The Romans

Kick out Etruscan king and establish a republic. Italy is in Mediterranean. Subject surrounding communities to Roman rule. This brings Rome in conflict with Carthage who was about 75 years older. Carthage had a commercial state around top of Africa, and was richest city state n Mediterranean, benefiting from soil of southern Spain. In 264, Rome and Carthage fight over Sicily. Marks the beginning of the Punic Wars. B/t 264 and 146 there are three wars. 264-241 – Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica. Second war: 218 – 202, Hannibal vs. Scipio Africanus; southern Spain. Greek settlers were helping out the Carthaginians in the fight against Rome. Carthage loses all three of the Punic wars. In 202 there was a debate in Rome over how big to become. They decide to go for it. Conquer Carthage and Northern Africa around Carthage and Greek City States. 146 marks independent history of Greek City States. It merges with Romans. Rome acquires a lot of territory. Rome organizes overseas territories as provinces and in return they will get annual tribute, which was ten percent. Roman state comes into ownership of a ton of land and enslaves tens of thousands who resisted rule. Uses property and slaves and leases it out to Roman citizens. Patricians control government and says state should lease the land in big pieces so the overwhelming majority of land goes to the patrician class, who go from modestly wealthy to extremely wealthy. Slaves are auctioned off, and some plebeians buy slaves. Start slave plantation agriculture. The plantations were called latifundia. Opportunity in warfare for plebeians to rise in ranks. Rome opens new commercial opportunities. New middle class formed in Rome and called equestrian class. Equestrian relating to horses, knights, military. Wealthy enough to own a horse when called into military status. Patricians grow a bit. The plebeian farmer finds it tough to compete with latifundia. Price drops because of flooding the market. Politicians adopt a welfare class. Kind of hush money to protect poor from attacking the wealthy. Bread and Circus. Free bread and free public shows. Create a volatile situation in which there is a class of wealthy and powerful people that splinters. The optimates (old families) and populares (new money). Roman ruling class addicted to war. Wealth is power. Cato The Elder decries all the changes and pines for simpler age. Tiberius Gracchus: represented new money and organized against optimates. Poor people had a tremendous amount of power if organized. Decides to utilize the democratic power of the constitution to mobilize poor against rich. Realizes the number 1 problem of that century was unemployment because of loss of land. Proposed changing the way public land was leased. Instead of large blocks to rich senators. Law said only 600 acre cap and 20 free acres. Runs for office of tribune in 133. Assassinated. Ten years later, Gaius tries to do the same thing. Tribune in 123. Ruling class defied gods and killed Gaius. Need military power to make change. Marius was member of senate who wanted to be the number one man in Rome but realized he couldn’t do it through the ballot box. The one thing all the members of the senate have in common is greed. He appeals to that. Goes to the senate in 109 bc and tells senators that there was an opportunity in north Africa, tribal leader who was raiding roman property. Marius said give me a commission to raise an army and take down the tribal leader. Military service required land ownership. Weren’t enough soldiers to recruit because of landlessness. Finds a good army. Marius is a great military hero because he wins. Popular with citizens of Rome because he is a successful general. Other source is his army. More loyal to Marius than Rome, because he is helping them out. Gave them a means to marry and raise a family. Over the next decade he is elected consul 6 times. Used power and reputation to take political power. Sets agenda for politics in Rome for next three centuries. Tremendous territorial expansion, a century of political violence. Sulla makes himself dictator of Rome around 88 BC. Pompey the Great in 70 BC starts a political conquest of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine and North Spain. Conflict starts between Senate and army. In 60 BC senate tries to stand up to generals and start the first triumvirate. Pompey and two other generals (Crassus, Gaius Julius Caesar). 50s – Caesar conquers Gaul.