Free learning resources from arts, cultural and heritage organisations.

When did the Romans exist?

Chronological Order

First, we need to understand what chronological order is. Chronological order is where a list of events are displayed in order of when they occurred. It is often shown through a timeline. Below is a timeline of where the Romans appeared in history.

Ancient Egyptians 3100 BCE – 332 BCE
Ancient Greeks 2000 BCE – 146 BCE
Ancient Romans 753 BCE – 476 CE
Anglo-Saxons 410 CE – 1066 CE
Vikings 793 CE – 1050 CE
Tudors 1485 – 1603
Victorians 1837 – 1901

 

How do we know about the Romans?

We know a lot about the Romans through what they left behind. Today we have people called Archaeologists who dig up ancient artefacts from the past. This helps us to learn more about history.

Roman Antefix - slab of stone from a wall depicting a person's face with a menacing grin
Roman Stone Antefix


The artefacts dug up can be seen in museums such as Leeds City Museum. Although these are found in certain sites, they are only clues into how the Romans lived and, therefore, we can never know the full story behind the artefacts. Archaeologists try to put the pieces together so that we can gain an insight into how people used to live.