This work provides, for the first time, a chronological reference for the entire Roman state and its neighbours. Events of each year are covered in detail listing the elected consuls, major battles as well as political and social events. Opening with a discussion on the ancient sources and the myth of the foundation of Rome, it proceeds to the end of the empire in 476. Some explanation is given when sources may conflict on the precise timing of such events, but interpretation and conjecture are kept to a minimum. All material is derived from original sources and has been painstakingly researched by the editor. The introduction considers key historiographical questions and concerns of the period. Professor John Drinkwater considers the importance of questioning sources, most notably Livy, and what can be said with any authority. He places the period in its historical, political and cultural context and challenges some of the scholarship to date. It will become the standard reference work and an indispensable tool for anyone studying the period.