08 Rome’s Mediterranean Expansion and Republican Crisis Free Online FlashCards

How did Rome organize many of its Italian allies?

Rome granted some communities citizenship and allowed others to keep local government in exchange for military support.

What was a major outcome of the First Punic War?

Rome built a fleet, defeated Carthage, and gained Sicily, its first overseas province.

Why did Hannibal’s victories fail to make Rome’s Italian allies abandon it?

Hannibal won major victories, including at Cannae, but most Italian allies stayed with Rome. Scipio later defeated Hannibal at Zama.

Which two cities did Rome sack or destroy in 146 BCE?

Rome destroyed Carthage in 146 BCE. That year, it also sacked Corinth after conflict with the Achaean League.

What did Rome’s victory at Pydna in 168 BCE signal?

Rome defeated Macedon at Pydna in 168 BCE and increasingly intervened in Greek and eastern Mediterranean affairs.

How did the meaning of provincia change?

The word first meant an official’s assigned responsibility, often a military command; later it also meant a conquered territory under Roman authority.

What responsibilities could a Roman provincial governor have?

After elected terms, magistrates serving as proconsuls or propraetors could govern provinces, command troops, administer justice, and manage local relations.

Who were the publicani, and what risk did tax farming create?

Publicani were private contractors who collected some revenues. Tax farming raised state income but could also enable exploitation of provincial populations.

How could conquest and military service affect small farms?

Conquest brought wealth and enslaved people, but gains were uneven. Long military absences and expanding estates could strain small farms, though effects varied across Italy.

What land reform did Tiberius Gracchus propose?

As tribune in 133 BCE, Tiberius proposed distributing public land to poorer citizens. Political opponents killed him.

What reforms did Gaius Gracchus pursue?

Gaius pursued land, grain, and other reforms. His death in 121 BCE further weakened expectations that political disputes would follow established custom.

How could army recruitment strengthen soldiers’ personal ties to commanders?

Recruitment increasingly included citizens with little property. Soldiers’ reliance on commanders for pay, rewards, or land could strengthen personal loyalties; the shift was gradual.