ILLUSTRATIONS Eduardo Medeiros
LAYING THE BASES
The greatest empire in history began around the 8th century BC, in the region of the Tiber River, from small Latin settlements that, under the influence of neighboring peoples, became cities, giving rise to a monarchical regime. History and legend – that a she-wolf nursed the twins Romulus and Remus – came together when, in 753 BC, romulus (a royal character), considered the first Roman sovereign, founded the city of Rome.
CREATION OF THE REPUBLIC
Supported by popular dissatisfaction, due to the excessive rigor of the laws and the high tax burden, the Senate – at the time, a body of advisors – initiated a rebel movement against the monarchy. After political maneuvering, in 509 BC the senators overthrew King Tarquinius the Superbus, who intended to diminish the council’s power. The republic begins, under the direction of the first consul of Rome, Lucius Brutus.
EXPANSION BEGINS
The gigantic siege of the Phoenician city of Carthage, Rome’s greatest enemy at the time, ended in a devastating way the resistance movement of the only civilization that faced the expansionist appetite of the Romans. from fall of its biggest rival, in 146 BC, the Roman voracity for territories would not find obstacles equal to its enormous military power.
1. Under the command of Scipio Emiliano, in 149 BC Roman legions surround Carthage and initiate a blockade by land and sea
two. In the spring of 146 BC, weakened Carthage falls with the final onslaught of the Romans
CRISIS IN THE REPUBLIC
With the annexation of provinces, Rome’s wealth grew, and with it the social differences. One of the factors for the weakening of the republic was the crisis provoked by the murder of the tribune Tiberius Gracchus, in 133 BC, by the Roman senators – Gracchus was in charge of defending the interests of the people in the Senate. A revolt by more than 100,000 slaves, led by the gladiator Spartacus, also destabilized the regime.
JULIO CAESAR COMES TO POWER
In 60 BC, Caesar made an alliance (called the Triumvirate) with the generals Marcus Crassus and Pompey the Great – two men of great wealth and political influence – to jointly control the republic. Appointed consul, Caesar waged a devastating campaign against the Celts and Germans in the provinces of Gaul (present-day France), increasing his power. After Crassus’ death, Caesar won the dispute with Pompey and, in 44 BC, declared himself dictator.
1. the conquest of Gaul begins in 58 BC with the defeat of the Helvetians, a Celtic tribe, and a Germanic tribe
two. In the years 55-54 BC, Caesar invades the Brittany and dominates the Germanic territories
3. The outcome takes place in 52 BC, with the siege of the citadel of alesia. Caesar defeats Vercingétorix, leader of the Gauls
THE PEAK OF THE EMPIRE
In 31 BC, Caesar Augustus, Caesar’s adopted son (killed by conspirators in 44 BC), was named the first Emperor of Rome. The apex of the empire, however, was yet to come. As the name itself says, the government of Trajan the Conqueror was marked by several successful military campaigns. In the year 117, his victories brought Rome to its greater territorial extension, with nearly 50 million people living on land under his command.
SHARED GIANT
In an attempt to solve administrative and military problems of the immense empire, in the year 286 the sovereign Diocletian divided it in two. Retaining the post of sovereign emperor, Diocletian was left in charge of the eastern side, leaving General Maximilian as leader of the western kingdom. Later, in 330, after a series of civil wars, Constantine I transferred the seat of the empire to the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey).
DECLINE AND FALL
You barbarian peoples, mainly the Visigoths, were the protagonists of the fall of the Western Roman Empire: gradually, they occupied the Roman territories, culminating with the deposition of the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, in the year 476. After the western ruin, the eastern kingdom remained, based in Constantinople. The Eastern Roman Empire – later known as the Byzantine Empire – fell in 1453, with the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. im
1. In 376, after crossing the Danube River, the Visigoths invade Roman territories
two. In 410 the barbarians advance through Italy and sack the city of Rome
3. In 476, the Western Roman Empire falls with the deposition of the last emperor, Romulus Augustus.
AND AS THE EMPIRE ALMOST DID NOT EXIST
The Carthaginian Hannibal narrowly avoided annihilating the still embryonic Roman Empire
Brilliant strategist, General Aníbal Barca led an operation that nearly wiped out the Romans, then a republic. Unable to win by sea, Hannibal came up with a brilliant tactic: to go around the Pyrenees and the Alps and catch his rivals from behind. He won several battles and narrowly missed his goal – he was defeated in 202 BC, when he returned to protect Carthage from an attack. See the highlights of Aníbal’s campaign.
Crushing triumph – In the battle of Cannae (216 BC), Hannibal’s greatest victory, his army simulates a retreat and surrounds the Roman legions, which are decimated
Elephant Dose – With the help of elephants, Hannibal overcomes the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps and catches his rivals by surprise, from behind
Phantom Attack – In 217 BC, Hannibal set up an ambush near Lake Trasimero: he camouflaged his troops in valleys covered by mist and devastated the enemy.
READER QUESTION Raphael Maldi Mendes, Sao Paulo, SP