What two general factors led to the to the rise of the empire?

Answer 1

The empire began because of wars, not because of a design of imperial expansion. It actual beginning is a matter of opinion.

During the wars against the Samnites of southern Italy (the Three Samnite Wars, 343-341 BC, 326- 304 BC and 298-290 BC) Rome made alliances with some peoples in central Italy to strengthen their position vis-a-vis the Samnites. At the end of the third war she forced the peoples who had fought against her in that war (the Samnites and the Umbrian and Senone Gauls of central Italy) into alliances. The Lucanians of southern Italy decided to ally with Rome. Rome annexed a coast-to coast strip of territory just south of the Umbrians and Senone Gauls and founded many colonies (settlements) at strategic points to establish a presence there and to control these areas.

With the alliances the peoples of central and southern Italy remained autonomous in exchange for proving auxiliary soldiers who fought alongside the Roman legions at their own expense. The system worked because Rome supported the ruling classes of these peoples and because they shared the spoils of war, which could be considerable. This system has been described as inviting the robbed peoples to join the gang of robbers for the text robberies. The allies provided 60% of the pool of pool of military manpower available. This was the largest pool in the whole of the Mediterranean.

Although territorial annexation was minimal, these areas of Italy could be seen as an empire through indirect rule. Although its peoples remained autonomous, Rome was the overlord and exercised tight control. The alliances were a more convenient system of control than annexation and were less likely to lead to rebellions.

In the first of the Three Punic Wars (264-241 BC, 218-201 BC, and 179-146 BC) Rome forced the Greek city-states of eastern and southern Sicily to become allies and seized the Carthaginian ports in western Sicily and Corsica and Sardinia, which had been Carthaginian possessions. In the Second Punic War, Rome took over the Carthaginian territories in southern Spain and made an alliance with Carthage's next door neighbours, the Numidians of Algeria, who defected to Rome. In the Third Punic War Rome destroyed Carthage and took over her remaining territories: Tunisia and western Libya. The first war was a dispute over Sicily. In second war Hannibal, the Carthaginian general invaded Italy. The third war was fought because Rome wanted to destroy Carthage. Though these wars Rome annexed territories which she ruled directly.