KINGDOM (753-510 BC):
| Aeneas | - Trojan refugee, established colony in Latium. |
| Iulus (Ascanius) | - Son of Aeneas, founded Alba Longa. |
| Romulus and Remus | - Twins exposed from Alba Longa, sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, founders of Rome. |
| Sabine women | - First Roman wives, abducted from Sabinae. |
| Horatii (Rome) vs. Curiatii (Alba Longa) | - 3 brothers team-fight. |
| Tarquin the Proud | - 7th and last king of Rome, expelled for his arrogance. |
| Junius Brutus | - Expelled the last king; first Roman consul. |
EARLY REPUBLIC (509-100 BC):
| Mucius Scaevola | - Burned his hand to impress the enemy. |
| Horatius Cocles | - Defended the bridge against the Etruscan army. |
| Coriolan | - Haughty renegade, spared Rome on his mother's request. |
| Cincinnatus | - Farmer-general, returned to his plough. (Cf. Society of Cincinnati) |
| Regulus | - Kept his word to the enemy; returned to Carthage to die. |
| Hannibal | - Carthaginian general, nearly conquered Rome. |
| Fabius Cunctator | - Saved Rome from Hannibal by inaction during the 2nd Punic War. |
| Cato Major | - High morals; narrow mind. |
LATE REPUBLIC (100-30 BC):
| Sulla vs. Marius | - Military dictator. |
| Iugurtha | - African prince; nearly bought Rome. |
| Catilina | - His conspiracy thwarted by Cicero. |
| Cicero | - Best orator ever. |
| Cato Minor | - High morals; narrow mind. |
| Julius Caesar | - Conqueror of Gallic Europe; dictator killed by conspirators. |
| Marcus Brutus | - Hereditary freedom-fighter; friend and murderer of Caesar (Et tu, Brute!) |
| Mark Antony | - Last friend of Caesar; lover of the last Egyptian queen Cleopatra. |
EARLY EMPIRE (~30 BC - AD 100):
| Octavian Augustus | - First Roman emperor (princeps). Established Pax Romana - the Roman Peace. |
| Caligula | - Emperor who made his horse senator. |
| Nero | - Pyromaniac emperor - actor. |
LATER EMPIRE (~AD 100 - 476):
| Marcus Aurelius | - Emperor - philosopher Stoic. |
| Commodus | - Son of Marcus Aurelius; emperor - gladiator. |
| Constantine | - adopted Christianity AD 313; moved the center to Constantinople. |
BYZANTINE EMPIRE (AD 313 - 1453):
| Justinian | - Codified the Roman law in AD 530. |