who had the citizenship of Rome (i.e. the right of trading and intermarriage) but not the right of voting or of holding ofiice ; (f) socii (allies), divided into two classes — (i.) Latini, who stood in a rela- tion to Rome like that of the parties to the old Latin league, and had the capacity for acquiring Roman citizenship, by goinj^' to Rome or (later) by holding a magistracy in their own towns; (ii.) the free and allied cities, comprising all the rest of Italy, which had a militarj' alliance with Rome, regulated either hy fcsdiis (formal treaty) or by lex data (a charter).
6. First and Second Punic Wars.— The signal career of Rome in extra-Italian conquest begins with the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.). At this period Carthage, in the Tunis district, was mistress of the western Mediterranean. Rome was not as yet a naval power, but amongst her new Greek subjects (or allies) in southern Italy there were many traders bj' sea, and these had to be jirotected. Carthage had by means of mercenary troops con- quered .Sardinia and Corsica, and now aimed at the possession of Sicily. The western part, having been already planted with colonies from her parent city of Tyre, fell an easy prey to her, but the rest of the island was studded with Greek cities, which were not prepared to give up their free constitu- tions for the oligarchical tyranny of Semitic bar- barians. The city of Messana (modern Messina) in the N.E. part of Sicily was the immediate cause of the outbreak of war between the Romans and the Carthaginians. Messana was at the time in the possession of Italian mercenaries, called Mamertini, who had conquered and taken posses- sion of the city some time before. They grew great enough to menace the power of Hiero, the Greek king of Syracuse. He shut them up in their city, and they appealed for help to Rome. If Rome had refused, they would have appealed to Carthage. This fact determined the Roman people — for tiie Senate hesitated greatly, knowing the responsi- bility this fresh step would entail — to give the support the Mamertini sought. The Cartha- ginians must not be allowed to occupy a place so close to Italy. But the delay had allowed the admission of a Carthaginian garrison, by whose means peace had been concluded with Hiero. The Romans could thus have retired altogether from the situation, had not a Roman legate persuaded the Mamertini to expel the Carthaginian garrison. Hiero and the Carthaginians next proceeded.to lay siege to Messana, and the Romans declared war against them (264). The contest, with breaks, was fated to last for about one hundred and twenty years. Rome had to build a fleet. She was for the most part victorious throughout the first war, but Regulus, who had invaded Africa, the territory of the Carthaginians, was defeated and taken captive. The battles in this war were for the most part naval, and a final naval victory in 242 made it possible to reduce the Carthaginian strong- holds in Sicily (241). By the terms of the peace Carthage had to evacuate Sicily and the neighbour- ing islands. Thus was the first Roman ' province' formed (see under Province).
The Second Punic War did not begin till 218. It dittered from the first chiefly in two respects. In the interval Carthage had conquered Spain and thus had a new base of operations, and the second war was fought on land. In 238 the Carthaginians had had to fight their own rebellious mercenary troops, and Rome took advantage of this state of aflairs to demand Sardinia and Corsica, which were made into a second province. This is probably the only instance of unjustifiable acquisition of territory in Rome's long history. Illyrian and Gallic wars occupied the rest of the interval. North Italy had been thus opened up (the "V^ia
ROMAN EMPIRE
ROMAN EMPIRE
403
Flaminia had been Imilt from Rome to Arimimim in iiO li.c). Ilaniiilial in 'JIS loft New Cart lia^'o and crosseti the Kiiune ami tiie Aljjs. He ilefeateil the Koniaiis successively at the 'I'icinus anil Trehia (Dec. 218) in North Italy, at the Trasiiiiene lake in Etruria (217), and at Cann;e in Apulia (21G). The lidelity of Rome's nu)st im])ortant allies in Italy, the inability of Hannilial's army to conduct successful siejie operations, .and other factors pre- served Home at this crisis. The further sta>;cs of the war may he compared with the later jihases of the South African \Var. The Roman army was broken up into many small portions, leading' strategic ]ioints were well garrisoned, and flying columns were dispatched over Italy. Capua, Tarentum, and Syracuse (in Sicily) were in turn lost and recovered. A Ronnin attem^jt to divert llannih.al's attention by attackini; Spain was attended with disaster, but Hasdruhal, who came from S])ain to join his brother H.-innihal, was signallj' defeated by the Romans at the Metaurus (207). Hannibal then retired to the very south of Italy. Mean- time the youthful P. Scipio had conquered a great part of Spain. On obtaining the province of Sicily (205 B.C.) he crossed over into Africa. Hannibal, who lijid been recalled in consequence, was de- feated by Scipio at the battle of Zama (202). By the treaty of next year the war was brought to an end, and Carthage lost all her foreign pos- sessions.