Pyrrhus lands in Italy, with 25,000 men and 20 elephants, to fight for the Greek colony of Tarentum against the Romans

At the end of the First Punic War, Sicily becomes Rome's first overseas province

Spain, with its mines of gold, silver and copper, is a hotly disputed region between Carthage and Rome

Sardinia and Corsica are annexed by Rome, becoming the second Roman overseas province

Carthaginian Spain is handed over to Rome to become two new provinces, at the end of the Second Punic War

The Romans, after defeating Macedon, announce at the Isthmian Games that all Greek states are now free under Roman protection

The Romans establish a province in the south of France, still acknowledged in the name Provence

Sulla, campaigning to the east, besieges Athens and then allows his army to loot the city

The 26-year-old Pompey conducts such a successful campaign in Africa that his soldiers hail him as Pompey the Great

Pompey takes Antioch and brings Syria under control as a Roman province

Pompey captures Jerusalem, bringing Judaea under Roman control

At the end of his year as consul, Caesar travels north to become governor of northern Italy and southern France

Julius Caesar makes the first of his two invasions of Celtic Britain

Julius Caesar returns to Britain for a second visit, this time reaching north of the Thames into the kingdom of Cassivellaunus

The Celtic leader Vercingetorix inflicts an unaccustomed defeat on Julius Caesar, at Gergovia, but is captured later in the year

In his winter quarters Julius Caesar writes The Gallic War, an account of his own achievements in suppressing the Gauls

Julius Caesar concludes a campaign in Asia Minor so speedily that he declares, succinctly, Veni, vidi, vici ('I came, I saw, I conquered')

A town is founded by Julius Caesar on the ruined site of Carthage, and eventually flourishes as Colonia Julia Carthago

With the annexation of Egypt, the entire Mediterranean falls under Roman control

The Netherlands, or 'low countries' around the Rhine delta, enter history as the Roman province of Germania Inferior

The defeat of three Roman legions in the Teutoberg Forest by Arminius, establishes the Rhine as a natural boundary of the Roman empire

The death of Cymbeline is a prelude to the renewed Roman invasion of Celtic Britain

The Romans invade Britain and the tribal leader Caractacus fails to hold them in an encounter near the Medway

The emperor Claudius catches up with the Roman army, waiting at the Thames for him to lead the final victory over the English tribes

Boudicca launches a devastating attack on Roman soldiers and settlers, destroying their headquarters at Colchester