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25. Roman Expansion

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4/12/2012 22. The Army of Early Italy From the Early Iron Age to the eve of the Punic Wars Centuriate Organization Class Property Armor Weapons Troops Senatorial 125,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, Spear 80 I breastplate Sword Equestrian 100,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, Spear 18 I breastplate sword II 75,000 Helmet, scutum, greaves Spear 20 sword III 50,000 Helmet, scutum Spear 20 sword IV 25,000 [scutum] javelin 20 V 11,000 - Sling, 30 stones Proletariat - - 5 1 4/12/2012 Militarized the population • Entire population organized as a fighting force • Populus – Etymology seems to be from "army" • Derived verb populari means "devastate" – Assembly of "army" replaces earlier assembly of curias – In the Late Republic means "body politic" or “People” – In Empire it means the “dejected poor” Roman Republic 509–30 BCE • Latins in Rome now at war with Etruscans • Rome formed a government based on the census system (senatorial oligarchy) • They begin to expand throughout central Italy (Latin League) Bronze bust of L. Junius Brutus Capitoline Museum, Rome 2 4/12/2012 Roman farmer/soldier (before Punic Wars) • Backbone of the Roman army – Plough and cultivate from harvest to sowing – Then go on seasonal military campaign (Summer and mid Autumn) • Every peasant (from age 17-46 y.o.) liable for infantry service for 16 years – signed up for length of command – more than ½ served ≤ 7 years • Soldiers had to possess property to enroll in the army – amount slowly decreased until 101 BCE George Washington as the “American Cincinnatus” L. Quinctius Cincinnatus Life of the Peasant • Generally under-employed • Hard labor every day required for food production • Potential for falling into nexum “debt bondage” – Abolished by 326 BCE • Average life expectancy was around 24 years • Infants considered “unfit” were commonly exposed Ancient Modern 24 years 78.3 years 3 4/12/2012 Roman Expansion 490-390: Osco-Umbrian Wars 406-396: Siege at Veii 386: Rome sacked by Gauls 343: 1st Samnite War 341-338: Romano-Latin War 327-304: 2nd Samnite War 298-290: 3rd Samnite War 280-272: Pyrrhus War Osco-Umbrian Invasions (490s -390s) Italic people who lived in the mountains and lived a nomadic existence and often struggled against sedentary farmers. (war for resources) Key Umbrian peoples: Hernici (allies) Aequi Marsi Sabini Volsci Vestini Umbri Constant aggression between various Umbrians and the Roman-Latin alliance from 490s -390s War with Etruscans at Veii Three wars were fought between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii 483-474 BCE Veientine War I 437-435 BCE Veientine War II 406-396 BCE Veientine War III (seige of Veii) 4 4/12/2012 Siege at Veii Lake (406-396 BCE ) Alba • Siege lasted 10 Veii years • Livy reports that the general Marcus Camillus Rome drained the lake that provided the water supply • Shows Rome’s desire to expand and growing sophistication of military tactics Italy Invaded by Gauls Celtic expansion into Italy “Reforms of Camillus” • M. Camillus instituted pay to the soldiers • built (or rebuilt) the walls around Rome in 375 • credited by Livy with reorganizing army from hoplite phalanx to maniple (not Polybius) The so called “Servian” Wall 5 4/12/2012 The Latin Revolt (341-338) The Roman Commonwealth (338) Latin cities: closest to Rome and given voting rights and citizenship (taxed in troops) Municipium: communities who received ½ citizenship (troop tax) • the right to marry • the right to migrate; own property • the right to do business with and in Rome • No vote End of the Latin League Treaty of Cassius broken Now each had to sign separate agreement with differing legal rights: 1) Incorporation Most of the remaining Latin communities around Rome were directly absorbed into the Roman state. 2) Continued Latin status These towns lost the communal Latin rights (commercium, conubium, change of residence) between themselves but retained them with Rome. These towns provided military contingents for the Roman army. 3) Non-voting citizenship civitas sine suffragio: "citizenship without the vote“ A person with such citizenship was called a municeps = "taker of duties." A town of such citizens was called a municipium. Roman Colonies Foundation of Fregellae on the Liris provoked war with the Samnites In 291 Venusia established in the center of Samnite territory In 273, Cosa in S. Etruria and Paestum in southern Italy used to maintain Roman control after the departure of Pyrrhus Fregellae In the 260s Beneventum Cales and Aesernia were sent to Samnite territory 6 4/12/2012 Samnite Wars 1st Samnite War (343-41) • Rome controls Campania 2nd Samnite War (327-304) • Rome defeated at Battle of Caudine Forks but win war 3rd Samnite War (298-90) • Victory at Sentinum (295) opens up the rest of central Samnite Warriors Fresco at Pompeii Italy 7 4/12/2012 Battle of Caudine Forks (321 BCE) Two Roman consuls leading an invading force into Samnium were trapped in a mountain pass known as the Caudine Forks – could neither advance nor retire – would have been annihilated if they had not submitted to the humiliating terms “under the yoke” Page 108 of WAW textbook 3 Maniples = 1 Cohort 1 Century = 80 men 1 Maniple = 2 Centuries = 160 men pilum: iron tipped spear for throwing and lancing 8 4/12/2012 Hellenistic Kingdoms Epirus Roman Antigonid Pergamon Seleucid Carthaginian Mauryan Parthian Ptolemaic Pyrrhus invades Italy 280 BCE • Hellenistic king from Epirus in Western Greece – claimed decent from Alexander • Invited by Greek cities in S. Italy to take part in a civil war and check Roman expansion • First time a professional Macedonian phalanx fights the Roman maniple legion • The outcome gives Rome military confidence to expand even further 3,000 cavalry 2,000 archers 500 slingers 20,000 Mac hoplites 20 war elephants 9 4/12/2012 280 Pyrrhus lands in Wars with Pyrrhus Tarentum with 25,000 troops and 20 war elephants 279 Defeats Rome at Battle of Heraclea 279 Battle of Asculum: Pyrrhus wins but loses so many troops called “Pyrrhic victory” 275 Battle of Malventum: Romans finally win and change the name of the city of Beneventum 278 sails to Sicily only to be forced out by 272 leaves Italy and ravages Greece. Killed in Argos by an old woman with a the Carthaginians roof tile. Discussion of Roman Army • Legion – Latin word legio originally a verbal abstraction that signifies "selection.“ • Terms Of Service – The military of the early and middle Republic was a militia of the landowners • Roman Tactics – military superiority through development of the maniple system of organization • Officers – original four legions assigned to the consuls were elected – centurion appointed from the ranks by the commander on the basis of bravery and other merit • Troops – Cavalry – Allies 10 4/12/2012 Roman Imperialism: Rome unified (conquered) Italy in 100 years Why did Rome expand? Was it… • Social: every Roman citizen (and allies) had to serve in the army • Economic: wealth and slaves to be gained by victory • Cultural: desire for laus and gloria on the battlefield defined manhood • Political: military fame helped get one get elected to office • Spiritual: the belief that the world would be better off under Roman administration (cosmic order under Roman law) Next Step: The Punic Wars 11 .
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