Download NLE: History Review

History Review – Late Republic & Early Empire – Ecce Romani II pp 26 ff, 78ff, 124ff
REPUBLIC 509 B.C. – 27 B.C.: Period of expansion, conquest of Italy and consolidating empire
264-146 B.C. The Carthaginian Wars (aka: The Punic Wars)
(Carthage is in N Africa)
1st Punic War (264-241 BC) – Romans developed their navy and naval warfare to defeat Carthage
2nd Punic War (218-201 BC) – Hannibal crosses Spain and the Alps, with elephants into Italy, inflicting
a crushing defeat at Lake Trasimene and marching unopposed throughout the country. When the
people cried “Hannibal ad portas est”, Fabius Cunctator, a consul appointed dictator after
Trasimene, persuaded the Romans to use guerilla tactics rather than meet Hannibal in a pitch
battle. However, eventually the Romans were lured out of Rome, and were defeated again at
Cannae. Eventually, however, the Carthaginian army, unable to secure support from home, sailed
back across the Mediterranean. In 202 BC, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio took a
huge army to Africa, and defeated Hannibal in the battle of Zama. For this he received the
cognomen, Africanus,
3rd Punic War (149-146 BC) ‘Carthago delenda est’ (Carthage must be destroyed), proclaimed Marcus
Cato. So Scipio’s grandson destroyed the city, and sowed the surrounding land with salt so they
could no longer grow food. Carthage was destroyed, and so the Romans had power over the
Mediterranean Sea, often calling it Mare Nostrum (Our Sea). Hispania became a Province.
73-71 BC – slave revolt of Spartacus finally put down by Pompey the Great
67-62 BC – Pompey drove pirates out of the Mediterranean, and subdued Asia Minor under Rome.
63 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero, writer, orator and philosopher became Consul, and saved Rome from the
conspiracy led by Cataline to overthrow the government. Cicero was named “Pater Patriae”.
60-54 BC Pompey forms the First Triumvirate, along with Crassus and Caesar,
59BC ff - Julius Caesar conquered Gaul (France) and Helvetia (Switzerland)-in the Gallic Wars, &
invaded Germany (Germania) and Britannia (England).
49 BC – Caesar crossed the River Rubicon and brought his army into Italy. Pompey fled with most of
the Senate to Greece.
48 BC – Caesar followed and defeated Pompey at Pharsalus in Greece. When the defeated Pompey fled
to Egypt, he was beheaded. Caesar then campaigned in Egypt (where he fell in love with Queen
Cleopatra) and in Asia Minor, defeating one king in only a few days: “Veni, Vidi, Vici”.
44 BC – Caesar was assassinated, stabbed by Brutus and others, on the Ides of March (March 15).
Caesar was assassinated because the senators did not want to have a king or emperor.
44BC-31 BC – Period of civil war follows. Major players: Mark Anthony, Octavian (Caesar’s nephew
and heir) and Lepidus form the Second Triumvirate to avenge Caesar. But when this alliance
broke up, Mark Anthony – who himself had now married Cleopatra – was defeated in a sea
battle at Actium, in 31BC. He and Cleopatra both killed themselves.
EMPIRE
27 B.C. - 476 A.D.
27BC – Octavian proclaimed the Restoration of the Republic, and was awarded the title ‘Augustus’ –
Venerable. He kept the form of Republican government – Senate and political offices, the Cursus
Honorum – but he was really in charge – as Princeps (first citizen). Under his rule, the Empire
expanded throughout most of modern Europe – except Germany. This era was known as the Pax
Romana, bringing peace and economic stability to a vast area. The Roman poet, Virgil, describing
the origins of the Romans in his epic the Aeneid, spoke of Augustus’ rule as ‘imperium sine fine’
– “rule without limit.” Augustus died in AD 14. He was succeeded by Tiberius.
original by Catherine Venurini, expanded by Caroline Kelly—CDS—NLE II—4/30/2017—p.1