Empire · 509–27 BCE · Europe
Roman Republic
Also known as Rome
According to tradition, the Romans expelled their last king in 509 BCE and set up a republic, governed by two consuls elected each year, a Senate of aristocrats and popular assemblies. From its base in central Italy, Rome gradually conquered its neighbours, binding defeated Italian peoples to it as allies who supplied soldiers.
Victory over Carthage in the Punic Wars made Rome master of the western Mediterranean, and by 146 BCE it also controlled Greece. Conquest brought great wealth but also inequality and political violence, as generals such as Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Julius Caesar used their loyal armies to seize power. Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE led to more civil wars, which ended when his heir Octavian defeated Mark Antony and became Augustus in 27 BCE.
- Years
- 509–27 BCE
- Capital
- Rome
- Greatest extent
- 50 BCE, about 1.95 million km²
- Region
- Europe
After Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul; c. 1.95M km² c. 50 BCE (Taagepera 1979)
Legacy
The Roman Republic's senate, elected magistrates, checks and balances and idea of citizenship strongly influenced modern republics, including the United States.
Rulers
- Lucius Junius Brutus consul 509 BCE
Traditional founder of the Republic
- Scipio Africanus consul 205 and 194 BCE
Defeated Hannibal at Zama
- Gaius Marius seven consulships, 107 – 86 BCE
Reformed the army into a professional force
- Lucius Cornelius Sulla dictator 82 – 79 BCE
First general to march his army on Rome
- Pompey the Great consul 70, 55 and 52 BCE
Conquered much of the eastern Mediterranean
- Julius Caesar dictator 49 – 44 BCE
Conquered Gaul; assassinated in 44 BCE
Realms on the map
- Roman Republic 509–32 BCE
- Roman Kingdom 750–510 BCE
Wars
- Second Punic War Spring 218 BCE – spring 201 BCE