Capsule Timeline
265 BCE Rome completed the occupation of the Italian peninsula
264-241 BCE First war with Carthage (First Punic War)
238 BCE Conquest of Sardinia
229-228 BCE First Illyrian War (Balkans)
219 BCE Second Illyrian War
218-201 BCE Second Punic War (Hannibal crossed the Alps)
215-205 BCE First Macedonian War
200-197 BCE Second Macedonian War
200-191 BCE Gallic invasion of northern Italy
192-189 BCE Syrian War
171-168 Third Macedonian War
149-148 BCE Fourth (and final) Macedonian War
149-146 BCE Third Punic War and final defeat of Carthage
Where to start reading
Kuiper, K. (2011). Ancient Rome: From Romulus and Remus to the Visigoth invasion. New York: Britannica Educational Pub. in association with Rosen Educational Services. pp. 39-76.
Freeman, C., & Oxford University Press. (2014). Egypt, Greece, and Rome: Civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 381-399.
Gargola Daniel J. 'Mediterranean Empire (264–134)' in Rosenstein, N. S., & Morstein-Marx, R. (2006). A companion to the Roman Republic. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. pp. 147-166.
Hölkeskamp, K.-J. 2004. 'Under Roman Roofs: Family House, and Household', in Flower, H. I. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 115-140.