Text 2. Overseas Expansion

Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

While the patricians and plebeians struggled for power within the city’s walls, other battles raged on the outside. Year after year, the Roman army marched off to wage war against its neighbors and to expand the area under Roman control. The army was not always victorious, however. In fact, in 390 B.C., Rome itself was attacked and destroyed by the Gauls, a warlike people from the north.

Nevertheless, Rome rebuilt and continued to grow. By 338 B.C., Rome had conquered Latium and Etruria. By 275 B.C., Rome ruled the whole Italian peninsula.

Rome was so successful, in part, because instead of punishing the people it conquered, Rome made them allies. As allies, they had to fight for Rome in any future wars. In return, Rome promised them protection and a share in the profits from future victories. In some cases, Rome even granted citizenship to conquered peoples.

By 270 B.C., Rome had more citizens and well-trained soldiers than any other Mediterranean power. During the text century, Rome used those resources to conquer the Mediterranean world.

In the 200s B.C., Rome was conquering Italy. Another power, Carthage, existed on the opposite side of the Mediterranean. It was a prosperous Phoenician city with trading posts all around the Mediterranean. Carthage and Rome became fierce rivals and fought three long and bloody wars over which power would control the Mediterranean.

By the 200s B.C., Carthage had settlements on Sicily. Rome feared it would gain complete control of the island. In 264 B.C., the two powers went to war over Sicily. This struggle marked the beginning of the First Punic War. Punici was the Roman word for the people of Carthage.

The fighting raged on land and sea. Rome had a stronger army and soon controlled Sicily’s inland. But Carthage controlled the coast with its stronger navy.

In fact, at the beginning of the war, Rome had few ships and little experience at sea. Yet the Romans found a clever answer to their problem. They invented a device called a “crow,” a kind of gangplank with clawlike hooks. The crow was held upright until the Romans pulled their ship up next to an enemy ship. Then they swiftly lowered the crow so the hooks caught in the enemy ship’s deck. The crow thus served as a bridge, allowing Roman soldiers to board the enemy ship easily.

The first Punic War lasted 23 years. Rome was in a better position than Carthage to withstand the heavy losses because of its huge army and loyal allies.

By 241 B.C., the Carthaginian army, led by General Hamilcar, was forced to admit defeat. Sicily became the first territory outside of the Italian peninsula to come under Rome’s control. Rome had begun its expansion into the Mediterranean world.

Despite its defeat at the hands of the Romans, Cartage remained an important power. It immediately began to rebuild its empire, starting in Spain, where it already had numerous trading posts.

Under the leadership of General Hamilcar, Carthage succeeded in expanding its holdings in Spain. In 229 B.C., however, Hamilcar was killed in battle in 221 B.C., the army elected Hannibal commander. Hamilcar’s son was only 26 years old, but it was time for him to fulfill the oath he had made as a child.

Rome watched anxiously as Carthage expanded its empire in Spain. Then, in 219 B.C., Hannibal attacked Saguntum, one of Rome’s allies in Spain. After Saguntum had fallen, Rome declared war on Carthage. Thus began the Second Punic War, which ended in 201 B.C.

The Romans sent troops to Saguntum, but Hannibal had other plans. True to his oath, he decided to invade Italy.

He gathered an army of 60,000 soldiers, 6,000 horses, and 37 elephants. They marched across the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain and through southern Gaul, crossed the Phone River with trumpeting elephants on rafts, and reached the Alps five months later, in winter.

Hannibal crushed the Romans in battle after battle. Only the determination of Rome’s people helped them to survive until a general arose who was a match for Hannibal – Scipio Africanus.

First, Scipio made a secret pact with one of Carthage’s allies, Numidia, the country now known as Algeria. Then, while Hannibal was still in Italy, Scipio attacked Cartage. But just as Cartage was about to admit defeat, Hannibal returned from Italy. Scipio fought Hannibal at Zama, a town near Carthage. With the help of the Numidians, Scipio won. He was given the name “Africanus” in honor of this victory in northern Africa.

This defeat marked the end of Carthage’s empire. Carthage was forced to give up its territories and its ships, and to pay Rome vast sums of money.

In 149 B.C., Carthage rebelled against Rome, thus beginning the Third Punic War. Rome once again defeated Carthage.

With the defeat of Carthage, Rome became the most important power in the western Mediterranean. Next, Rome turned eastward, conquering Greece and Macedonia, the country to the north of Greece, by 146 B.C.

By 50 B.C., Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean area.

Word Check

Ex. 1. Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B.

A to rage to wage war an ally a share a rival Punici a “crow” losses an oath to survive to arise to give up to season a “triumph” valuables a captive

B taken a kept as a prisoner to be violent smth. of much value (articles of gold, jewels) to unleash a war solemn undertaking with god’s help to do smth. to come into existence a person who gives help or support a person who competes with another (because he wants the same thing, or to be or to do better than the other) was the Roman word for the people of Carthage part or division which smb. has in, receives from or gives to a kind of gang-plank with clawlike hooks that which is lost (men killed, wounded, captured, ships and aircraft lost) to continue to live or exist a grand parade through the streets of Rome to surrender, part with to cause to be acclimatized

Ex. 2. Use the following in pairs of antonyms:

1. a patrician, to expand, warlike, prosperous, an ally, fierce, losses, defeat, to succeed, to survive, captives;

2. a plebeian, to contract, peaceful, poor, a rival, gentle, gain, victory, to fail, to die, free citizens.

Ex. 3. Complete the sentences, use the words and expressions from the text.

1. While the patrician and plebeians … power within the city walls, other battles … on the outside.

2. Year after year the Roman army marched off … against its neighbors to expand the area.

3. Rome was so successful in past because instead of punishing the people it conquered, Rome made them … .

4. Rome promised them protection and … in the profits from future victories.

5. Carthage and Rome became … and bought three long and bloody wars.

6. … was the Roman word for the people of Carthage.

7. They invented a device called “…”, a kind of gangplank with clawlike hooks.

8. Rome was in better position than Carthage to withstand heavy … because of its huge army and loyal allies.

9. It was time for Hannibal to fulfill … he had made as a child.

10. Only the determination of Rome’s people helped them … until a general … who was … for Hannibal.

11. Carthage was forced … its territories and its ships.

12. The Roman … in their Republic and … defended it.

13. Behind a general marched the soldiers carying the many … seized from the enemy and leading the unfortunate … of war.

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Words for reference: valuables, captives, to survive, a match, took great pride, fiercely, struggled for, raged, to wage war, a share, allies, fierce rivals, Punici, a “crow”, losses, the oath, to give up.

Comprehension

Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.

1. Who became a fierce rival to Rome in the 2001 B.C.?

2. What marked the beginning of the First Punic War?

3. How did the Romans solve their problem at sea?

4. How did the First Punic War end?

5. How did the Second Punic War begin?

6. Who became a match for Hannibal?

7. What marked the end of Carthage empire?

8. How was it possible for Rome to conquer so much so quickly?

9. What reason do historians give?

Ex. 2. Speak on the following points.

1. The Punic Wars.

2. Why Hannibal is considered a grant general.

3. How wars made Rome strong economically.