What happened in the Roman Republic after the Punic wars?

Answer 1

During the Middle and Late Roman Republic there was mass impoverishment. Loss of land by peasants was a big problem from the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) on. Many small farms were ravaged by Hannibal's forces during his invasion of Italy and many more were neglected due to the peasants' prolonged military service during that war. The owners of large landed estates took advantage of this to buy land on the cheap from distressed peasants. They were also advantaged by the abundant supply of slave labour created by the war (slaves were war captives). The majority of slaves were bought by rich landlords and were employed in the fields of the large estates. This abundant supply of labour facilitated the productive expansion of the estates. This trend continued and Rome was flooded by dispossessed peasants who migrated there to eke out a living, swelling the masses of the poor.

The issue of poverty became a political hot potato and was a factor behind the series of civil wars which led to the fall of the Roman Republic and its replacement by absolute rule by emperors.

Answer 2

Rome gained dominance of the Western Mediterranean.

A series of events led to Rome's expansion in the eastern Mediterranean:

· As a result of having made alliances with Greek states in First Macedonian War that Rome fought in Greece during the Second Punic War, Rome became embroiled in the conflicts between the Greek States. She was caught up in four more wars in the area (three more Macedonian Wars and the Syrian War) in the area because of having been called for help by the allied Greek states. After the 4th Macedonian war, Rome annexed Macedon to end the continuous troubles she had been having from this kingdom. The Achaean league fought Rome and this resulted in the annexation of the whole of mainland Greece (146 BC).

· In 133 BC king Attalus III, the king of Pergamon, bequeathed his kingdom (in western Turkey) to Rome

· In 73 BC king Nicomedes IV bequeathed his kingdom (in northwestern Turkey) to Rome.

· King Mithridates of Pontus fought Rome and encouraged the Greeks to rebel. Rome had to fight three Mithridatic Wars which lasted 25 years (88-63 BC). When Mithridates was defeated, Pontus was annexed

· The Third Mithridatic War had also to be fought against Tigranes, the king of Armenia, who allied with Pontus. After three years Tigranes, who was 75, then surrendered to Rome in 66 BC. Armenia became a client kingdom.

· During the Third Mithidaric War, Rome liberated Syria form Armenian rule during her fight against Armenia, and restored the rightful king (who had gone to Rome to ask for help) as a client king. Syria was the remnant of the crumbling Seleucid Empire and had long been torn by civil wars. When civil war broke out again in 63 BC, Syria was annexed as well.

Thus, the expansion in the east was not the result of a Roman expansionist drive, but the product of Rome's troubles in Greece, the donation of two kingdoms, Pontus fighting wars with Rome and Armenia's support for Pontus

Other events in the same period were:

· A rebellion by a king in Numidia (Algeria)

· Attacks in Austria, Gaul, northern Spain, and northern Italy by the Cimbri, Teutones and other Germanic peoples.

· Civil wars between Marius and Sulla, two generals.

Answer 3

Rome imposed a heavy indemnity on Carthage designed to impoverish it and neutralise it for fifty years. The resilient Carthaginians paid it off in 10 years, arousing Rome's desire to eliminate this rival altogether.

Answer 4

the second punic war occured