Egyptian forces under Pharaoh Ramesses II clashed with the Hittite army near the Orontes River in one of antiquity's largest chariot battles, later immortalized as an Egyptian victory.

Athenian hoplites crushed a much larger Persian invasion force on the plain of Marathon, saving the fledgling Greek city-state from conquest.

Athenian hoplites under Miltiades routed a much larger Persian invasion force on the plain of Marathon, an origin point for the marathon race legend.

Ancient Romans celebrated Consualia, a harvest festival honoring Consus, god of grain storage, with chariot races and rare public rites.

Julius Caesar celebrated an unprecedented series of four triumphal processions through Rome, commemorating victories in Gaul, Egypt, Pontus, and North Africa.

Octavian's fleet crushed the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra off the coast of Greece, deciding the fate of Rome and Egypt.

Rome's first emperor died at Nola at age 75, allegedly asking friends if he had played his part well in life's comedy.

A fire breaks out near Rome's Circus Maximus and rages for days, destroying vast swaths of the city under Emperor Nero.

The Great Fire of Rome, which broke out on July 19, continued to smolder through parts of the city into mid-September, leaving vast districts in ash.

Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and pumice and killing thousands of residents.

Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and pumice, killing thousands and freezing Roman daily life in place.

Roman construction began on Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain, a fortified line marking the empire's edge, following the emperor's visit that year.

Bishops in Jerusalem dedicated the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and publicly displayed relics believed to be the True Cross, founding a feast still marked today.

Alaric and his Visigothic army breached Rome's walls and sacked the city, the first time in nearly 800 years an enemy had taken it.

Roman writers and later chroniclers marked early September 410 as the moment the unthinkable had happened: barbarians held the Eternal City.

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