List of Roman civil wars and revolts
This list of Roman civil wars and revolts includes civil wars and organized civil disorder, revolts, and rebellions in ancient Rome until the fall of the Western Roman Empire. For the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire after the division of the Empire in West and East, see List of Byzantine revolts and civil wars. For external conflicts, see List of Roman external wars and battles. Not all uses of Senatus consultum ultimum are listed.
From the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC until the 1st century BC, there were a sparse number of civil wars. But with the Crisis of the Roman Republic, a period of considerable political instability began. The cause of the late Roman Republican civil wars is contested, as is whether the wars were the cause of, or caused by, the end of the Roman Republic. Regardless, a nearly constant stream of civil wars marked the end of the Roman Republic and heralded the rise of the Roman Empire in 27 BC. The first century of Empire was marked by widespread revolt through territory Rome had captured in the preceding centuries. The second century AD was relatively peaceful, with a limited number of revolts. Political instability returned to the Empire with the Crisis of the Third Century, which saw at least 26 civil wars in just 50 years as usurpers sought the imperial throne. The fourth and fifth centuries AD were characterized by a regular rising of usurpers. The overthrow of the last Western Roman emperor in AD 476 by the Germanic king Odoacer marked the final civil war or revolt, as well as the end of the Western Roman Empire.
Because the study of Roman civil war has been deeply influenced by historic Roman views on civil war, not all entries on this list may be considered civil wars by modern historians. Implicit in most Roman power struggles was a propaganda battle, which impacted how the struggle would be chronicled and referred to. For example, historians Lange & Vervaet suggest that the crisis after Caesar's assassination might be better understood as an internal emergency. Conversely, some revolts on this list may be properly considered to be civil wars, but were not referred to as such by Roman chroniclers. As Lange & Vervaet note, "civil war often refuses to speak its name."
6th century BC
- 509 BC Overthrow of the Roman monarchy
- 509 BC Tarquinian conspiracy
5th century BC
- 500 BC–287/286 BC Conflict of the Orders – political struggle between the plebeians and patricians of the Roman Republic
3rd century BC
- 269 BC: Revolt of the Samnites guided by Lollius - revolt suppressed
- 269-268 BC: Picenti revolt - revolt suppressed and their land is conquered
- 265-264 BC: Revolt of the Etruscan city Volsinii: revolt suppressed with city being destroyed
- 241 BC: Falisci revolt – revolt suppressed and their city destroyed
- 216–203 BC: Defection of Rome's Italic allies to the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War
2nd century BC
- 135–132 BC: First Servile War in Sicily - slave revolt suppressed
- 125 BC: Fregellae's revolt - revolt suppressed
- 104–100 BC: Second Servile War in Sicily - slave revolt suppressed
1st century BC
- 91–87 BC: Social War, between Rome and many of its fellow Italian allies – Roman victory.
- * 89 BC – Battle of Fucine Lake – Roman forces under Lucius Porcius Cato are defeated by the Italian rebels.
- * 89 BC – Battle of Asculum – Roman army of C. Pompeius Strabo decisively defeats the rebels.
- 88 BC: Sulla's first march on Rome, causing his enemy, Gaius Marius, to be outlawed
- Bellum Octavianum, civil war between the consuls Cornelius Cinna and Octavius – Cinnan victory.
- Sulla's civil war, fought between Sulla and Cinna's supporters – Sullan victory. Some regard the entire 88–82 BC period as one of Roman civil war.
- * 82 BC –
- ** Battle of the Asio River – Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius defeats a Popular army under Gaius Carrinas.
- ** Battle of Sacriporto – Fought between the Optimates under Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix and the Populares under Gaius Marius the Younger, Optimate victory.
- ** First Battle of Clusium – Fought between the Optimates under Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix and the Populares under Gnaeus Papirius Carbo, Popular victory.
- ** Battle of Faventia – Fought between the Optimates under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius and the Populares under Gaius Norbanus Balbus, Optimate victory.
- ** Battle of Fidentia – Fought between the Optimates under Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus and the Populares under Lucius Quincius, Optimate victory.
- ** Second Battle of Clusium – Pompei Magnus defeats a numerically superior Populares army under Gaius Carrinas and Gaius Marcius Censorinus.
- ** Battle of Colline Gate – Sulla defeats Samnites allied to the popular party in Rome in the decisive battle of the Civil War.
- Sertorian War between Rome and the provinces of Hispania under the leadership of Quintus Sertorius, a former supporter of Marius and Cinna – Sullan victory.
- * 80 BC – Battle of the Baetis River – Rebel forces under Quintus Sertorius defeat the legal Roman forces of Lucius Fufidius in Hispania.
- * 79 BC – Battle at the Anas River – Sertorius' legate Lucius Hirtuleius defeats the Sullan Governor Marcus Domitius Calvinus, who dies in the altercation.
- * 76 BC – Battle of Lauron – Sertorius defeats Pompey outside the walls of the city of Lauron, which he then razes to the ground.
- * 75 BC –
- ** Battle of Valentia – Pompey defeats Sertorius' subordinates Marcus Perperna Veiento and Gaius Herennius near Valentia.
- ** Battle of Italica – Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius defeats Hirtuleius near the Roman colony of Italica.
- ** Battle of Sucro – Sertorius and Pompey clash near the banks of the Sucro River. Both armies lose a wing and the battle ends in a draw.
- ** Battle of Saguntum – Sertorius, Perperna and Hirtuleius battle with Metellus and Pompey. The battle ends in a draw, with heavy losses on both sides: Gaius Memmius and Hirtuleius die.
- ** Siege of Clunia – Sertorius lay sieged in Clunia with Metellus and Pompey outside. He eventually extricates himself, rejoins with his army, and resumes the war.
- * 74 BC – Siege of Calgurris – Sertorius defeats a besieging Roman army at the fortress town of Calgurris.
- * 73/72 BC – Battle of Osca – Perperna leads the Sertorians in battle against Pompey after assassinating Sertorius, near Osca. Pompey defeats him, ending the Sertorian War.
- 77 BC: Lepidus' rebellion against the Sullan regime – Sullan victory.
- Third Servile War in Italy – slave revolt suppressed.
- * 73 BC – Battle of Mount Vesuvius – Spartacus defeats Gaius Claudius Glaber
- * 72 BC – Battle of Picenum – Slave Revolt led by Spartacus defeat a Roman army led by Gellius Publicola and Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus
- * 72 BC – Battle of Mutina I – Slave Revolt led by Spartacus defeat another army of Romans.
- * 71 BC –
- ** Battle of Cantenna – Roman forces defeated a detached of Spartacus' army led by gladiators Gannicus and Castus
- ** Battle of Campania – Slave Revolt led by Spartacus defeat a Roman army.
- ** Battle of Campania II – a Roman army under Marcus Crassus defeats Spartacus's army of slaves.
- ** Battle of the Siler River – Marcus Crassus defeats the army of Spartacus.
- Catilinarian conspiracy – failed coup d'état by the dissatisfied followers of Catiline against the Senate – Senatorial victory.
- * 62 BC, January – Battle of Pistoria – The forces of the conspirator Catiline are defeated by the loyal Roman armies under Gaius Antonius.
- 54–53 BC: Ambiorix's revolt, part of the larger Gallic Wars.
- Caesar's civil war between Julius Caesar and the Optimates initially led by Pompey the Great – Caesarian victory.
- * 49 BC, February – Siege of Corfinium – The siege lasted only a week, the defenders surrendered themselves to Caesar.
- * 49 BC, 9 March – 18 March – Siege of Brundisium – Caesar tried to blockade the harbour, Pompey abandoned the city.
- * 49 BC, June – Battle of Ilerda – Caesar's army surround Pompeian forces and cause them to surrender.
- * 49 BC, 24 August – Battle of the Bagradas River – Caesar's general Gaius Curio is defeated in North Africa by the Pompeians under Attius Varus and King Juba I of Numidia. Curio is killed in battle.
- * 48 BC, 10 July – Battle of Dyrrhachium – Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat by Pompey in Macedonia
- * 48 BC, 29 July – Siege of Gomphi – The city fell in a few hours and Caesar's men were allowed to sack Gomphi.
- * 48 BC, 9 August – Battle of Pharsalus – Caesar decisively defeats Pompey, who flees to Egypt
- * 47 BC, February – Battle of the Nile – Caesar defeats the forces of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII
- * 46 BC, 4 January – Battle of Ruspina – Caesar loses perhaps as much as a third of his army to Titus Labienus
- * 46 BC, 6 February – Battle of Thapsus – Caesar defeats the Pompeian army of Metellus Scipio in North Africa.
- * 45 BC, 17 March – Battle of Munda – In his last victory, Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompey the Younger in Hispania. Labienus is killed in the battle and the Younger Pompey captured and executed.
- 46 BC: Revolt of the Bellovaci in North-Eastern Gaul – revolt suppressed
- 44 BC: Revolt of the Allobroges in Gaul – revolt suppressed
- War of Mutina between the Senate's army and the army of Mark Antony, Lepidus, and their colleagues – Truce results in union of forces.
- * 43 BC, 14 April – Battle of Forum Gallorum – Antony, besieging Caesar's assassin Decimus Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is killed, but is then immediately defeated by the army of the other consul, Hirtius.
- *43 BC, 21 April: Battle of Mutina – Senatorial victory over Mark Antony.
- Liberators' civil war between the Second Triumvirate and the Liberators – Triumvirate victory.
- * 43 BC, 21 April – Battle of Mutina – Antony is again defeated in battle by Hirtius, who is killed. Although Antony fails to capture Mutina, Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly thereafter.
- * 42 BC, 3 October – First Battle of Philippi – Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's assassins Marcus Brutus and Cassius. Although Brutus defeats Octavian, Antony defeats Cassius, who commits suicide.
- * 42 BC, 23 October – Second Battle of Philippi – Brutus's army is decisively defeated by Antony and Octavian. Brutus escapes, but commits suicide soon after.
- Bellum Siculum, war between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey, the son of Pompey – Triumvirate victory.
- * 36 BC – Battle of Naulochus – Octavian's fleet, under the command of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeats the forces of the rebel Sextus Pompeius.
- Perusine War between the forces of Octavian against Lucius Antonius and Fulvia – Octavian victory.
- * 41 BC – Battle of Perugia – Mark Antony's brother Lucius Antonius and his wife Fulvia are defeated by Octavian.
- 38 BC: Revolt of Aquitanian tribes – revolt suppressed by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
- War of Actium or Final War of the Roman Republic : between Octavian and his friend and general Agrippa against Antony and Cleopatra – Octavian victory.
- * 31 BC, 2 September – Battle of Actium – Octavian decisively defeats Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle near Greece.
- 30–29 BC: Revolt of the Morini and Treveri in Northern Gaul with Germanic support – revolt suppressed
- 30 BC: Revolt in the Nile delta and the Thebaid – revolt suppressed by Gaius Cornelius Gallus
- 28–27 BC: Revolt in Gallia Aquitania – revolt suppressed by Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
- 13 BC: Revolt of Vologases, priest of Dionysus, in Thrace – revolt suppressed
- 11–9 BC: Revolt of southern mountain tribes in Thrace – revolt suppressed by Calpurnius Piso
- 4 BC: Revolt of Jews in Judea – revolt suppressed by Publius Quinctilius Varus