The Roman Republic

509 BC

• Brutus, Collatinus, Lucretia’s father rally the people and overthrow the king• Tarquin is expelled from the state• Brutus and two sons of Tarquin consult

the oracle to see who will rule• Oracle says man who kisses his mother

first will rule

458 BC

• Rome is at war with a local tribe • Cincinnatus is ploughing his fields

when the people make him (unwillingly) a general• Cincinnatus becomes the first dictator• Roman Army is victorious• after war end, Cincinnatus refuses to

rule and returns to his farm

The Social Wars

• Rome divided by the question of citizenship• lasts from the 5th Century into the 4th

Century• Rome’s ultimate military success lies in

how they settle the citizenship issue: conquered peoples allowed to continue living as before, but are under a military draft

The Twelve Tables

• 450s BC• first codified, written, and publicly

displayed laws• foundation of Western law

The 4th Century

• 390s- Gauls sack Rome• Romans saved by sacred geese at the

Temple of Juno• The Appian Way is built• Alexander the Great (334-323) • Rome expands through all central Italy

The First Punic War

• Rome goes to war with Carthage over control of Sicily• first international conflict and conflict

with imperial power• lasts 20 years: from 264-241• begins a 100 year conflict with Carthage

spanning three wars

Second Punic War

• lasts from 217-202• greatest war ever for the Romans• fought against Hannibal• early battles were crushing defeat for the

Romans• Hannibal invades Italy for 10 years

End of the Second Punic War

• Roman general Qunitus Fabius Maximus “Cuntator”- “The Delayer”• delays open conflict until Hannibal’s army

runs out of food• 202 Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal at

Battle of Zama. • Carthage laid waste

Third Punic War

• 168-146 Romans conquer Greece• Horace “Graecia capta, Romama

victoriam cepit”• influx of Greek art, literature,

culture, slaves• Third Punic War• Carthage defeated 146