Roman Expansion

1. Roman Expansion Military conquering and stuff

2. The Army • Rome’s growth and success was based mostly on the skill of its army and the intelligence of its generals. • This success dated back to the kings but continued into the Republic when the city began to expand and became the centre of a growing Empire. • When threatened, the Roman government – especially the Senate – was very good at keeping the people happy so that they stayed loyal to the city.

3. Italian Peninsula

4. The Romans and the Latins • Around the time that Rome threw out the kings and transitioned to a Republic, they were small – definitely not the largest city on the Italian Peninsula – but still strong and powerful. • Of the different cultural groups on the Peninsula, Rome was closest to the Latins. They were a handful of city-states with no central government; they were only linked by a common language (Latin, obviously). • Many Latin cities resented Rome when they took leadership of a defense league, but they were threatened by attack from larger groups and Rome was strongest among them.

5. 1stSamnite War (343-341 BCE) • Campanian city of Capua attacked by Samnites, offered Rome their territory to protect them. Rome agreed to help and declared war. • They sent out two armies: one to defend Capua, the other to Samnium, the largest Samnite city. Both armies won. • They kept attacking for 2 years, winning almost all battles, until the Samnites made a peace treaty. • Rome gained all Campanian lands. • Note: 1stSamnite War 343-341 • Rome called to defend Capua in exchange for territory • Rome defeated Samnites, taking down a powerful neighbour and gaining Campanian land.

6. Latin War (340-338 BCE) • Rome had land on either side of the Latins: Rome and Campania. They got nervous that Rome would try to link them together and got more afraid of their cousins than their neighbours. • They were just about to rebel when they got news that the Samnites surrendered. • The Latins began to raid and pick away at Samnite land because they were weak. Campanians looking for revenge joined them. • Samnites complained to Rome for help and they did, but the Latins and Campanians joined against them, joined by other nearby cities as well. • With the two biggest powers together – Samnium and Rome – they crushed the Latins and Campanians. • Note: Latin War, 340-338 • Latins nervous of Rome and tried to revolt. • Rome joined with previous enemy to defeat previous allies. • Rome controlled the entire west coast of Italy with Latin territory.

7. 2nd and 3rdSamnite Wars (326-304/298-290 BCE) • Rome wanted to expand East and the Samnites wanted to expand West – both paths into each other. • The spark was Neapolis (modern-day Naples) asking Rome’s help to repel the Samnites, which led to 2 decades of fighting with no clear winner. • Rome built a navy and roads to improve their ability to fight and began conscripting more soldiers. They also began the practice of colonizing new territory in order to keep it. • Navy took Samnite East coast as the army fought in the centre of the Peninsula and trapped the Samnites in the mountains. Fighting stopped for 6 years. • The Samnites got the help of the Etruscans, other Italian groups and even Gauls but Roman leadership beat their numbers. • Note: 2nd and 3rdSamnite Wars, 326-304/298-290 • Rome innovated the way they fought when faced with powerful enemy. Developed navy and roads. • Rome controlled all of central Italy from coast to coast

8. Pyrrhic War (280-275 BCE) • Romans wanted to spread south and got an excuse to start fighting when the city of Tarentum sunk their ships. • Tarentum got help from King Pyrrhus of Epirus in Greece who brought an enormous army. • Both sides lost huge amounts of men, Rome only won because they could replace them faster. • Note: Pyrrhic War, 280-275 • Rome won war of attrition • Rome had control over all of southern Italy. Within 10 years the last Etruscan stronghold fell and Rome had control over the whole peninsula around 2 and a half centuries after becoming a Republic.

9. Carthage • Rome and Carthage were the two biggest powers on the Mediterranean Sea bar none. They were also mirror images of each other. • Founded at nearly the same time (within 75 years), but Carthage was a naval power to Rome’s army, ruled by a council of merchants to Rome’s democracy, cultured, educated and civilized to Rome’s society of farmers and soldiers, and trying to unite Phoenician colonies that shared a culture and language rather than Rome being a conqueror taking over independent territories unrelated from them. • Their power struggle played out over 3 large wars.

10. First Punic War (264-241 BCE) • An argument between two cities on Sicily that could have been a small, local conflict began the biggest war that the Mediterranean had seen to that point. • The first battle, on land, went to Rome. The second was on the sea, however and Carthage demolished most of Rome’s new(ish) navy. • Rome rebuilt the navy with even more ships and invented a new “weapon:” instead of ramming ships, the new ‘Corvus’ would hook onto a ship and allow Roman troops to cross the small bridge and attack on the sea as if it was on land.

11. End of 1st Punic War • After 24 years of fighting, the Romans finally pushed Carthage out of Sicily. • Polybius: • Greek-born historian that lived in Rome • Did not see the first Punic Wars, but is the closest historian whose work survives • Polybius is famous for his devotion to ‘factual integrity’ and sticking to the facts without bias. This was uncommon for historians then.