History

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The Nature of Roman Imperialism

The Changing Face of Roman Imperialism

Before the end of the 3rd century B .C , Rome engaged in several wars against the Carthaginian Empire . Rome 's acquisition of coastal territory and her expansion to the toe of the Italian boot brought her face to face with the great naval power , Carthage . In 266 B .C , the Carthage sent an army to the Sicilian city of Messana to prevent Syracuse from gaining control of the straits . A considerable number of

factions in Messana asked Rome for military assistance . The Roman Senate knew that Carthage posed a threat to Roman trade in the Mediterranean . Syracuse was never a threat to Roman power in Italy . So in 264 B .C , the assembly voted to send an army to Messana and expel the Punic garrison . The First Punic War erupted . Rome was victorious in the two other Punic Wars that followed

The fairly simple cause of the Punic Wars contributed heavily to Roman imperialism . Rome knew that control of the Mediterranean could presumably protect Roman trade with the East . The vast colonial acquisitions of Rome at the end of the Punic Wars also forced Rome to adopt a more imperialistic approach when dealing with potential enemy ' states . Roman expansion to the east may also be due to the insistence of Roman statesmen that Rome was the only power capable of liberating cities from the yoke of imperialism . However , instead of becoming liberators , they became...