This is a timeline of Portuguese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Portugal and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Portugal.
Throughout recorded history, the lands that belong to modern-day mainland Portugal were part of three main lines of political authority (sometimes simultaneously):
the Roman Republic (3rd century BC to 1st century BC), the Roman Empire (1st century BC to 5th century), and the Byzantine Empire (6th to 7th centuries); the Suebi Kingdom (5th to 6th centuries), the Visigothic Kingdom (5th to 8th centuries), the Kingdom of Asturias (8th century to 10th century), the Kingdom of Galicia (9th to 12th century), and the Kingdom of Léon (10th to 12th century); the Umayaad Caliphate (8th century), the Emirate and later Caliphate of Córdoba (8th to 10th centuries), various taifas during the Taifa Period (11th century), and the Abbasid Caliphate (through the Almoravids, 11th to 13th century).
Portugal became independent from the Kingdom of Léon as the Kingdom of Portugal (12th to 20th centuries) as a result of the Portuguese Reconquista (8th to 12th centuries), expanded outside mainland Portugal in the Portuguese Discoveries (15th and 16th centuries), was united with the Kingdom of Spain due to a succession crisis (16th to 17th centuries), split from Spain in the aftermath of the Portuguese Restoration War (17th century) and lost Brazil when the Portuguese Prince declared its independence from Portugal (19th century). Portugal then became a constitutional monarchy alternating between three different constitutions: the 1822 Constitution, the Constitutional Charter of 1826, and the Portuguese Constitution of 1838 (19th century), until it finally became a Republic (20th century to modern-day) under three forms: the first Portuguese Republic, the Estado Novo, and the current Portuguese Republic. In the latter Republic, Portugal granted independence to all of its overseas possessions acquired in the Discoveries, except for Macau (handed over to China in 1999) and the nearby archipelagos of Azores and Madeira, which are autonomous regions of Portugal. __NOTOC__
Centuries: 3rd BC2nd BC1st BC3rd5th6th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th21st
3rd century BC Year Date Event 218 to 201 BC The Second Punic War would bring the Roman Republic's influence to Iberia. The Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula begins.
2nd century BC Year Date Event 197 BC The Iberian Peninsula is divided into Hispania Ulterior (which will include all of Portugal) and Hispania Citerior. 155 BC Resistance to the Roman conquest by the Lusitanians starts in the Lusitanian War.148 BCViriathus becomes the Lusitanian leader.Appian's Roman History, Book VI, Chapter X. https://archive.org/details/appiansromanhist01appi/page/226/mode/2up 140 BCAfter being defeated by Fabius Maximus Caepius, Viriathus sends his most trusted friends Audax, Ditalcus and Minurus to negotiate peace terms with Caepio. They are bribed by Caepius to kill Viriathus and do. After the death of Viriathus, the Lusitanians attempt to raid Saguntum, but fail. On crossing the river Baetis on their return, they are defeated by Caepio and accept to become Rome's subjects. This marks the end of the Lusitanian War.
1st century BC Year Date Event 80 to 72 BC The Sertorian War takes place, with Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general, rebelling against Rome with the support of the Lusitanians. 27 BC The Roman Republic is over and the Roman Empire begins in the aftermath of the War of Actium, in which Augustus wins and becomes Emperor. He replaces the old Hispania Ulterior and Citerior division with a new one: Lusitania (Centre and South of modern Portugal and some territory of Modern Spain, namely the capital of Lusitania, Mérida), Hispania Baetica (only territories in Modern Spain, mostly around Seville), and everything else, including the North of Portugal, in Hispania Tarraconensis.
3rd century Year Date Event 293 Diocletian reorganises the provinces of Hispania, creating some new ones. Of interest, Gallaecia is split from the Tarraconensis province. Gallaecia includes the North of Portugal (starting with Portus Cale/Porto) and extending to the North of Spain (Galicia). Bracara Augusta (Braga) is the administrative centre of Conventus Bracarensis, one of the three conventus of Gallaecia.
4th century Year Date Event 357 Potamius, the first recorded bishop of Lisbon, takes part in the Councils of Sirmium, in which he is recorded as having defended Arianism.
5th century Year Date Event 409 In the context of the Migration Period, the Kingdom of the Suebi is established with King Hermeric, a believer of Germanic paganism, as its leader and Braga as its capital. The Kingdom includes Gallaecia and varying other parts of Portugal. Other groups that enter the Portuguese area are the Germanic Vandals, led by Gunderic, and the Iranic Alans, led by Respendial. 416In the first Gothic War in Spain (416–418), the Western Roman Empire commissions the Visigoths to take back Spain for the Roman Empire from the Suebi and Alans.418The first Gothic War in Spain ends, with a win for the Visigoths and Rome, who take back a considerable portion of the Iberian Peninsula, with the Kingdom of Suebi being restricted to the North of Spain (Gallecia). Attaces, who had taken over leadership of the Alans from Respendial (date unknown), is killed in battle. The Alans appealed to Gunderic, King of the Vandals, who then became also king of the Alans.409-418Cindazunda, daughter of King Hermeric, marries Attaces, King of the Alans as part of a peace deal after a battle in Coimbra.419Asterius, a Roman general, campaigns in Gallecia to suppress an uprising by Maximus and a war between Suebi against the Vandals and Alans.428Following Gunderic's death, Gaiseric, his half-brother, becomes King of the Vandals and Alans.429Gaiseric leads the Vandals and Alans out of Iberia and into North Africa. They would later conquer many islands in the Mediterranean Sea and go on to sack Rome but would not return to Iberia.438Rechila, King of the Suebi, leads several campaigns against the Romans and Visigoths.439Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania, is captured by Recila, ending its Roman rule.456The second Gothic War in Spain (456) takes place between the Suebi (led by Rechila's son, Rechiar) and the Romans, Visigoths, Franks and Burgundians. Rechiar flees to Porto, where he is killed. The Battle of Órbigo culminates with the sacking of (Suebi) Braga and nearby cities.c. 468Hydatius, bishop of Aquae Flaviae, finishes writing his Chronicon, a chronicle written in Latin which is our only contemporary source for the history of Hispania between 427 and 468.
6th century Year Date Event5062 FebruaryThe Breviary of Alaric is published by the order of Alaric II, King of the Visigoths. This collection of Roman law applied, not to the Visigothic nobles who lived under their own law, but to the Hispano-Roman and Gallo-Roman population, living under Visigoth rule.550Around this year, Martin of Braga, who played an important role in the conversion of the Suevi from Arianism to Chalcedonianism, settles in Gallecia. 552 Emperor Justinian I, of the Byzantine Empire, establishes the province of Spania. In its greatest extent, Spania would include parts of modern-day Algarve.561The First Council of Braga takes place, taking aim at Priscillianism, a Christian sect that had emerged in Spain. 585 King Liuvigild of the Visigothic Kingdom (capital in Toletum), an Arian, conquers the Suevi Kingdom, thus controlling most of the Iberian Peninsula (and all of Portugal).586King Liuvigild dies and is followed by his son, Reccared I.587King Reccared I renounces Arianism for Chalcedonianism and suppresses several Arian revolts in his kingdom.589In the Third Council of Toledo, the Visigothic Kingdom joins the Catholic Church. The bishops of Viseu and of Porto attend the council.
7th century