Roman Expansion, 275-146 BC

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Roman military dominance in the Mediterranean was never a foregone conclusion. The rising city-state prospered in a world of capable generals and kings possessing the will and resources to challenge and overcome the might of Rome. The story of Roman supremacy in the Mediterranean entails more than the resilience and prowess of the legions, it must necessarily take into account the multivalent environment in which the Romans operated with opportunities to alter the course of history that were not endemic to Rome. This course attempts to achieve a measure of coherence in understanding the contestation of power that involved Rome, Carthage, and Hellenistic powers. Above all, the course reveals the uncertainties and lack of inevitability that punctuated the shifting balance of power in the ancient Mediterranean, and it serves as a lesson in historical contingency germane to any nation or period of history.