Western Civilization

The Roman Conquest of the

Mediterranean (264–133B.C.E.)

Q FOCUSQUESTION: How did Rome achieve its empire

from 264 to 133B.C.E., and what is meant by the

phraseRoman imperialism?

After their conquest of the Italian peninsula, the

Romans found themselves face to face with a formidable

Mediterranean power—Carthage (KAR-thij). Founded

around 800B.C.E. by Phoenicians from Tyre, Carthage in

North Africa was located in a favorable position for com-

manding Mediterranean trade routes and had become

an important commercial center (see Map 5.2). It had

become politically and militarily strong as well. By the

third centuryB.C.E., the Carthaginian empire included

the coast of northern Africa, southern Spain, Sardinia,

Corsica, and western Sicily. With its monopoly of

western Mediterranean trade, Carthage was the largest

and richest state in the area. The presence of Cartha-

ginians in Sicily made the Romans apprehensive about

Carthaginian encroachment on the Italian coast. In

264 B.C.E., mutual suspicions drove the two powers

into a lengthy struggle for control of the western

Mediterranean.

The Struggle with Carthage

The First Punic (PYOO-nik) War (264–241B.C.E.) (the

Latin word for Phoenician wasPunicus) began when

the Romans decided to intervene in a struggle between

two Sicilian cities by sending an army to Sicily. The

Carthaginians, who considered Sicily within their own

sphere of influence, deemed this just cause for war. In

going to war, both sides determined on the conquest of

Sicily. The Romans, realizing that the war would be

long and drawn out if they could not supplement land

Black Sea

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Carthage
Pella
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Athens
Pergamum
Lake Trasimene
217 B.C.E.
Cannae
216 B.C.E.
Pydna
168 B.C.E.
Zama
202 B.C.E.
Drepana
242 B.C.E.
Syracuse
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197 B.C.E. Magnesia 189 B.C.E.
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Roman conquests
Roman allies
Battle site
Hannibal’s invasion route
MAP 5.2Roman Conquests in the Mediterranean, 264–133B.C.E.Beginning with the Punic
Wars, Rome expanded its holdings, first in the western Mediterranean at the expense of Carthage
and later in Greece and western Asia Minor.
Q What aspects of Mediterranean geography, combined with the territorial holdings
and aspirations of Rome and the Carthaginians, made the Punic Wars more likely?
102 Chapter 5The Roman Republic
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