The Beginning of the First Punic War and the Concept of Italia (original) (raw)
2012, Processes of Integration and Identity Formation in the Roman Republic
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The article explores the beginning of the First Punic War, focusing on the Roman intervention in Messina, where the Mamertines were facing a siege. It delves into the complexities of Roman justification for their actions, particularly the notion of ethnic kinship (homophylia) with the Mamertines. The paper argues that this perceived kinship was a significant factor in Rome’s decision to engage in a conflict that would alter the course of ancient Mediterranean history.
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the second century bc is bracketed by two important roman military victories. the first, over hannibal and the Carthaginians near the city of Zama in what is now tunisia in the year 202 bc, established rome as the predominant power in the Mediterranean and greatly expanded its sphere of influence. the second, over the Cimbri at Vercellae (mod. Vercelli) in northeast Italy in 101 bc, stopped the encroachment of Germanic tribes on roman territory. the ramifications of these events on life in Italy were largely political and military, with limited impact on the cultural development of the romans themselves. In contrast, rome's increasing political and military entanglement in the Greek east during the century between these two victories was to have a substantial impact on nearly every aspect of life in the Italian peninsula and contributed, in ways that are still subject to debate, to the political crisis suffered by the roman state in the 130s and 120s bc that crystallized in the tribunates of tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (133 bc) and his younger brother Gaius (123-122 bc).
Latomus: revue d'études latines, 2024
In recent years, a number of scientific contributions from the realist school have analysed ancient international relations with great impact, drawing on theoretical models from contemporary political science. Their postulates have contributed to shedding light on the evolution of Rome, mainly in its approach to the eastern Mediterranean. Shifting the focus to the West, this paper aims to examine in parallel the political development of Carthage through a series of defining stages in each historical context. To this end, we will critically examine both the information provided by literary testimony and certain hypotheses expressed by historiography. Throughout the study, Carthaginian diplomacy will become a structuring element and will contribute to determine whether or not the Punic metropolis can be considered an empire.
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