With the multiple victories won by the Romans, there came great changes. Most of these new changes were of good nature: Rome became a republic, they kept their powerful army status along with a newfound title of best naval fleet, and became an intimidating force to be reckoned with. However, with great power comes great resp-oh wait, wrong direction. With all this great power, there came quite a bit of negative results for Rome and its people. One of these negative outcomes was what I like to call “power lust”, which is exactly what it sounds like: a lust for power, and letting it go to your head. With all these victories over other foreign countries, Rome became arrogant. They developed a love for power and influence more than honor
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1). Another, and perhaps their biggest fault, was Rome’s desire for wealth. They mocked and developed a hatred for the simplicity that their fathers lived in, and wanted nothing more than to indulge in luxury and live a grandiose lifestyle. Rome saw how wealthy Greece and Carthage were and became envious of them. They noticed how these great cities had slavery, and decided that this was the answer. At first, Rome did not enslave those they had conquered. However this all changed around 146 B.C., when slavery officially became the driving force of Roman economy (“Effects of Conquest in Rome”, 2007). Many of the slaves were small farmers who had lost their land during the Second Punic War, and needed a way of making end’s meet. Hannibal’s invasion caused the destruction of their land (farmers burned their land to prevent Hannibal from living off of it during his stay there). Because most of these farmers did not have the money to restore their farmland, patricians bought out most of the land and combined them to make …show more content…
Eventually seeing what was happening with the farmers, and scared their wealth and power was diminishing, they began to demand more slaves from the places they conquered, as well as demanding the conquered places pay taxes, with 10% interest (“Effects of Conquest in Rome”, 2007). With this, the gap between the rich and poor inevitably grew wider and wider. The poor despised the rich for what they had done to not only them, but the land that they once lived peacefully and happily. The rich feared the poor because they knew what the rich were capable of in numbers. By this point, tensions were so great between the two classes that multiple “civil wars” were brought on. It should be noted that during one of these “civil wars”, the great Julius Caesar reigned, eventually fully taking over Rome as its dictator. It was also during this period of revolution that Rome transitioned from the republic it was destined to be, to an empire (“Roman Republic”,
1). Another, and perhaps their biggest fault, was Rome’s desire for wealth. They mocked and developed a hatred for the simplicity that their fathers lived in, and wanted nothing more than to indulge in luxury and live a grandiose lifestyle. Rome saw how wealthy Greece and Carthage were and became envious of them. They noticed how these great cities had slavery, and decided that this was the answer. At first, Rome did not enslave those they had conquered. However this all changed around 146 B.C., when slavery officially became the driving force of Roman economy (“Effects of Conquest in Rome”, 2007). Many of the slaves were small farmers who had lost their land during the Second Punic War, and needed a way of making end’s meet. Hannibal’s invasion caused the destruction of their land (farmers burned their land to prevent Hannibal from living off of it during his stay there). Because most of these farmers did not have the money to restore their farmland, patricians bought out most of the land and combined them to make …show more content…
Eventually seeing what was happening with the farmers, and scared their wealth and power was diminishing, they began to demand more slaves from the places they conquered, as well as demanding the conquered places pay taxes, with 10% interest (“Effects of Conquest in Rome”, 2007). With this, the gap between the rich and poor inevitably grew wider and wider. The poor despised the rich for what they had done to not only them, but the land that they once lived peacefully and happily. The rich feared the poor because they knew what the rich were capable of in numbers. By this point, tensions were so great between the two classes that multiple “civil wars” were brought on. It should be noted that during one of these “civil wars”, the great Julius Caesar reigned, eventually fully taking over Rome as its dictator. It was also during this period of revolution that Rome transitioned from the republic it was destined to be, to an empire (“Roman Republic”,