Conquests

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• Remember how Rome became a republic? The republic turned into an empire later. There 
• was an expansion of Rome. Rome started as a tiny republic in Italy.
• sLater on, Rome included of North Africa, Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor.
• sThe growth of Rome’s power happened gradually, and at a price.
• sThere was a dramatic change that occurred in Rome’s power.
• sRome’s power was in the hands of the emperor. They even worshiped the emperor as a god.
• sThere were many costs and expenses in expanding the empire.
• sRomans drove the last Etruscan king out of power. Then, Rome became a republic.
• sThe Romans wanted to protect their borders and also gain more land
• sDuring the next 245 years, the Romans kept on fighting everyone in their way, conquering and battling.
• sThe Romans conquered the Etruscans, and the other Latin neighbors.
• sThey wisely chose allies, and fought strategic battles
• sRome and its allies had conquered all of Italy by 264 B.C.E.
• sThe Etruscans were the old masters of the Romans. Bravely, they fought them, and they became the Etruscans’ rulers.
• sRome received more land, but they also lost a lot of soldiers in fighting
• sRome made allies and friends, so they were more powerful along with their allies.
• sRome wanted to protect their borders, but they had to fight for it.
• s Rome had a treaty with the Latins: There shall be peace along the Romans and all the communities of Latins as long as heaven and earth endure.
• sRome almost came to an end. The Gauls crushed a Roman army and fled into the city.
• sThe Gauls looted the city and burned most of it down.
• sThe city of Carthage in North Africa was another big threat to the Roman Empire.
• sRome and Carthage fought 3 major wars
• sRome gained control of North Africa, Spain, and Sicily.
• sThe Roman Armies also conquered Macedonia and Greece
• sThe wars with Carthage are called the Punic Wars
• sAfter the Punic Wars, Rome was the most powerful in the Mediterranean region.
• sThere were many negative but also positive impacts on Rome
• sThe first Punic war was fought mostly at sea.
• sCarthaginians had a very powerful navy, which Rome copied and modified.
• sIn 509 B.C. Carthage and Rome signed a friendship treaty.
• s In 306, by which time the Romans had conquered almost the entire Italian peninsula, the two powers reciprocally recognized Roman influence over Italy and a Carthaginian one over Sicily.
• s Italy was determined to secure dominance over all of Magna Graecia (the areas settled by Greeks in and around Italy).
• sCarthage sent a larger force, the Romans responded with a full army.
• sIn 262 B.C. Rome won many small victories, giving it control over almost the entire island. But the Romans needed control of the sea for final victory and Carthage was a naval power.
• sWith both sides balanced, the war between Rome and Carthage continued for 20 more years until the war-weary Phoenicians just gave up in 241.
• sCarthage decided to concentrate on controlling Spain to gain direct control over its mineral resources
• s This policy was started by Barca and continued under his son, Hannibal.
• sHannibal wreaked havoc all over Italy under harsh conditions. No Roman commander was able to successfully match his army even though they mounted more numerous and experienced armies
• sCarthage failed to supply Hannibal with needed reinforcements and Rome began to attack Carthage
• sRoman commander Scipio was able to defeat Hannibal and conquer Carthage. Carthage was then powerless.
• sWith the defeat of Hannibal's army, Carthage was forced to surrender.
• s Carthage handed over all warships and elephants, agreed not to make war without permission of Rome, and agreed to pay Rome 10,000 talents over the next 50 years
• sCarthage no longer had its empire, but it was still a trading nation.
• sCarthage was thriving and it was hurting the trade of Romans who had investments in North Africa.
• sThe Romans declared war on Carthage.
• sThe war lasted three years. The Romans burned Carthage to the ground and starved the people
• sRome killed many of the people and sold the others into slavery.
• sRom was the most powerful in the Mediterranean Region.
• sAs Marcus Cato, a Roman senator, said, “CARTHAGE MUST BE DESTROYED!”
• sThe Punic Wars expanded Rome’s territory but there was a price
• sThe many families mourned for the many soldiers that died in the wars
• sPeople living outside Rome suffered huge losses. Hannibal’s army destroyed thousands of farms.
• sSmall farms were replaced by large estates where the wealthy planted their vineyards and raised livestock.
• •many of the poor farmers sold their farms
• •New customs also came to Rome
• •Many of the Ideas came from Greeks, like Greek-style homes and beautiful temples
• •Some of the farmers had to fight in the wars, and the farms were neglected
• sRoman conquests had brought great wealth to the city of Rome.
• sThe republic collapsed by the third period of expansion.
• sThere were more wars, and Rome’s allies resented paying taxes and fighting in armies.
• sIn 91 B.C.E., they rebelled. The Romans agreed to let all free Italians become Roman citizens.
• sThere were hundreds and thousands of slaves. Rome also had to be aware of the slaves. The Romans treated their slaves very harshly.
• sA slave leader named Spartacus led a revolt in 73 B.C.E. The romans crushed his army and killed him in battle. The surviving rebels were hung on crosses.
• sThousands of farmers and laborers had no jobs. Rome’s army was producing many leaders. Generals would fight other lands then fight Rome.
• sIn 80s B.C.E, Romans were killed. Another civil war occurred between Pompey and Julius Caesar. Caesar was a great leader but he was killed by enemies.
• sCaesar was killed, what could have been a great empire was crushed..
• sMany wars broke out
• sRome became more broken apart, they were not united
• sRome’s conquered people hated paying taxes and tributes. They wanted to become citizens.
• sRome’s slaves, farmers, laborers, wealthy, and leaders were all fighting against each other.
• sThere was never a good ruling technique.
• sHuge civil wars plunged into Rome after the murder of Caesar.
• sLater, Octavian stood as absolute ruler. He was Caesar’s grandnephew and adopted son.
• sOctavian defeated jealous rivals, like Marc Antony.
• sOctavian told Rome that he was restoring the authority of the people, but really, he was the absolute person in absolute control.
• sThe Senate gave him a name, “Augustus” which means “Honored one” He is known as Rome’s first emperor
• sAugustus encouraged art, education, literature, construction projects. He said that he found Rome brick and left it marble.
• sAugustus pushed borders to natural boundaries, the Rhine and Danube Rivers, The Sahara, and the Atlantic. He also had harbors, canals, and roads. He had a single system of currency and trade was prized.
• sRome was in a good shape, with a strong empire and a good economy
• sBut Augustus harshly punished people  if they were being unfaithful to their husbands or wives.
• sestablished the Praetorian Guard, who was supposed to protect the emperor. Sometimes, this guard murdered the emperor they were supposed to protect.
• sThe Mediterranean was at peace for about 200 years.
• s Defending this empire became challenging and costly as time went on.