kiddo, let me tell you a story about the timeline of the city of Rome.

Long long time ago, before you and I were born, there were some people called the Latins. They lived in the area where Rome is now. They built a village on top of one of the seven hills that we call Palatine Hill.

Then, around 753 BC, a man with superpowers named Romulus became the first king of Rome. He built a wall around the city and made laws to keep the people safe. The Romans then started building temples, public buildings, and their famous roads.

As time went on, the city grew bigger and stronger. It expanded to seven hills, and some kings came and went until in 509 BC, the Roman Republic was formed. People could now vote for their leaders instead of having a king.

The Republic lasted for a very long time and saw some amazing things. Julius Caesar, the famous Roman general, became the dictator of Rome in 44 BC. He was assassinated a year later, and things changed quickly from there.

Another form of government, the Roman Empire, was then established in 27 BC. It was ruled by emperors such as Augustus, Nero, and Caligula, and they built even more amazing buildings like the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

But the empire also faced some big problems, like invasions from other countries and plagues that killed many people. Eventually, in 476 AD, the last emperor of Rome, Romulus Augustus, was removed from power, and the Roman Empire came to an end.

Today, Rome is still an amazing city with lots of history, and we can see many of the things that the Romans built all those years ago. And that’s the story of the timeline of the city of Rome!