On 9 August 48 BC at Pharsalus in central Greece, Gaius Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the republic under the command of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (" Pompey the Great ").

Tacitus, the most important Roman historian of this period, took a particular interest in Britain as Gnaeus Julius Agricola, his father-in-law and the subject of his first book, served there three times.

The conquest of Britain continued under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who expanded the Roman Empire as far as Caledonia, or modern day Scotland.

Gnaeus Julius Agricola ( Bath, Somerset | Bath )

One of the most detailed reports of military activity under the Flavian dynasty was written by Tacitus, whose biography of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola largely concerns the conquest of Britain between 77 and 84.

Although Tacitus is usually considered to be the most reliable author of this era, his views on Domitian are complicated by the fact that his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, may have been a personal enemy of the Emperor.

Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, father-in-law to the historian Tacitus, conquered the Ordovices in 78.

Following a series of military successes in the south, forces led by Gnaeus Julius Agricola entered Scotland in 79.

Hadrian ’ s elder sister and only sibling was Aelia Domitia Paulina, married with the triple consul Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus, his niece was Julia Serviana Paulina and his great-nephew was Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator, from Barcino ( Barcelona ).

For instance, generals Marcus Antonius Primus and Gnaeus Julius Agricola were both born in Gaul, as were emperors Claudius and Caracalla.

* 40 – Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman general ( d. 93 )

Likely born a free Roman citizen, by his own account Vitruvius served the Roman army under Julius Caesar with the otherwise poorly identified Marcus Aurelius, Publius Minidius, and Gnaeus Cornelius.

* Agrippina the Elder accuses Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso of having assassinated her husband Germanicus Julius Caesar in Antioch.

Gnaeus Julius Agricola | Agricola's Campaigns in Scotland

* Gnaeus Julius Agricola enters Caledonia ( modern Scotland ) but is resisted by the Caledonians.

* July 13 – Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman governor of Britain

* Gnaeus Julius Agricola is named governor of Britannia, a post he occupies until 84.

* Gnaeus Julius Agricola replaces Sextus Julius Frontinus as governor of Roman Britain which leads to the eventual taming of the Welsh tribes of Britain.

Gnaeus Julius Agricola creates a fleet for conquest of Caledonia, he finally proves that Britannia is an island.

* Gnaeus Julius Agricola begins his invasion of Scotland.

* Gnaeus Julius Agricola raises a fleet and encircles the Celtic tribes beyond the Forth, the Caledonians rise in great numbers against the Romans.

* Possible date of the Battle of Mons Graupius ( 83 or 84 ), in which Gnaeus Julius Agricola defeats the Caledonians.

* August 23 – Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman governor of Britain

In a little over a century later, Gnaeus Julius Agricola mentions Roman armies attacking a large druid sanctuary in Anglesey, also known as Holyhead, Wales.

Meanwhile war had resumed in Britannia, where Gnaeus Julius Agricola pushed further into Caledonia and managed to establish several forts there.

In 79AD the two main Roman generals active in north Britain, Gnaeus Julius Agricola and Quintus Petillius Cerialis, advanced through the Solway area as they continued their campaign further north.

* Julia Procilla, mother of general Gnaeus Julius Agricola

* Julia Agricola, daughter of general Gnaeus Julius Agricola and wife to historian Tacitus

* Gnaeus Pompeius, age 22, raises on his own initiative a private army of three legions from his fathers veterans and clientalae in Picenum.

Gnaeus Pompēius Trōgus, known as Pompeius Trogus, Pompey Trogue, or Trogue Pompey, was a 1st century BC Roman historian of the Celtic tribe of the Vocontii in Gallia Narbonensis, flourished during the age of Augustus, nearly contemporary with Livy.

This campaign is known to have begun in 2 BC, which means that Gnaeus Ahenobarbus must have already been of a mature age by that year.

* Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo is made commander of the Roman army in Germania Inferior.

* Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo is restored to command after the Roman debacle at the Battle of Rhandeia ; he invaded Armenia and defeated Tiridates I, who accepted Roman sovereignty ; Parthia withdrew from the war.

He is also accused of murdering his first wife and son so that he could marry the wealthy and beautiful Aurelia Orestilla, daughter of the Consul of 71 BC, Gnaeus Aufidius Orestes.

* Gnaeus Pompeius is ordered by Sulla to stamp out democratic rebels in Sicily and Africa, while the young Gaius Julius Caesar is acting as a subordinate of Sulla in the east.

Gisco defeats part of the Roman fleet and captures the Roman consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina in an encounter near Lipari ; the consul's nickname Asina ( which means donkey ) is earned in this encounter.

* The Battle of Herdonia is fought between Hannibal's Carthaginian army and Roman forces who are laying siege to Herdonia led by praetor Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus, brother of the consul, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus.

* The Carthaginian general, Hannibal, is denied any reinforcements from Spain for his forces now based in Italy by the activities of the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, who, in a battle at Dertosa near the Ebro River effectively stop the Carthaginian general, Hasdrubal's attempt to break through to Italy.

* Gaius Flaminius Nepos is re-elected consul with Gnaeus Servilius Geminus, in what is considered to be a rebuke of the Senate's prosecution of the war.

In a naval battle on the Ebro River at Tarraco, the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal's fleet is largely destroyed by a daring surprise Roman attack led by Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus.

* A work by the Latin epic poet and dramatist Gnaeus Naevius is performed for the first time.

It is likely that Gnaeus was the youngest of the three children, born ca 1 BC.

It is known, for example, that the senator Cato the Younger once filibustered in an attempt to prevent the Senate from granting Julius Caesar a law that would have given land to the veterans of Gnaeus Pompey Magnus.

Three other men of appropriate rank to command legions are known to have been involved in the invasion: Vespasian's brother Titus Flavius Sabinus II and Gnaeus Hosidius Geta appear in Dio Cassius's account of the invasion ; Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus is mentioned by Eutropius, although as a former consul he may have been too senior, and perhaps accompanied Claudius later.

Piso did not openly declare support for Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and remained neutral but is widely believed he secretly supported Pompey but still did not forfeit the respect of Caesar when Pompey was defeated.

Amongst other credible meanings assigned to praenomina, Faustus certainly means fortunate in Latin ; Gaius is thought to derive from the same root as gaudere, to rejoice ; Gnaeus refers to a birthmark ; Marcus and Mamercus refer to the gods Mars and Mamers ( perhaps an Oscan manifestation of Mars ); Paullus means small ; Servius appears to be derived from the same root as servare, to serve or to keep safe ; Volusus ( also found as Volesus and Volero ) seems to come from valere, to be strong.