Ancient Rome: A Brief Summary

Founding of Rome: The story of Romulus and Remus and the story of The Rape of the Sabine Women * res publica- “people’s business”; Republican Period- 509 – 44/31 BCE
Location of Rome: perfectly placed between the Etruscans, the Latins, and the Greeks * gave access to cultural advancement; Romans borrowed many things from the 3 groups * Rome was far enough inland to avoid direct assault from the sea but had access to water and its port city Ostia from the Tiber River
Struggle of the Orders: the plebeians (commoner) rebelled against the patricians (aristocrat) for more equal rights * patricians were determined by birth, not wealth; plebeians could influence the patricians because Rome had a citizen militia at the time and there
* Carthage- republic, very powerful commercial and military navy; expanded north; very religious; posed a significant threat to Rome * First Punic War (264 -241 BCE)- began on Sicily; Carthage has advantage at first b/c of navy * Rome copies Carthaginian ships and uses Carthaginian fighting style to beat Carthage b/c of more economic and natural resources (and people) * Rome wins and takes Sicily, warships, Corsica, Sardinia * 226 BCE- Ebro Treaty- north of Ebro river is Rome’s territory; south is Carthage’s * Second Punic War (218- 201 BCE)- Hannibal attacks Saquntaum (Roman ally) in 219 * Rome benefits as war drags on; Hannibal moves through a path in the Alps w/ men and elephants * 216 BCE- Battle of Cannae- worst military defeat in Roman history; causes Rome to change strategies * 202 BCE- Battle of Zuma- decisive victory for Romans; Rome wins in 201 and demands huge reparations (payment for losses) and takes all of Carthage’s fleet and forces rule that Carthage can’t go to war w/ out permission from