The Fall of the Republic Ancient Rome

The Punic Wars Begin Rome/Carthage want Sicily Carthaginians have a colonies Rome sends army Rome = strong army, Carthage = strong navy Rome builds a navy 20 years of fighting, Rome wins, Carthage leaves Sicily and pays a HUGE fine

The Second Punic War Carthage expands empire in Spain Rome helps locals rebel Carthage gets mad and sends Hannibal Takes horses, and elephants across Alps and invades He crushes the Roman army

Second Punic War Cont’d Rome raises another army and invades Carthage Hannibal returns home but loses Carthage gives up navy, Spain, and pays another HUGE fine

The Third Punic War Carthage still trading center Rome wants it and invades Rome murders 500,000 people Rome wins and enslaves 50,000 men, women, and children Spread salt on fields so Carthaginians can no longer grow food Rome later defeats Macedonia and Greece Rome sole power in Mediterranean

Rich and Poor Plebeians gained power in government but patricians still dominate few rich and privileged, many poor plebeians sinking into debt and poverty patricians=large farms, slaves do the work. Pleb’s forced out and could not find work. Wealthy have slaves do it all politicians want poor votes so they hand out food and entertainment (bread and circuses) dishonest rulers come to power based off of what they give the poor

Politics and the Army The Army Enters Politics military had stayed out of government soldiers were plebeian farmers, but plebeians couldn’t farm anymore Consul Marius began paying them and promised land Troops now motivated by money and land not duty new power struggles between generals Sulla comes in and makes himself dictator he weakens Council of the Plebs and strengthens Senate Sulla steps down as dictator and Rome is in civil war