300-27 BC Roman Republic

By 264 BC Rome controlled all of Italy. She came into conflict with the Carthaginians who had an empire on the coast of North Africa and the western Mediterranean. They fought three wars, during which Hannibal crossed the Alps with his elephants, invaded, and almost conquered Italy. However Rome eventually triumphed and conquered North Africa, the Balkans and many of the Hellenic kingdoms in Turkey and the east. By 100 BC Rome dominated the Mediterranean.

These conquests stretched Rome to its limits caused terrible crises and civil wars. To try and stop this, Julius Caesar, an outstanding general and politician, became dictator for life but was murdered by political enemies in 44 BC. After his death two groups arose, one headed by his 18-year-old adopted son and heir Octavian, the other by Mark Antony. A power struggle began and they divided Rome’s territory – Octavian controlling the west and Antony ruling the east with Cleopatra of Egypt. War broke out, and in 31 BC Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium and reunited the Roman world. He established a new system of government, taking the titles of Augustus (‘deeply respected one’) and Imperator (‘commander’). He shared duties with the Senate but not power, controlling the law courts, the army, legislation, provincial administration and most of Rome’s finances.