|
BC |
Carthage & Rome: Treaties, Punic Wars, Hannibal |
Rome |
Other Events |
| 264-241 |
First Punic War (264-241) |
|
250-180 Titus Maccius
Plautus, the best-known and most popular dramatist of ancient Rome
wrote approximately 130 comedies, of which 21 survive. |
| 240-237 |
Carthage's Mercenary War
-The 'Truceless' War Mercenaries revolt and stir up poverty-stricken
peasants in Libya and Utica. Eventually defeated by Hamilcar. Revolt of
Carthaginian mercenaries against Carthage in Africa and Sardinia |
Rome remains neutral -
they declined offer of alliance with Utica. in 238 they declined an
initial offer from mercenaries on Sardiniato to surrender the island |
|
| 240 |
|
Livius Andronicus produces the first Latin literature in Rome |
240 BC Jun 19, Eratosthenes estimated the circumference of Earth using two sticks. |
| 238 |
|
Gracchus defeats the Ligurians, then seizes Sardinia and Corsica (238-225); occupation of Corsica |
Philip V of Macedonia born.
Valerius Falto fights the Boii. |
| 237 |
End of Mercenary War.
Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca, sons & son-in-law go to Spain
to build a new Carthaginian empire. He has his son Hannibal swear
eternal emnity to Rome. He conquers large areas |
Scipio Major (later Africanus) born |
The Boii trap Flaccus near Ariminum |
| 236 |
|
|
P.C.Lentulus Caudinus and C. Licinius Varus rescue Flaccus in April. The Boii come to terms with Rome losing much of their land.
Lentulus campaigns agains the Ligurians Claudius Clineas subdues Corsica.
Gallic raids in northern Italy - the last they make. |
| 235 |
The treaty with Carthage renewed with new penalties for trade infractrions. |
After they stopped the
Gallic Boii at Ariminum, the Romans actually had a brief peace during
which they closed doors of the temple of Janus. signalling Rome being
at peace for the first time in its history. |
Cleomenes III accedes at Sparta. |
| 234 |
|
Marcus Porcius Cato Maior (234-149 B.C) born at Tusculum "If you are ruled by mind, you are a king; if by body, a slave." |
Corsica, Sardinia and
Liguria all rise in revolt with Carthaginian aid. Postumius campaigns
in Liguria, Carvilius in Corsica and P. Cornelius (praetor urbanus) in
Sardinia. |
| 233 |
Roman envoys demand reparations from Carthage and are refused. |
The tribune C. Flaminius carries a bill to distribute ager Gallicus to citizens. |
Fabius Maximus wins a triumph over the Ligurians |
| 232 |
|
The Picenum, a plain in N.E. Italy, was divided among Roman citizens. |
Both consuls (M Aemilius Lepidus M. Publicius Malleolus) campaign on Sardinia. |
| 231 |
Roman emissaries are sent to meet with Hamilcar Barca, the Carthaginian, in Spain. |
|
Pomponius campaigns on Sardinia Papirius on Corsica |
| 230-219 |
|
Rome and the Gauls
230-219 BC. The Romans were fending off an invasion of Italy by Gauls
(Celts). The Gauls were successful initially, but were eventually
driven back to the Po River Valley. |
|
| 230 |
|
Celtic warriors were
repelled at Pergamon. The king of Bithynia had invited some 20,000
Celts as mercenaries and after 50 years of pillaging they were repelled
and settled in Galatia. |
Illyrian (Albania) piracy
becomes problematic for Italian traders. The Illyrians sack Phoenice.
In 230 the Romans in offer military protection to Corcyra and other
coastal towns. King Agron of Illyria dies, his wife Teuta is regent.
Teuta arrests the Roman envoys sent to complain about piracy and
finally has them murdered. |
| 229 |
Hamilcar is killed: his son-in-law Hasdrubal takes over in Spain and continues the expansion of territory there. |
|
First Illyrian War
against Teuta, queen of the enemy pirates. The Illyrians attack
Epidamnus and Corcyra. Postumius by land and Fulvius by sea defeat the
Illyrians. |
| 228 |
Carthago Nova (Cartagena) founded by Hasdrubal.
First treaty (228?) with Carthage concerning Spain. |
Postumius, as pro consul, leads the first delegation to a Greek state. |
First Illyrian War ends. Teuta abdicates; Demetrius of Pharos set up in her place as buffer. |
| 227 |
|
Sicily constituted as
first Roman province (praetor C. Flaminius probably its first
governor): Sardinia with Corsica constituted as second Roman province;
praetorships increased to four. Plebeian power now depended on a few
nobles, though tribune Flaminius managed to get land from the Ager
Gallicus distributed despite protests by the senate that it would cause
conflicts with Gallic tribes. |
Cleomenes coup d'etat in Sparta. Earthquake at Rhodes. |
| 226 |
The Carthaginian
conquests aroused the suspicions of Rome, which in a treaty with
Hasdrubal (226 BC) confined the Carthaginians to the south of the Ebro
River. Treaty defining river Iberus (Ebro) as border of influence
between Rome and Carthage |
At some point Rome also
entered into relations with Saguntum (Sagunto), a town on the east
coast, south of the Ebro. To the Carthaginians it seemed that once
again Rome was expanding its interests into their sphere of hegemony. |
|
| 225 |
|
|
Celtic War (225-222): For
the second time Celtic Gauls - Gaesetae (Insubres) - cross the
Apennines Mountains from their stronghold in Northern Italy to threaten
Rome with an army of 150,000 infantry and 20,000 horse and chariots.
They were met at Telamon by a Roman army of 130,000 of which 6,000
fell; but when a Roman army returning from Sardinia came up behind
them, the Gauls caught in between had 40,000 killed and 10,000
captured. Regulus is killed in battle but Aemilius defeats the Gauls
and celebrates a triumph. |
| 224 |
|
|
Gallic incursions into
Etruria force Romans to conquer Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy) in
three sweeping campaigns from 224-220. The Boii are forced to submitt
to Rome. |
| 223 |
|
Due to irregularities both consuls were removed from office. Antiochus III succeeds Seleucus III. |
Flaminius defeats Insubrian Gauls at the Addua (Cisalpine Gaul) |
| 222 |
|
|
The Roman consuls of 222
BC would not grant peace to the Insubres Gauls until they completely
submitted to Rome. M. Claudius Marcellus wins a spolia opima against
Viridomarus, chief of the Insubrian Gauls at Clastidum (now
Casteggio):Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus took Acerrae and Mediolanum
(Milan) and the Insubres agree to terms. |
| 221 |
Hasdrubal, Hamilcar
Barca's son-in-law, is assassinated by an Iberian Hannibal takes
command in Spain, the youngest son of Hamilcar Barca is elected by the
troops to lead them.-People of Sagunto(Spain) appeal to Rome for
protection under Ebro River treaty. |
221-216 Philip V of
Macedonia becomes head of Hellenic confederacy, founded by his
predecessor, Antigonus Doson; Philip attempts to establish control over
Greek cities on coast and extend Macedonian dominion to the Adriatic |
For the next two years,
Cornelius Scipio & Claudius Marcellus battle various Celtic groups
in the area north of, east of, and surrounding Mediolanum (Milan), -
Circus Flaminius built |
| 220 |
Hannibal and brother Hasdrubal conquer the entire Peninsula up to the Ebro. Romans warn Hannibal to keep away from Saguntum. |
Outbreak of the War of the Allies in Greece. |
Cisapline Gaul pacified
Ligurians in NW (Italian Riviera) made terms with Rome before 218.
Opened ports of Genoa and Luna to Rome. By 220 Romans secure
north-eastern frontier to the Julian Alps and establish colonies in
northern Italy- Construction of Via Flaminia begins |
| 219 |
Hannibal Attacks Saguntum
(Spring) and captures it (November?) after a siege of eight months.
This breaks Ebro River treaty, provoking the Second Punic War. Hannibal
Prepares for War but returns to New Carthage. |
|
Second Illyrian War
against against Demetrius of Pharos who again threatens the flow of
trade between northwest Greece and the Greeks in southern Italy linked
to the Romans - completed in 2 months. A Roman navy defeated the
piratical Demetrius of Pharos, who fled to the Macedonian court of
Philip V
First foreign surgeon comes to Rome |
| 218 |
Second Punic War
(218-201) - Hannibal's War begins. The Romans declare war.
Hannibal’s invasion of Italy. Battles of Ticino, Trebbia. |
Lex Claudia prohibits
senators & sons from owning ships with sea-going capacity (> 300
amphorae ca. 225 bushels - effectively prevents senators from engaging
in overseas trade)-Roman colonial cities are now established at
strategic points: Thus Rome begins to protect the city and the
government from any incursion or rebelllion. |
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