Roman Expansion

Survival or Greed? 493 – 133 BC

The Struggle of the Orders 494 – 287 BCE

Early Roman society consisted of two classes: Patricians and Plebeians…

• 494 BCE – Office of the Tribune created• 460 BCE – Voting: residence replaced wealth• 450 BCE – Twelve Tables• 445 BCE – Lex Canuleia-marriage• 367 BCE – Licinian-Sextian Rogation-consuls• 287 BCE – Lex Hortensia- Plebeian Council

Roman Expansion

• 493 BCE – Battle of Lake Regillus/Latin League• 396 BCE – Battle of Veii/Etruscans• 390 BCE – first & only setback – Gauls seige on Rome • 350 BCE - Romans bounced back- rebuilt the Servian Wall

and remodeled the army

• 340- 290 BCE The Latin Wars/Roman Federation• 282-270 BCE defeated Greeks/Tarentum & Epirus

• By 264 BCE, 5 major world powers: Syria, Egypt,

Macedonia, Carthage and Rome

By 264 BCE, 5 major world powers: Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Carthage and Rome

How was it possible for Rome to conquer so much so quickly? • First, the strong and balanced government had the

total support of the Roman people. • Second, some defeated peoples (Latins) were treated

as friends and, in several cases, made citizens. • Third, Rome's army was highly disciplined and

experienced by years of warfare. • Fourth, Romans greatly valued military success. In

fact, military success was needed if a man hoped to advance in the Roman government.

• Fifth, wars brought a lot of money and treasure. Valuables seized from the enemy made the government, as well as individual leaders, wealthy. Prisoners from the conquered lands became slaves.

The Punic Wars

• Three wars against Carthage started in 264 BCE and ended with Rome an international superpower in 146 BCE.

The Punic Wars, 264-146 BCE

The first Punic War… • The first war started over the Sicilian city of Mesina

• Fighting between 264 and 241 BCE ended in defeat for the Carthaginian admiral Hamilcar.

• Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica became Roman territories

Hannibal Barca

247–183 BCE

Hannibal and the Second Punic War, 219- 202 BCE

• Started over control of a city in Spain

• Hannibal’s army of 50,000 men, 12,000 horses and 37 war elephants crossed the Alps in 15 days

• Hannibal hoped for support from the Gauls and other Latin people

• Battle of Cannae 216 BCE ended with 60,000 Romans dead.

Hannibal’s army of 50,000 men and 37 war elephants crossed the Alps

Battle of Cannae, 215 BCE - 60,000 dead. Rome’s future looked very bleak!

Publius Cornelius Scipio

Rome sent an army under Scipio to Carthage, forcing Hannibal to return to Carthage to protect his homeland

Scipio Africanus

The 3rd Punic War, 149-146 BCE

• A one-sided affair!

The legacy of wars…• Farms had been ravaged and remained

unproductive• Citizen-soldiers returned after prolonged

absence to find their families on the brink of bankruptcy

• Growth of Patrician latifundia (slave plantations)

• Growing slave population drove down wages

Further consequences of expansion…

• The Hellenization of Rome

• Rise of a business class

• Immense wealth –a taste for luxury

• Most benefits of expansion went to the wealthy, patrician class

• Serious economic dislocations for the common people was under way

Problems for the small, independent, self-sufficient farmer…

• The increase in the slave population displaced the common farmers…

• In debt, without prospects for work, ruined farmers joined the ranks of unemployed in Rome…

• By 150BCE -a revolution was brewing!

Any Questions?