Imperial Expansionand the Punic Wars

External Threats• Sabines, Alba Longa• Veii• Lars Porsenna• Lake Regillus (496BC)• Volscii, and Aequi• The renegade, Corlioanus• Cincinnatus• The Latin League (30 city-

states)(50/50split)• patron – client relationship• ager publicus• coloniae

War with Veii

• access to the Tiber, salt beds, and ager publicus

• Fidemae• 10 years to 396BC• stipendium• M. Furius Camillus• praeda

Gallic Sack of Rome 390BC

• Gauls? Celts?• weakening of Etruria• Senones led by Brennus• realpolitik of Syracuse?• siege of Clusium• siege of Capitoline citadel• vae victis!• Po River Valley (Bonnie

and Clyde)• psychological effect

End of the Latin League

• consolidation of central Italy from 380-350BC (animosity between Rome and the Latin League)

• alliance with the Samnites• ius Latii, citizenship, citizenship sine suffragio,

socii, municipiae• “spare the conquered, battle down the proud”• divide and conquor

THINK PAIR SHARE:In these early years of expansion, to what extent is the casus belli a

real threat to Rome? In other words, in what ways are these

wars caused by real threats or are they the product of a Roman

desire for expansion? Must Rome’s response be martial?

Samnite Wars• Campania and the First Samnite War (340’sBC)• Coloniae, Neapolis (Naples), and the Second Samnite War

(320’sBC)• Battle of the Claudine Forks and Battle of Lautulae• Etruscans join Samnites• VE 308BC/ VS 304BC• Via Appia and Aqua Appia (Censor Appius Claudius)• maniples, gladius, pilum• Etruscans, Gauls, and the Third Samnite War (298BC)• Battle of Sentinum• municipiae, Gauls hemmed in the Po River Valley, and

Greek city-states in the South

Pyrrhic War• Tarantum• King Pyrrhus of Epirus• war elephants• Pyrrhic Victories at Heraclea

and Ausculum• alliance with Carthage• while leaving Sicily: “What a

field we are leaving for the Romans and Carthiginians to exercise their arms.”

• Rome, master of Italy

THINK PAIR SHARE:In what ways is Rome’s economy

tied into warfare and the military? What are the consequences of this

relationship?

The Punic Wars• Phoenician city

founded 814BC by Queen Dido

• greatest Mediterranean sea power

• 4 million subjects & stories of sailors in South Africa and Ireland

• ran by a “board of directors”

• minimal class conflict

• mercenary army

The First Punic War• Mamertines at Messana (288BC)• Hiero II, King of Syracuse (265BC)• Carthigian aid, Roman aid (declaration by comitia

centuriata, arguments by the Claudii vs. Fabii, discussion of Regium, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica)

• Hanno forfeits Messana• Carthigianian/ Syracusean siege of Messana• early Roman victories in Sicily• defection of Hiero (foreign cliens)• seige of Agrigentum (two walls)

The First Punic War• Roman triremes and Carthiginian quinquiremes• beached quinquireme, and the corvus• Mylae (260BC) and the columna rostrata• Roman invasion of Corsica and Sardinia• Naval Battle of Ecnomus, invasion of North Africa

(256BC), the Spartan mercenary Xanthippus, the hubris or Regulus, the Battle of Bagradas, and the dismissal of Xanthippus.

• 247BC – Hamilcar Barca leads Carthiginian forces in Sicily; asymmetrical war based at Mt. Etna

• war of attrition, 9 year siege of Lilybaelum, P. Claudius Pulcher’s raid, and auspices.

• victory at the Aegates Islands (241BC)

The End of the First Punic War• Carthiginian withdrawal from

Sicily• war indemnity• mare noster• acquisition of Corsica and

Sardinia• evolution of provincia• perseverance of Senate and socii• Carthage involved in Mercenary

War (238BC)• Rome fights a series of Illyrian

Wars against pirates, and conquers Cisalpine Gaul, settling the Po River Valley

THINK PAIR SHARE:In what ways does the First Punic War guarantee and also shape the

Second Punic War? What other ways could have the First Punic War concluded that would have better provided for a peaceful

future between these two powers?

The Outbreak of the Second Punic War • Hamilcar in Spain – new territory (New

Carthage and Barcelona)– precious metals “the new

world of the old world”– establishment of dynasty– Romans wary of Gauls

• Ebro River Treaty• Saguntum• Hannibal (221BC)

Crossing into Italy• Publius Cornelius Scipio (the

Elder) sent to Spain (Gnaeus pushes onwards)

• Hannibal leaves Hasdrubal with an army of 16,000. He sets out with 80,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry, and elephants

• crossing of the Rhodenus (Rhone)• crossing the Alps• c. ½ Carthiginian army emerges

Alps, and 1-handful of elephants• Tributaries of the Po, injury of

Cornelius Scipio (the Elder), presence of Cornelius Scipio (the Younger)

Trebia River Battle (218BC)

• T. Sempronius Longus

• Hannibal baits the Romans

• Mago’s Ambush

• 20,000 Romans KIA

• loss of northernmost Italy

Battle of Lake Trasimene (217BC)• swamps and

eye• G Flaminius and

Gn. Servilius Geminus

• 30,000 Romans KIA

• 10,000 captured• 4,000

reinforcements destroyed

• Sanguineto

Fabius Maximus “Cunctator”, dictator

• Fabian Tactics• escape of Hannibal

from Campania• socii in central Italy

remain loyal

Cannae (215BC)• G. Terentius

Varro (hubris) & Lucius Aemilius Paullus (reserve)

• Numidian Cavalry

• Pincer Movement

• hamstrings• 50-70,000

Roman KIA• 11,000 captured• Capua, Syracuse

(Sicily), Macedon defect to Carthiginians

Turning Point• “Hannibal at the Gates”• seizure of power by senate, merit

based political advancement, and return to Fabian Tactics

• M. Claudius Marcellus in Sicily, death of Archimedes

• Gn. and P. Cornelius Scipio in Spain (since 217BC), both killed in 211BC

• P. Cornelius Scipio (the Younger, later, Africanus)

• cult of personality, aristea, prorogatio

• capture of New Carthage (209BC)• Battle of Metaurus (207BC) and the

decapitation of Hasdrubal Barca

The End of the Second Punic War• Scipio, imperator and

consul in Africa (204BC)

• fall of Utica • recall of Hannibal• Massinissa of Numidia• Battle of Zama (202BC)• Hannibal escapes• acquisition of Spain,

and northern Africa• 50 year war indemnity

THINK PAIR SHARE:It is often said that the Second Punic War is defined by great generalship? Is this the case?

The Macedonian Wars• First Macedonian War, “phony war”, Philip V of Macedon,

Carthaginian ally, trapped in the East• Philip V becomes an ally to Antiochus III of Syria. Smaller

Greek states (Rhodes, Pergamum, Aetolian League) seek aid from Rome (clientela)

• Second Macedonian War (200-196BC), Philip ordered to dismantle fleet, Aetolians defect to Antiochus, Hannibal leads armies of Antiochus

• Syrian Wars (192-189BC), Romans invade Asia Minor, Scipio faces off again against Hannibal

• Third Macedonian War (172-167BC), new players (Perseus of Macedon, and Antiochus IV), Battle of Pydna, Perseus as Rome’s captive, devastation of Epirus, Greek freedom

• massive influx of slaves, Rome as master of Italy, Spain, N. Africa, Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria

Third Punic War (149-146BC)• M. Porcius Cato:

“Carthago delenda est”

• Numidian (Client) King Massinissa captures territory from Carthage

• Macedonian Rebellion (praetors and provinciae)

• 146BC – Destruction of Corinth and Carthage

Effects of War and Imperial Expansion on Roman Society

• fear of northern invaders• professional military• praeda• displaced soldiers look to

commanders as patrons• provincial administration

and tax farming• philHellenism• centrality of the Senate,

nobilitas, cult of personality, aristea, honor, and imperium

• 16 novi homines between 264 and 134BC