Romans at War: The Roman Military in the Republic and Empire

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After the defeat of the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus III the Great in the Roman-Syrian War (Treaty of Apamea, 188 BC) in the eastern sea, Rome emerged as the dominant Mediterranean power and the most powerful city in the classical world. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. After the Macedonians had been defeated in the Second Macedonian War in 197 BC, the Greek city-state of Sparta stepped into the partial power vacuum in Greece. Indeed, conflict in Roman culture went right back to the origins of Rome and the mythical battle between Romulus and Remus. Battle of Ancyra – Gnaeus Manlius Vulso and Attalus II defeat the Galatian Gauls again before Ancyra, in what was an almost identical repeat of the Battle of Mount Olympus.

Victorious commanders also used the spoils of war to beautify Rome, for example, Pompey's theatre, Augustus' forum and Vespasian's Colosseum. While Beneventum was indecisive, [83] Pyrrhus realised that his army had been exhausted and reduced by years of foreign campaigns, and seeing little hope for further gains, he withdrew completely from Italy.Before the First Punic War in 264 BC there was no Roman navy to speak of, as all previous Roman wars had been fought on land in Italy. Marcomannic Wars (166–180) – Roman Empire tried to expand in central Europe and stablish proposed roman province of Marcomannia (parts of the modern states and Slovakia and the Czech Republic) and Sarmatia (on Great Hungarian Plain). Battle of the Trebia – Hannibal defeats the Romans under Tiberius Sempronius Longus with the use of an ambush. Over the years, Rome had expanded along the southern Iberian coast until in 211 BC it captured the city of Saguntum.

They were probably defeated by the exiled dictator Marcus Furius Camillus who gathered the scattered Roman forces that consisted partly of fugitives and partly those who had survived the battle of Alia, and marched to Rome. By 304 BC the Romans had effectively annexed the greater degree of the Samnite territory, founding several colonies. In Roman culture martial values were highly regarded and war was a source of prestige for the ruling class where career progression came from successful military endeavour. Roman conquest of Anglesey – Anglesey in North West is left under Roman rule, being completed the conquest of Wales and northern England. However, a lack of rewards and excessively long service without leave could cause grievances which sometimes developed into mutiny.From the outset, Rome's military typified this pattern, and the majority of Rome's campaigns were characterised by one of two types. Rome was plagued by several slave uprisings during this period, in part because in the past century vast tracts of land had been given to veterans who farmed by use of slaves and who came to greatly outnumber their Roman masters. Very little is known of Rome's military history from this era, and what history has come down to us is more legendary than factual. At the famous Battle of Zama Scipio decisively defeated [120]– perhaps even "annihilated" [108]– Hannibal's army in North Africa, ending the Second Punic War.

In 144 BC, the general Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus campaigned successfully against the Lusitani, but failed in his attempts to arrest Viriathus. Nevertheless, it was generally the fate of even the greatest of Rome's enemies, such as Pyrrhus and Hannibal, to win the battle but lose the war. Some of Agrippa's ships had the new grappling hook launched by a catapult which, with a winch, was used to draw in an enemy ship for boarding. Additionally, in 91 BC the Social War broke out between Rome and its former allies in Italy, [187] [188] collectively known as the Socii, over the grievance that they shared the risk of Rome's military campaigns, but not its rewards.Either or both of the two consuls conducted war on the battlefield although command could also rest in the hands of a praetor or pro-magistrate with imperium who, otherwise, commanded individual legions. BC – Battle of Cabira or the Rhyndacus – Lucullus defeats the retreating forces of Mithridates, opening way to Pontus. Besides legionaries, the troop could include cavalry, archers, auxiliaries, artillery, rams, standard bearers, trumpeters, servants, baggage mules, blacksmiths, engineers, surveyors, and road builders. According to Livy, the Latin village of Caenina responded to the event of the abduction of the Sabine women by invading Roman territory, but were routed and their village captured.