1. Introduction In 63 BCE, a trial took place in Ancient Rome which is still shrouded in mystery. Even in its own time it was extraordinary and controversial, not least because of the strange charges brought against the accused, the prosecutor’s motives, the alleged bias of the judges and the…
By Laurens Dragstra and Taco Groenewegen 1. Introduction If people call Dutch politician Geert Wilders a ‘people’s tribune’, this is unlikely to be meant as a compliment. The word is often used to describe agitators, demagogues and populists, people who are driven by resentment and claim that they – and…
Summary Carthage fights for survival against rebellious mercenaries and North Africans in the Mercenary War (241-238 BCE); Rome refuses to help the rebels and sends aid to Carthage instead; Hamilcar Barcas defeats the rebels at the Battle of “The Saw” and goes on the quell the entire rebellion (238 BCE);…
Summary Conflicts with Celts and Ligurians; Rebellions on Sardinia and Corsica; The gates of the Temple of Janus are closed for the first time in Roman history (235 BCE); Quintus Fabius Maximus celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Ligurians (233 BCE); The popular assembly adopts a bill tabled…
Summary Illyrians under Queen Teuta start raiding Greek coastal areas. Roman and Italian ships are attacked as well, prompting a Roman intervention (230 BCE); The Romans win an easy victory over the Illyrians during the First Illyrian War (229-228 BCE). The Illyrians were a loose coalition of tribes, who usually…
Summary Hamilcar Barcas is killed in battle in Spain. He is succeeded by his son-in-law Hasdrubal (229 BCE); Hasdrubal founds the city of Carthago Nova (ca. 228 BCE); The number of praetors is increased from two to four (227 BCE); Hasdrubal and Rome sign a treaty, making the river Ebro…
Summary A large army of Boii, Insubres and Gaesatae invades Roman territory and pillages its way to Clusium; The Celtic army defeats a praetor near Faesulae or – more likely – Clusium; The consuls Lucius Aemilius Papus and Gaius Atilius Regulus win a decisive victory over the Celts at Telamon,…
Summary A campaign against the Boii led by the consuls Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and Titus Manlius Torquatus is ultimately unsuccesful (224 BCE); The consuls Gaius Flaminius and Publius Furius Philus win a decisive victory over the Insubres and are both awarded a triumph (223 BCE); The consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio…
Summary Gaius Flaminius is elected censor and has the Circus Flaminius and the Via Flaminia built (220 BCE); Rome’s former ally Demetrios of Faros resumes his piratical activities, prompting a Roman campaign against the Illyrians (219 BCE); The Second Illyrian War ends in a decisive Roman victory. The consul Lucius…
The First Punic War between Rome and Carthage was, at the time, the largest conflict the Classical World had ever seen. The war lasted an almost unprecedented 23 years. Some of the largest naval battles in history took place during this conflict and there was a tremendous loss of life,…
Summary Rome and Carthage intervene on Sicily to aid the Mamertines of Messana; Carthaginian garrison expelled from Messana; Carthage and Syracuse form an alliance, but both are defeated by the consul Appius Claudius Caudex; The consul Marcus Fulvius Flaccus captures the Etruscan city of Volsinii and razes it to the…
Summary Successful Roman campaigns on Sicily by the consuls Manius Otacilius Crassus and Manius Valerius Maximus Messalla; Alliance between Rome and King Hiero of Syracuse; Now that order had been restored in Volsinii, the Romans could send both newly elected consuls to Sicily. Their names were Manius Otacilius Crassus and…
Summary The consuls Lucius Postumius Megellus and Quintus Mamilius Vitulus besiege Agrigentum, an important base for Carthaginian operations on Sicily (262 BCE); Carthage sends a large relief army led by Hanno to Agrigentum; The Romans defeat the Carthaginian relief army in the Battle of Agrigentum; The Romans capture Agrigentum and…
Summary The Romans build a fleet in record time; Disastrous start to the Roman naval campaign, as the consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina is captured; Using a new device called the corvus, the Romans win a decisive victory over the Carthaginians at the naval Battle of Mylae; The consul Gaius…
Summary The First Punic War continues without any major land or sea battles; First engagements between the Romans and Carthaginians near Corsica and Sardinia (259 BCE); Failed Roman attack on Panormus on Sicily (258 BCE); The Romans and Carthaginians fight each other to a draw at the naval Battle of…
Summary Decisive Roman victory at the naval Battle of Ecnomus (256 BCE); The consuls Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus sail to Africa with an army and capture the town of Aspis; After his colleague Vulso returns to Italy, the consul Regulus defeats the Carthaginians at the Battle…
Summary The consuls Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina and Aulus Atilius Calatinus capture Panormus (254 BCE); The consuls Gnaeus Servilius Caepio and Gaius Sempronius Blaesus fail to capture Lilybaeum (253 BCE); After raiding the African coast with limited success, the consuls lose much of their fleet in a violent storm; The…
Summary Aiming to assault the important Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum, the Romans decide to build new warships; The consuls Gaius Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus start the siege of Lilybaeum; The Carthaginians manage to slip reinforcements past the Roman naval blockade of the city; During a successful sortie,…
Summary The consul Publius Claudius Pulcher suffers a humiliating defeat against the Carthaginians at the naval Battle of Drepana; Pulcher is put on trial and fined; The other consul, Lucius Junius Pullus, loses most of his fleet in a storm; Pullus manages to capture Mount Eryx near Drepana; Aulus Atilius…
Summary Hamilcar Barcas lands on Sicily and starts a guerrilla war against the Romans from Mount Hercte (247 BCE); Foundation of Roman colonies at Fregenae and Alsium and a Latin colony at Brundisium (245 BCE); Hamilcar Barcas captures the town of Eryx and continues his guerrilla from there (244 BCE).…
