When do the romans take over greece

Before the outbreak of the second Punic war in BC the one with Hannibal and the passage of the Alps with elephants! Its only external territories were the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. There were four other powers in the Mediterranean world, two of which were a great deal larger than Rome.

By BC, 50 years later, just two powers remained: Rome and a tottering Egypt. The others had been defeated by the military bulldozers that were the legions. Rome had changed identity forever. No longer the combative newcomer of the Mediterranean world, it was now a confident, brash superpower.

The first paving stones of the road to empire had been well and truly laid. The history of Rome and Macedon is a tangled one; to explain it in depth goes beyond the remit of this article.

The two powers actually fought three wars, from to BC, to BC and to BC; the second was of most consequence. The ruler of Macedon at the time of both the first and second conflicts was the mercurial and unpredictable King Philip V. Scion of a different family to Alexander the Great whose line had been wiped out after his death , Philip was capable of individual acts of military brilliance and colossally rash decisions.

Philip seemed to live his life by the ancient Greek saying that a king who lived in peace was no king at all. Sadly for Philip, he never quite succeeded in that regard. By the autumn of BC, the year war between Rome and Carthage was drawing to a close. After a conflict that had lasted a generation, seen huge swathes of Italy go over to the enemy, and cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of its citizens, one might assume that the Roman Republic would have lost its appetite for war by this point.

Not so. Conjuring the idea of a possible Macedonian invasion of Italy, these emissaries won over the Senate. Autumn had arrived before the legions could march inland; although they succeeded in taking a Macedonian town, a full-blown campaign was not on the cards due to the harsh terrain and imminent change in the weather.

The war was renewed in the spring of BC, the legions led by a seasoned politician and justice of the war with Hannibal, Sulpicius Galba. A game of cat and mouse ensued over the summer, with each side seeking battle on its own terms. A victory for the Romans at Ottolobus, when Philip almost lost his life, was countered by a Macedonian win at Pluinna.

Harvest-time arrived without a conclusive outcome. Far from their base at Apollonia, with supply lines at risk of being cut by snow or the Macedonians, Galba took the sensible option and retreated to the coast.

In many ways, the politics of two thousand years ago were no different to today. The newly-elected man always likes to take control. Soon after his return to Apollonia, Galba found himself being supplanted by the consul Villius. He in turn was replaced just months later by a more formidable figure, Titus Quinctius Flamininus.

Thirty years old, extraordinarily young to command a large army, Flamininus took the invasion in his stride. A lover of all things Greek, he could speak and write the language as well — something unusual for Romans of the time. Greek drama came to Rome and Greek epics and dramas served as models for Roman writers. Greeks who had long ago mastered the art of rhetoric were eagerly sought out by members of the Roman nobility, anxious to move up the social and political ladder.

The Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius wrote De Architectura , a comprehensive analysis of ancient architecture which featured Greek models and orders. It was widely read and inspired many young architects who also now had access to major Greek libraries seized by Roman military commanders such as Sulla, Paullus and Lucullus.

Pompey had appropriated a significant collection of medical books. It was not just the books of knowledge that were included in the plunder; it was also some of the practitioners. Some wealthy households acquired their own Greek doctor, in addition to teachers and artisans. Over time, the gods of Rome and those of the conquered Greeks were blended. Greek temples and theatres were adapted to Roman tastes. Athletic events, modeled on those of Greece, became the fashion.

The chief power on the Greek mainland was the kingdom of Macedon, ruled by Philip V. A vigorous young king, he was determined to drive the Romans from Greek soil. The clash of the superpowers became inevitable. At the same time as fighting Philip in Greece, the Romans were engaged in Italy itself with the Carthaginian general, Hannibal. When Philip and Hannibal entered into a treaty, the purpose of which was the defeat of Rome, the Romans became truly alarmed.

A competent general and a ruthless diplomat, he soon brought Philip V to his knees. After the defeat of Philip V in the First and Second Macedonian wars , , Macedon was a shadow of its former self. The Greek states began to turn instead to the Roman Senate for advice and help.

In this way Rome retained power in Greece even when it had no army there. Philip V died in and was succeeded by his son Perseus, the last king of Macedon. The Romans bullied him into war, and after his defeat he was imprisoned in Italy and what remained of Macedon was divided into four republics.

Twenty-two years after the final defeat of Macedon in , it was the turn of Greece itself.