Rome Spreads Her Wings: Territorial Expansion Between the Punic Wars

by Gareth C. Sampson

Overview

The two decades between the end of the First Punic War and the beginning of the Second represent a key period in the development of Romes imperial ambitions, both within Italy and beyond. Within Italy, Rome faced an invasion of Gauls from Northern Italy, which threatened the very existence of the Roman state. This war culminated at the Battle of Telamon and the final Roman victory against the Gauls of Italy, giving Rome control of the peninsula up to the Alps for the first time in her history. Beyond the shores of Italy, Rome acquired her first provinces, in the form of Sardinia and Corsica, established footholds in Sicily and Spain and crossed the Adriatic to establish a presence on the Greek mainland, bringing Rome into the orbit of the Hellenistic World. Yet this period is often treated as nothing more than an intermission between the two better known Punic Wars, with each Roman campaign being made seemingly in anticipation of a further conflict with Carthage. Such a view overlooks two key factors that emerge from these decades: firstly, that Rome faced a far graver threat in the form of the Gauls of Northern Italy than she had faced at the hands of the Carthaginians in the First Punic War; secondly, that the foundations for Romes overseas empire were laid in these very decades. This work seeks to redress the balance and view these wars in their own right, analyse how close Rome came to being defeated in Italy and asses the importance of these decades as a key period in the foundation of Romes future empire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473874534
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	722,884
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

After a successful career in corporate finance, Dr. Gareth Sampson returned to the study of ancient Rome and gained his PhD from the University of Manchester, where he currently teaches ancient history. He has made a detailed study of early Roman political history and in particular the political office of the tribunate of the plebs. He is currently engaged in a study of the power struggles and the civil warfare of the late Republic and its expansionist policies in the east.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Maps and Diagrams viii

Introduction - In the Shadow of the Punic Wars xvi

Timeline of Key Conflicts - 241-218 BC xviii

Part I Rome Before and After the First Punic War (338-218 BC) 1

Chapter 1 Roman Expansion in Italy and Beyond (338-241 BC) 3

Chapter 2 Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean - Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica (241-218 BC) 17

Part II Roman Expansion in Italy and the East (238-228 BC) 33

Chapter 3 Roman Expansion in Italy: The Gallic and Ligurian Wars (238-230 BC) 35

Chapter 4 Roman Expansion in the East - The First Illyrian War (230 228 BC) 62

Chapter 5 Carthaginian Expansion in Spain and the Roman Response (237-226 BC) 90

Part III Roman Expansion in Italy and the Gallic War (228-218 BC) 111

Chapter 6 The Gallic War I - The Road to Telamon 113

Chapter 7 The Gallic War II - The Battle of Telamon (225 BC) 132

Chapter 8 The Gallic War III - The Roman Invasion of Northern Italy (224-223 BC) 148

Chapter 9 The Gallic War IV - The Battle of Clastidium (222 BC) and Subsequent Campaigns (222-218 BC) 164

Part IV The Consequences of Expansion (225-218 BC) 183

Chapter 10 Roman Expansion in the East - The Second Illyrian War (219 BC) 185

Chapter 11 Carthaginian Expansion in Spain and the Roman Response (225-218 BC) 201

Conclusion: The Grand Strategy of the Roman Republic? 218

Appendix I The Sources 224

Appendix II Kings, Consuls and Triumphs 231

Appendix III The Re-emergence of the Tribunate of the Plebs? 234

Appendix IV Polybius and Roman Manpower - An Overview 240

Appendix V Consequences 243

Bibliography 248

Notes and References 257

Index 274

Editorial Reviews

"But as a work intended primarily for a popular audience, Sampson is successful in presenting a vivid narrative of Roman expansion from 241-218."

Res Militares