The Roman Empire came about through Roman expansionist policies based on a fear of its neighbours!?

Question

How true is this statement of the Roman's attitude to its expansion during its take over of the italian peninsular?

Answer 1

Fear played a role in the conquest of Italy, although the truth is always more complex. 387 BC (some say 390 BC) was a turning point in Roman foreign policy- a Gallic sack of Rome under Brennus was a shocking event and it freaked everyone out enough that they began to more aggressively assert control over their neighbors. Prior to this Rome binded cities to her with unilateral alliances, whether voluntary or coerced. However, after the Romans recovered from 387, they began to annex more and more territories, ceasing territories for colonization and dispersing the population. This was the case of the Latin League in 338. The main opposition to Roman power in Italy (the Samnites and Greek colonies in the south, and the Etruscans and Cisalpine Gauls to the north) was incorporated into Roman Italy in this way; but we should not forget other important historical events like the invasion of King Pyhrrus in 281 and the Second Punic War of 218, which also scared Romans, but also forced them to quickly adapt making them more powerful than before.

Answer 2

The crucial date was 338 BC. Rome dissolved the Latin League and allowed its members various citizen rights. This was the winning formula. Basically it was to defeat people and co-opt them into the Roman system with a share of any spoil from future wars.
Before condemning the Romans, one should note how rare such statesmanship is. Even in Ancient times it was a commonplace that the Athenians, for example, lost their empire by restricting their citizenship.

Answer 3

it is true,
the Romans feared the most,
barbaric cultures,
because it stood against everything they held in high esteem

those who said no, have no clue to what Rome was,
they were no grand culture, fearless and brave,
they were cowards, strong, but cowards,
they feared all civilizations that were less developed because
they thought the inhabitants would attack Rome,
and if you did not know, barbarians of Europe at the time did not fight with rules, or in rank and file, but as free warriors
fighting for their land and their love,
Roman soldiers fought for Caesar,
or Emperors and money.

was it not the Vandals that first sacked Rome?
the barbaric Vandals, most hellish of all barbaric cultures?
more feared than the Mongols and Vikings?

did not Caesar send 5 legions to suppress Britannia?
when Britannia was nothing but a bunch of Celts lead by a Queen, not in large number,
and not particularly battle hardy,
Gaul, Persia, Arabia, The Middle East, Britannia, Germania,
all conquered by the Romans,
and why?

for the Romans feared what they had,
true freedom.

Answer 4

Expansionism yes, fear no. The wealth and stability of Rome depended on the continual growth of the empire. This was achieved by Military expansionism and the taxation of conquered territories.

The conquest of Italy began soon after the Romans expelled the Tarquins in 509 BC; their first target were the Etruscans themselves. Allying themselves with other Latins and with the Greeks, the Romans quickly drove the Etruscans from the Italian peninsula. Etruscan civilization came to a brutal end. Rome steadily conquered all the Etruscan territory throughout the fifth and fourth centuries BC.


The Romans, however, were dramatically checked in their conquest of Italy by invasions of another Indo-European people from across the Alps: the Gauls. The Gauls were a Celtic people who were nomadic and war-like. In 387 BC, the roared across the Alps into Italy, soundly defeated the Roman army, and then capture and burned Rome to the ground. The Gauls, however, did not wish to settle in Italy; they were interested only in amassing wealth. They looted Rome and then demnaded a tribute; after they had collected their ransom, they returned home to central Europe. Rome was now vulnerable to all the peoples it had conquered, and various Italian states tried to attack Rome. By 350 BC, however, Rome was sufficiently powerful enough to begin asserting dominance over the region again.

The Romans had been part of a Latin alliance, but exerted tremendous hegemony over that alliance. Despite being defeated by the Gauls in 387 BC, the Romans successfully fought back Gaulish raiding parties throughout the middle of the fourth century BC. Roman allies, however, began to bitterly resent the Roman hegemony over the league and demanded their independence. Rome turned them down flat, and the Latin cities rose up against Rome for their independence in 340 BC. Rome, however, only took two years to defeat the Latins in this uprising; in 338 BC, Rome dismantled the Latin League and took control of all of Latium.

In 295 BC, Rome began a war with a tough Latin people living in the Appenine mountains, the Samnites, who were joined by the remaining Etruscan cities, by Gaulish tribes, and some rebellious Italian cities. The result of this war, in 280 BC, was total Roman control over all of central Italy. Rome then turned its eyes south to the Greek cities and quickly overpowered them. By the middle of the third century BC, Rome controlled all of the Italian peninsula.

Ancient history shows abundantly that it is enormously difficult to hang onto conquered territories; the Romans, however, seemed to have figured out how to peacefully hold onto conquered territory with both liberal and militaristic policies. First, Rome didn't destroy conquered cities, but granted them certain rights. Some cities were allowed full Roman citizenship, particularly those near to Rome. Others were allowed certain Roman rights. Some were allowed complete autonomy. Some were allowed to become allies. All, however, were required to send Rome taxes and troops. In addition, Rome settled soldiers on the captured lands as payment for their service. Some of these land grants were especially lucrative. The soldiers got land wealth, and the Romans got permanent military settlers in the conquered lands.

Answer 5

Well, it's sort of like a snowball effect...once it gets rollin' there's no stopping it just gets bigger and bigger.

As the Roman's built their arms and became experts in Warfare conquering other nations became easy to them. So they just kept on going. The Senate just got more and more greedy as the booty from far away lands came rolling in. Especially from Trajan's time as the ruler.

Answer 6

i don't think it was their primary goal. they plundered and pillaged and "civilized" the natives to work and produce whatever the romans needed. like england, they "civilized" england up to scotland (gave up on the scots) and levied taxes on everything, and shipped tons of "stuff" back to rome, or whever they chose. actually, it moved england far ahead but the empire was losing its grip for various reasons and they had to load up and sail home.

Answer 7

Fear of its neighbors? More like avarice and the opportunity to consolidate their hold on trade routes etc.

Answer 8

it was not about fear in the beginning it was about wealth and power. and the need for food. rome only did what it had to in the begining to grow as it wanted to in the way of the times

for today its true for the USA and thier leader G W Bush.. as with rome it will fall only much faster because of Bush and his policies

Answer 9

Conquering neighboring countries doesn't have anything to do with fear. It is all about power. The more countries you control the more powerful you are.

Answer 10

how many Romans, that what I have been wondering

best info I have is 17, under oath, can I believe her, is she a liar, how bad, should I just dis her?