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Rom. Hist.
ROMAN EXPANSION: Italy & Pyrrhus Wars
ROME’S CONQUEST OF ITALY
I
How?
A. General Problems: hostile neighbors; --esp. due to
overpopulation
(bad 450-400 B.C. & again before Samnite Wars)
B. Solutions:
1) continue fighting until win wars:
(until 200 B.C. Rome lost nearly every major battle,
but still won wars)
2) make treaties:
a) via treaties, Romans got 50% of troops for her
victorious armies
b) made treaties so they wouldn't have to fight on 2
fronts at once
(divide & conquer policy)
c) made individual treaties w/defeated enemies;
*broke up enemies’ own alliances/treaties;
*took away Latin states' rts. to trade--(comercium)
& to marry-- (conubium) w/out Rome's ok.
3) Improved army-a)changed from phalanx to legion—
maniples more flexible, cld break up & fight
independently if necess.
* “legion” helped finally defeat Samnites (hill fighting);
b) standardized military equipment
4) Expanded/limited citizenship rights of defeated enemies-several categories:
1) full citizenship (few);
2) Latin status-many (some citizen rts.)
*gave citizen rts to oligarchic rulers in conquered regions. (Rome's
'melting pot' tradition allowed idea of expanding citizenship to others.)
5) Established colonies: (defensive, strategic locations)
a) Roman colonies: sent out to strategic pts.--(coasts)
kept Rom citizenship
b) Latin colonies--Latin complained, so Rome sent out colonies
w/ latins & called them Latin colonies; raised citizenship probs.
II. LATIN LEAGUE -ca. 350 .B..C.-(Romans had control of neighboring
area)-*earlier Rome had been equal of Latin league cities;
* Gauls attacked Rome 390 B.C.some Latin cities rebelled against Rome,
but Rome defeated them & made unequal treaties
w/ each Latin city;
Result: broke old Latin League alliance, gave Rome
superiority over all of them.
III. SAMNITE WARS: 343-290 B.C. Rome got :
1. Etruria [north, Etruscan lands]
2.Celts pushed N. of Arno R.;
3.central Italy
A. The wars
1. 343-341 B.C.. Samnites attacked Sidicini tribe
wh/appealed toCapua, which appealed to Rome.
*Treaty 341-- gave up Sidicini to Samnites.
**Provoked Latins to rebel.
Rome won, abolished Latin League 339 B.C.
2. 327-304 B.C. -Rome vs. Samnites
(over control of Naples);
(*321 B. of Caudine Forks -lowest pt. for Rome)
**Appius Claudius vs. Samnites:
1) diplomacy (formed alliances w/tribes hostile to
Samnites);
2) military force- (to intimidate Celts, Etruscans);
3) built Via Appia-(Rome to Capua)-to aid ease of
troop movements.
Result: 304 B.C.--Stalement
3. 298-290 B.C.--Etruscans + Celts + Samnites vs. Rome.
*290 B.C. Battle of Sentinum--Rome won (defeated
Samnites & Celts)
Samnites finally surrendered: lost lands, accepted treaty
*283 B.C. some Celts & Etruscans -a final stand, lost to Rome
IV. WARS vs. PYRRHUS & S. ITALIAN GREEKS--282-272 B.C.
(Rome got Greek cities/area of S.Italy)
A. Origins: 282 B.C.
1.Greek city Thurii asked Rome for aid vs. hill tribes.
Rome sent fleet & garrison to Thurii.
2. Gk city Tarentum angry (old treaty banned Rome from there) &
Tarentines attacked Thurii, ousted Rome's garrison & rebuffed Roman
delegation
3. 280 B.C.--Tarrentines hired Pyrrhus--came w/28,000 troops &
20 war elephants
B. Pyrrhus background & . wars w/Rome
1. Background: K. of Epirus (w. Greece), relative of Alex. the
Great; had mercenary army for hire, wanted glory, fame (really wanted
Macedonia)
2. Pyrrhic victories:
a) Herakleia-Pyrrus won, but lost 4,000 troops
*advanced to 40 miles S. of Rome, no siege equiptment.
He left.
**P. tried for treaty, but Appius Claudius said "No."
b) Ausculum--Pyrrhus won, but cost too great.
3. Pyrrhus went to Sicily 278 B.C. (left many troops at Tarrentum)
to fight for Greeks there vs. Carthage.
4. Beneventum-275 B.C.-- Pyrrhus returned (276 B.C.)to Italy to
fight Rome-Rome beat Pyrrhus. So he returned to Greece.
C. PYRRHUS Wars -- Results:.
1. 272 B.C. Tarrentum gave up to Rome--& Rome had all of Italy !
2. Rome got internat'l notice: Ptolemy of Egypt set ambassador,
made diplomatic ties w/ Rome
3. Rome had 1st real contact w/mainland Greeks; new interest in
Greece!