Library: Classics by Credo Reference: Early Rome and the Republic

Ancient Rome: Overview

Ancient Rome: Topic Page
Originating as a conglomeration of small pastoral communities scattered across seven neighboring hills along the Tiber River of Italy, Rome grew to become the capital of an empire that encompassed all the territories bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the British Isles to the Arabian Peninsula.

Wars and Conflicts

Gallic Wars: Topic Page
Campaigns in Gaul led by Julius Caesar in his two terms as proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine Gaul, and Illyricum (58 B.C.–51 B.C.).
Punic Wars
From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Three distinct conflicts between Carthage and Rome.

Cities and Regions

Gaul: Topic Page
Ancient designation for the land S and W of the Rhine, W of the Alps, and N of the Pyrenees.
Pompeii: Topic Page
Ancient city of S Italy, a port near Naples and at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius.
Carthage: Topic Page
Ancient Phoenician port in North Africa founded by colonists from Tyre in the late 9th century BC. A leading trading centre, it was in conflict with Greece from the 6th century BC, and then with Rome, and was destroyed by Roman forces in 146 BC at the end of the Punic Wars.

People of Rome

Antony (BCE 83 - 30): Topic Page
c.83 B.C.–30 B.C., Roman politican and soldier. Rival of Octavian (later Augustus) and lover of Cleopatra.
Augustus (BCE 63 - CE 14): Topic Page
First Roman emperor, a grandson of the sister of Julius Caesar. Named at first Caius Octavius, he became on adoption by the Julian gens (44 B.C.) Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian).
Caesar, Gaius Julius (BCE 100 - 44): Topic Page
Roman general and dictator, considered Rome's most successful military commander. He formed with Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Elder) the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.
Cato the Elder: Topic Page
Roman statesman and moralist. He fought in the Second Punic War and later served as quaestor (204), aedile (199), praetor (198), consul (195), and censor (184).
Crassus: Topic Page
Ancient Roman family, of the plebeian Licinian gens. It produced men who achieved great note in the 2d cent. and 1st cent. B.C.
Livy (BCE 59 - CE 17): Topic Page
Roman historian. Livy's history reflects his admiration for the civilization of early Rome, and his belief that the importance of history was its applicability to contemporary life.
Ovid (BCE 43 - CE 18): Topic Page
(Publius Ovidius Naso) Latin poet, b. Sulmo (present-day Sulmona), in the Apennines. Although trained for the law, he preferred the company of the literary coterie at Rome.
Pompey (BCE 106 - 48): Topic Page
(Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus), Roman general, the rival of Julius Caesar. Sometimes called Pompey the Great, he was the son of Cnaeus Pompeius Strabo (consul in 89 B.C.), a commander of equivocal reputation.
Vergil (BCE 70 - 19): Topic Page
Or Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro)both: Roman poet, b. Andes dist., near Mantua, in Cisalpine Gaul; the spelling Virgil is not found earlier than the 5th century.