History of the Roman Republic


History of the Roman Republic



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Perspective


The history of the Roman Republic began when Tarquin the Proud, the last of the seven kings of Roman monarchy, was deposed in 509 BCE. With that, a government based on magistrates and representative assemblies was set up, with a constitution that provided for checks and balances and a separation of powers. The most important magistrates were the two consuls, who together wielded authority in the form of imperium, or military command. But the consuls cooperated with the senate, which was at first an advisory council of the ranking nobility. And in the Republic, it would grow in size and power.

In the 4th century BCE, Rome was attack by the Gauls in a siege that lasted seven months. Finally, the Gauls agreed to lift the siege in exchange for Rome’s payment of a thousand pounds of gold. Legend has it that the Romans observing the weighing noticed that the Gauls were cheating. Not surprisingly, this angered the Romans, who changed their minds and rose up and defeated the Gauls. Thus it was said that “With iron, not with gold, Rome buys her freedom.”

The Romans gradually vanquished the other peoples in Italy, including the Etruscans. In so doing, they secured their conquests by founding colonies in strategic areas to establish control over the regions they had vanquished.

But in the 3rd century BCE Rome faced a new and powerful opponent. Carthage was a rich, flourishing Phoenician city-state that strived to dominate the Mediterranean basin. Between Rome’s hegemony in mainland Italy and Carthaginian maritime supremacy, these cities became the two main powers in the western Mediterranean and their contention over trade rights in the Mediterranean led to war.

The First Punic War started in 264 BCE. Rome embarked on this war because the cities of Sicily, under Carthaginian control, were too close to the Greek cities of Southern Italy that Rome had recently conquered. With that, Carthage was now able to make an offensive through Roman territory. As it happened, the war also gave Rome an opportunity to extend its dominion over Sicily.

Although Rome was experienced in fighting land battles, defeating Carthage required a navy. Since Carthage was a maritime power, the Roman shortfall of ships and naval experience made the victory a long and hard one for the Roman Republic. Finally, it was only after more than 20 years of war that Rome finally defeated Carthage and a peace treaty was signed. Among the reasons for the Second Punic War was the onerous war reparations Carthage had agreed to in settlement of the First Punic War.

The Third Punic War started with Rome’s declaration of war against Carthage in 149 BCE. But Carthage resisted vigorously, and all the inhabitants of the city joined in its defense. In the end, it could not survive the attack of the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus, who destroyed the city and its walls, enslaved and sold all the citizens, sowed salt in the soil of its farms, and took control of the area. And so, Carthage became the Roman province of Africa. The Punic Wars gave Rome its first overseas conquests (Sicily, Hispania and north Africa) and led to the rise of Rome as an empire and began the end of democracy and the Republic.


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Index

Early Republic Index | First Punic War: PreludeDefeat of CarthageRecovery of Carthage | Second Punic War: Invasion of Italy | Third Punic War | Expansion: Transformation of RomeConquest of ItalyConquest of GreeceConquest of the East Late Republic Index | Caesar: Rise to PowerEarly CareerAfricaEgyptEpirusLater CampaignsDecisionReturn to RomeDemise | Revolt and War | Catiline Conspiracy | Gracchus Reforms: Gaius GracchusTiberius Gracchus | First Civil War: Revolt of ItalyDeath of Democracy MariusSulla | Second Civil War: Pompey | Third Civil WarCampaignOctavianAntonyCleopatraBattle of ActiumReign of TerrorEnd of the Republic



Early Republic: Index

First Punic War

First Punic War: Prelude

First Punic War: Defeat of Carthage

First Punic War: Recovery of Carthage

Second Punic War

Up to Index

Second Punic War: Invasion of Italy

Third Punic War

Early Republic: Expansion

Expansion: Transformation of Rome

Expansion: Conquest of Italy

Expansion: Conquest of Greece

Expansion: Conquest of the East

Late Republic: Index

Power: Caesar

Caesar: Rise to Power

Caesar: Early Career

Caesar: Africa

Caesar in Egypt

Up to Index

Caesar: Epirus

Caesar: Later Campaigns

Caesar: Decision

Caesar: Return to Rome

Caesar: Demise

Power: Revolt and War

Up to Index

Power: Catiline Conspiracy

Power: Gracchus Reforms

Gracchus Reforms: Gaius Gracchus

Gracchus Reforms: Tiberius Gracchus

First Civil War

First Civil War: Revolt of Italy

Up to Index

First Civil War: Marius

First Civil War: Sulla

Second Civil War

Second Civil War: Pompey

Third Civil War

Up to Index

Third Civil War: Campaign

Third Civil War: Octavian

Third Civil War: Antony

Third Civil War: Cleopatra

Third Civil War: Battle of Actium

Third Civil War: Reign of Terror

Revolt of Italy: Death of Democracy

End of the Republic

Up to Index

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