UNRV Ancient Roman Empire History

As Hannibal wreaked havoc all over Italy, the theatre in Spain, during the Second Punic War, went much better for the Romans. Two of three chapters are currently available… War in Spain 218 – 214 BC and War in Spain 214 – 211 BC.

Closing out the Second Punic War as it pertains to Hannibal’s campaign in Italy, we’ve added a chapter highlighting the End of the War in Italy. Despite Hannibal’s continued success on the battlefield, a lack of reinforcements, and the emergence of Scipio Africanus in Spain, led to the withdrawal of the Carthaginians back to Africa.

Hannibal’s great victory at Cannae was followed by continuing success in the south of Italy. After the Battle of Cannae the Roman ally in Syracuse, Sicily switched sides to Carthage, and soon after war broke out with Philip of Macedonia. While things in Italy looked bleak for Rome, a new general, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, began [...]

As Hannibal marched through Italy, the Roman Senate elected Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus as Consuls to take on the threat head on. At the Battle of Cannae, the smaller Carthaginian force devasted the Romans, sealing Hannibal’s fate as one of history’s great battlefield commanders.

The Second Punic War, continued with more Carthaginian success. After the battles of Ticinus and Trebbia, Hannibal crushed another Roman force at Lake Trasimenus. As the War in Italy continued, conditions for Rome were worsening. The Dictator, Fabius Maximus, offered momentary respite with delaying tactics, but the worst was yet to come for the Romans.

In the Second Punic War, following Hannibal’s march across the Alps, his subsequent Invasion of Italy was met by Publius Cornelius Scipio the Elder. At the battles of Ticinus and the Trebbia River, Hannibal crushed the Roman defenders and the door to Italy, and Rome, was wide open.

Perhaps the most important series of events in the history of Rome, the Second Punic War marked the maturation of Rome into both a survivor and a world power. Under the command of the Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginians gave the Romans all they could handle. The Outbreak of the Second Punic War illustrates the very [...]

The Roman Pantheon consisted of a great number of deities. The following lists give a large sampling of some of these. There were 12 Major Roman Gods imported from Greece, known as the Dii Consentes. There were a great number of Minor Gods associated with anything from agriculture to the city sewers. Some evolved within [...]

In continuing our efforts to expand our book section, we’ve added a Featured Reviews section where books receiving full in-depth reviews will be displayed. The first book The Lion’s Brood: The Story of Hannibal, by Rafael Scott, is the first of what we hope to be many titles in this section.

The first 3 parts of our Roman Timeline have been completed. Early History, 5th Century BC and 4th Century BC have been completed so far. The rest will follow soon.

In exploring more cultural aspects of Roman society, we’ve added an introduction to Roman Religion. This chapter explores the basics of the belief system practiced in Rome and will soon be updated with sections on the Pontifex Maximus, Vestal Virgins, religious officials and festivals. A closely related Roman deity list will also be added to [...]

Continuing the expansionist era of the middle Roman Republic, the Second Illyrian War has been added. A short interlude before the outbreak of the Second Punic War, this Illyrian war had little consequence in comparison, but establishing Roman autonomy on the Adriatic cleared the way for further expansion in Macedonia and Greece.

With the conclusion of the First Punic War Carthage, occupied with its own internal mercenary revolt was temporarily not a threat. Gallic invasions from Cisalpine Gaul and Illyrian Piracy in the Adriatic forced Rome to look north. The First Illyrian War brought Roman influence to the Hellenistic world for the first time, while also setting [...]