Tag: Roman Empire

Lectures The Geography of ItalyThe EtruscansThe Roman RepublicRoman Expansion and the Punic WarsThe Civil WarThe Rise of Julius CasearInstructional Goal: Students will know the primary features of the Italian peninsula and understand how they influenced the rise of the Roman civilizaiton. I. The top...

While he still held the command of the military in his hands, Sulla used the military assembly (comitia centuriata) to annul all legislation passed by Sulpicius and to proclaim that all business to be submitted to the people should be dealt with in the comitia centuriata , while nothing at all was t...

The images and busts of Augustus Caesar stand as iconic representations of one of history's most influential figures. The first Emperor of Rome, Augustus left an indelible mark on the ancient world, not only through his political achievements but also through the artistic expressions that sought to ...

The Second Punic War, like the first falls into distinct stages. The Roman plan of attack was to invade Africa at once with the first army, and at least disorganize Carthaginian mobilization. The second army was sent to Massilia, in Hannibal should interfere with friends of Rome north of the Ebro. A...

However, to the south things were different. The princes of Judaea had been allies of Rome for half a century. But Judaea was suffering a civil war between the two brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Pompey was hence asked to help quell their quarrels and help decide the matter of rule over Judaea (...

With Julius Caesar campaigning in Gaul, Clodius exercised his powers as the virtual king of Rome with neither Pompey nor Crassus interfering. Among his measures was a law which distributed corn no longer at half price but for free to the citizens of Rome. But his conduct was generally reckless and ...

In the west the recuperation of Carthage since the Second Punic War had given amazing proof of her vitality. With Hannibal in exile, his political opponents were in power, seeking to gain good relations with Rome, rather than displaying Hannibal's open hostility. But roman friendship was hard to gai...

In the summer of 47 BC Caesar began his way home. While passing through Judaea he rewarded the intervention of Antipater at Alexandria with a reduction of the tribute the Jewish people had to pay to Rome. But more serious matters were still to be taken care of. Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, ha...

The Roman Empire in A.D. 69 was in a state of chaos. The previous emperor, Nero, had committed suicide in June of that year, and four different men had claimed the throne in the months that followed. The first to claim the throne was Galba, the governor of Hispania. He was proclaimed emperor by his ...

Though whilst Rome was busied with its Macedon and Syrian adventures in the east, it neither rested in the west. Within a decade after her victory in the Second Punic War, Rome had at last gained dominance over the quarrelsome Gauls in valley of the river Po and their equally hostile neighbours, the...

The Battle of Zama in the summer of 202 BC marked the end of the power of the great Hannibal Barca.With its greatest son, also Carthage should be at a virtual end. True, it should limp on for some time, but with its defeat at the end of the Second Punic War it no longer was a significant power.Zama ...

Gaius Marius Marius, Gaius (circa 157-86BC), Roman general and statesman, who led the Populares during the civil war of 88-86BC. Caius Marius (died 86 B.C.E.) By PlutarchWritten 75 A.C.E.Translated by John Dryden We are altogether ignorant of any third name of Caius Marius; as also of Quintus Sertor ...