Page 142 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

CHRONOLOGY The Roman Conquest of Italy and the Mediterranean
Defeat of the Latin states
Samnite Wars
Defeat of Greek states in southern Italy First Punic War
Second Punic War
Battle of Cannae
Completion of Roman seizure of Spain Battle of Zama
Third Punic War
Incorporation of Macedonia as a Roman province
Destruction of Carthage
Roman acquisition of Pergamum
340–338 B.C.E. 343–290 B.C.E. 281–267 B.C.E. 264–241 B.C.E. 218–201 B.C.E. 216 B.C.E.
206 B.C.E.
202 B.C.E. 149–146 B.C.E. 148 B.C.E.
146 B.C.E. 133 B.C.E.
the king of Pergamum deeded his kingdom to Rome, giving Rome its first province in Asia. Rome was now master of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Nature of Roman Imperialism
Rome’s empire was built in three stages: the conquest of Italy, the conflict with Carthage and expansion into the western Mediterranean, and the involvement with and domination of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean. The Romans did not have a master plan for the creation of an empire; as in Italy, much of their continued expansion was opportunistic, carried out in response to perceived threats to their security. The more they expanded, the more threats to their security appeared on the horizon, involving them in yet more conflicts. Indeed, the Romans liked to portray themselves as declaring war only for defen- sive reasons or to protect allies. That is only part of the story, however. It is likely, as some historians have suggested, that at some point a group of Roman aristocratic leaders emerged who favored expansion both for the glory it offered and for the economic ben- efits it provided. Certainly, by the second century B.C.E., aristocratic senators perceived new opportuni- ties for lucrative foreign commands, enormous spoils of war, and an abundant supply of slave labor for their growing landed estates. By that same time, the destruction of Corinth and Carthage indicated that Roman imperialism had become more arrogant and
104 Chapter 5 The Roman Republic
brutal as well. Rome’s foreign success also had enor- mous repercussions for the internal development of the Roman republic.
Evolution of the Roman Army
By the fourth century B.C.E., the Roman army consisted of four legions, each made up of 4,000 to 5,000 men; each legion had about 300 cavalry and the rest infantry. The infantry consisted of three lines of battle. The has- tati (hahs-TAH-tee) (spearmen), made up of the young- est recruits, formed the front line; they were armed with heavy spears and short swords and were protected by a large oval shield, helmet, breastplate, and greaves (shin guards). The principes (prin-KI-pays or prin-SI-pays) (chief men), armed and protected like the hastati, formed the second line. The third line of battle was formed by the triarii (tri-AR-ee-ee) (third-rank men), who knelt behind the first two lines, ready to move up and fill any gaps. A fourth group of troops, poor citizens who wore cloaks but no armor and were lightly armed, functioned as skirmishers who usually returned to the rear lines after their initial contact with the enemy to form backup reserves.
In the early republic, the army was recruited from citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-six who had the resources to equip themselves for battle. Since most of them were farmers, they enrolled for only a year, campaigned during the summer months, and returned home in time for the fall harvest. Later, during the Punic Wars of the third century B.C.E., the period of service had to be extended, although the extension was resisted by farmers, whose livelihoods could be severely threatened by a long absence. Nevertheless, after the disastrous defeat at Cannae in 216 B.C.E., the Romans were forced to recruit larger armies, and the number of legions rose to twenty-five.
In the early centuries of the republic, then, the Roman army was basically a citizen army led by the republic’s elected magistrates. The ancient historian Polybius believed that the Roman army was more suc- cessful than others because it was an army of citizens who wanted to defend their homeland. Roman military success may also have been due to the aggressive behavior of the Roman military leaders. Major changes in recruitment would not come until the first century B.C.E. with the military reforms of Marius (see “A New Role for the Roman Army: Marius and Sulla” later in this chapter).
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