Download Introduction to Rome\'s early expansion

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Early Roman Conquest The Punic Wars

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Periods of Roman History 

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Roman Origins (1000-509 BCE) 

Earliest settlements on Palatine Hill

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753 – Romulus & Remus founding myth

Roman Republic (509-31 BCE) 

Etruscan kings overthrown

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Republic: a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives

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The Punic Wars (264-133 BCE)

Roman Empire (31 BCE – 476 CE) 

Began when Octavian defeated Antony & Cleopatra

Note: Rome/Romans does not refer to just the city, but the entire empire of this civilization and the people who inhabited the regions they conquered

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Rome’s First Conquests  While

the Romans were developing their form of government, they also expanded along the Italian peninsula

 Often

turned to military conquest than peaceful diplomacy

 Destroyed

BCE)

remaining Etruscan town of Veii (396

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The Invasion by the Gauls

 390

BCE – Gauls captured city of Rome

 Heroic

deed by wealthy Roman women – secured the funds for a negotiated ransom

 290s

BCE – Rome dominated the Italian peninsula as far South as Magna Graecia

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The Roman Army 

Greek phalanx  Roman maniples

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60-120 men (maniple) – commanded by a centurion 

Allowed for power and versatility, could maneuvre independently

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6000 men (legion) – had to hold its formation, main unit

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600 men (cohort) – flexibility of the maniples, replaced maniples at times

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Pyrrhus Invades Italy 

280 BCE – Southern Greek citystates in Italy felt threatened by Rome

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Enlisted King of Epirus

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20 war elephants & 2 successful battles

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Romans rebounded and pursued their conquests

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Controlled all of Italian peninsula except the Po Valley (to the North)

+ The Roman Federation 

Conquered communities 

Degrees of privilege

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Roman citizenship 

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Protection of Roman law, some could vote, intermarriages with Romans allowed

Liable to provide troops

How do you control a large territory without having to demolish or transform the conqueror’s own institutions? 

This system expanded the manpower available to Rome

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The Punic Wars 

Rome  unified Italian peninsula

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Carthage  controlled cities in northern Africa, parts of Spain, islands of Corsica and Sardinia, and much of Sicily 

Leading naval power

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First Punic War (264-241 BCE) 

Sicily – under siege from Carthage  

Romans sent a force to assist the town of Messana in Sicily Led to a battle for control of the whole island of Sicily

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Romans refused to accept defeat – they were victorious!

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Carthage abandoned Sicily and it became the first Roman province

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238 BCE - Sardinia rebelled against Carthaginian control and Rome seized it and Corsica to form the second Roman province

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Second Punic War (219-202 BCE) Carthage tries to build an empire in southern Spain as compensation for its losses 

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Saguntum – town in Spain, Rome promised to protect led to the outbreak of the most critical Punic war

219 BCE – Hannibal (Carthage) seized Saguntum 

Wanted to bring the war home to Rome and conquer it

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218 BCE – He led his army across the Alps with 37 elephants

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216 BCE – Victorious over the Romans at Cannae 

Allies remained faithful to Rome, and Hannibal didn’t have the manpower

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Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)

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Rome made an alliance with Numidia (west of Carthage)

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Numidia plundered the territory of Carthage to the point of armed resistance

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Marcus Cato persuades Rome to declare war

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146 BCE – city captured, Roman province named Africa

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133 BCE – Spain conquered by Rome (Carthage territory now destroyed)