Chapter 34: From Republic to Empire
Essential Question: Did the benefits of Roman expansion outweigh the costs?
In this chapter, you learn about four main periods of Roman expansion. In each period, the costs of expansion were great, yet the Roman Empire lasted 500 years.
Conquest of the Italian Peninsula
The first period of expansion began in 509 B.C.E. The Romans rebelled against the Etruscans, and Rome became a republic. The Romans then conquered central Italy. By 264 B.C.E., Rome controlled all of Italy. The Punic Wars During the second period of expansion, from 264 to 146 B.C.E., Rome fought Carthage in the three Punic Wars. As a result, Rome gained North Africa, much of Spain, and Sicily. Rome also conquered Macedonia and Greece. The Final Years of the Republic During the third period of expansion, from 145 to 44 B.C.E., Rome took control of Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Gaul. But civil wars divided the republic. Julius Caesar made himself dictator for life. Then Octavian seized power, becoming the first emperor, Caesar Augustus. Rome Becomes an Empire The fourth period of expansion began with the start of the empire and lasted until 14 C.E. The emperors continued to add a great deal of new territory. At its height, around 117 C.E., the Roman Empire stretched from Britain to the present-day Middle East. |
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