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Summary of Punic Wars
The main cause of the Punic Wars was the clash of interests between the existing Carthaginian Empire and the expanding Roman republic
The Romans were initially interested in expansion via Sicily, part of which lay under Carthaginian control
At the start of the first Punic War, Carthage was the dominant power on the
Mediterranean, with an extensive maritime empire, while Rome was the rapidly ascending power in Italy
Carthaginian General = Hannibal
Roman General = Scipio Africanus
By the end of the third war, after the deaths of many hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides, Rome had conquered Carthage's empire and destroyed the city, becoming the most powerful state of the Western
Mediterranean
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Roman Conquests
After Rome defeated Carthage, it seemed no Mediterranean force could stop the Romans
Rome then launched a series of wars on the Eastern Mediterranean
One by one, Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia Minor (Turkey) surrendered and became Roman provinces
Other regions, like Egypt, allied with Rome instead of fighting
By 133 B.C., Roman power extended from Spain to Egypt
Truly, the Romans were justified in calling the Mediterranean Mare
Nostrum , or “ Our Sea ”
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Social & Economic Effects of
Imperialism
Imperialism : establishing control over foreign lands and peoples
As the Romans conquered more and more lands, they forced people captured in war to work as slaves on their large farms
This widespread use of slave labor hurt small farms
Why?
Also, large quantities of grain were pouring in from the conquered lands, which also hurt small farms
Many farmers fell into debt and had to sell their land
In despair, landless farmers flocked to Rome in search of Jobs
As the gap between rich and poor grew, angry mobs began to riot
The new wealth of the empire also produced corruption
Greed and self-interest replaced virtues such as simplicity, hard work, and devotion to Rome
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Attempts to Reform
Two young patrician brothers named
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were among the first to attempt reform
Both Gracchus brothers were Tribunes
Tiberius called on the state to distribute land to poor farmers
Gaius, sought a wider range of reforms, including the use of public funds to buy grain to feed the poor
The proposed reforms by the Gracchus brothers angered the senate, which saw them as a threat to its power
The brothers, along with thousands of their followers, were killed in waves of street violence set off by senators and their hired thugs
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Decline of Roman Republic
Unable to resolve its problems peacefully,
Rome fell into a series of civil wars
The main issue concerned who should hold the power
Some thought the Senate should be in charge, like past times
Others wanted popular political leaders to take charge who aimed at weakening the senate and making large reforms
The turmoil sparked slave uprisings and revolts
Meanwhile, the old legions of Roman citizensoldiers became professional armies whose first loyalty was to their commanders
Rival generals marched their armies into
Rome to advance their ambitions
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The First Triumvirate
Can anyone tell me who was in the First
Triumvirate?
Why was the Triumvirate successful?
Julius Caesar, Crassus, Pompey
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First Triumvirate
Roman political alliance between three powerful Romans:
Julius Caesar : Military and political leader, later Ruler of Rome
Pompey : Military and Political leader
Crassus : a Roman General and politician; very wealthy
Basically, this group of three men tried to work together as an “ unofficial ” or secret alliance
They thought they could accomplish more as a whole as compared to going about it individually
However, their arguments and personal rivalries would eventually prove to be to strong to prolong this alliance
especially between Pompey & Crassus
This intense disagreement eventually turned into a civil war between Caesar ’ s troops and Crassus ’ troops
Caesar ’ s army defeated Crassus ’ army and Crassus was slain in battle
Next, in fear of his life, Pompey fled to Egypt
In time, assassins caught up with him and he was stabbed to death, thus ending the first triumvirate
The First Triumvirate proved to be politically effective for a short while, but ego and greed got in the way
The death ’ s of Pompey & Crassus left Julius Caesar as the leader of Rome 12
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Julius Caesar
100 B.C. – 44 B.C.
Roman General, Politician, and
Emperor
One of the most influential men in all of world history
He played the most important role in transforming Rome from a republic to an Empire
Brilliant Military leader
As a General, Caesar conquered all of Gaul (modern day France)
He also, invaded and conquered much of Great Britain
Greatly expanded the Roman empire and led to the spread of Roman culture
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Julius Caesar
After Caesar crushed Pompey and his supporters, he then swept around the
Mediterranean, suppression rebellions
“ Veni, vidi, vici ” – “ I came, I saw, I conquered ”
A famous quote by Caesar after winning a battle
Later, returning to Rome, he forced the senate to make him dictator
His soldiers were loyal to him, not to
Rome
Although he kept the senate and other features of the republic, he was in fact the absolute ruler of Rome
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