Roman Military Sources

The Success of the Roman Military Infrastructure Since the founding of the Roman Republic circa 500 BCE, the ancient civilization sought to conquer and spread its influence throughout the rest of the known world. Following the defeat of the Carthaginian Empire during the First Punic War, Rome established itself as the supreme power in the Mediterranean region. For the next 200 years, Rome continued to establish its supremacy, and gained control of lands as far west as the Iberian Peninsula, parts of Northern Africa, all of Greece, and as far east as Asia Minor. Despite the collapse of the Roman Republic and its subsequent transformation into the Roman Empire in 27 BCE, Rome continued to spread its influence upon the rest of the world.
Rome scoffed at Hannibal’s threats, and knowing they possessed superior military power, positioned their forces ready for a defense against Carthage from across the Mediterranean Sea. However, Hannibal knew the Romans would be expecting an assault from the sea, and so quickly marched his armies across the Iberian peninsula, through southern France, and navigated the Alps to strike the Italian Peninsula from the north. During his journey, Hannibal recruited thousands of Rome’s Gallic enemies (Polyibus 3.67) , and stormed the Italian Peninsula with a powerful force. Even the mighty Romans were stunned by this maneuver, as they had not significantly prepared their defenses for an attack from the north. Hannibal asserted his military prowess over the Romans at the Battle of Trebia, the Battle of Lake Trasimene, and the Battle of Cannae (Polyibus 3.73). Also during this time, Hannibal allied himself with Philip V of Macedonia. The Romans set out to quickly counter this alliance by launching a campaign in Illyria, to stop the Macedonians from coming to Hannibal’s aid. It was clear that Hannibal possessed far greater tactics and knowledge of battle than most Roman generals, he campaigned successfully for a few years throughout Italy, but even
Since the beginning of the Roman Republic, when it consisted of only a few small villages, the Romans were always one step ahead of their enemy. The use of manipular legions allowed Rome to best all of its enemies on the field of battle. Even when faced with adversity against the Carthaginian fleet, Roman military ingenuity allowed them to secure victory. One by one, the Romans strategically and tactfully disposed of their enemies. There have been very few powers in the world since the time of the Roman Empire that were able to do the same. But, as with all great powers, the Roman Empire slowly declined in power, and eventually collapsed under its own weight. Even still, the influence of the Roman culture on the rest of the world is apparent. The ideals and customs of the Roman Empire carried on throughout medieval Europe, and still to this day, many modern-day languages are based of the Latin alphabet. There is no doubt that because of Rome’s military capability, that it was able to carry on its legacy for thousands of years after its