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In 171 BC, endangered by it's neighbor Macedon, the allied kingdom of
Pergamum asked Rome for aid. Rome agreed, and a new war in the east
was started. Rome saw little success in the first years of war, but
by 168 they had achieved enough success that the king of Macedon was
forced to surrender. Macedon was split into four republics, and the
peace was held for a number of years. However, a new ruler appeared
in 149 BC and led the forces of a reunited Macedon against Rome.
Within a year he was defeated and run out of Macedonia, which
afterwards became a Roman province. A new league of cities in Greece
was causing trouble over a Roman mediation, and a war of liberation
against Rome was started in 146 BC. The army that had conquered
Macedonia was moved south, and the Achaean League was quickly
destroyed. The idea of Greek freedom was soon dispelled as Greece was
made a province of Rome.
Rome was busy in the west, as well as in the east. Carthage had made
a major recovery from it's horrible defeat years earlier, but was now
being robbed of it's territory by neighboring Roman allies. Carthage
lost patience with Rome's slow response to it's complaints, and took
up arms against the invading forces. This was a breach of the treaty
with Rome, and enough reason to prevent Carthage from flourishing
once again. A Roman army was sent to raze the city, and so it was
done in 146 BC after 3 years of war. Carthage was gone, and it's
territories were absorbed into the ever growing Roman Republic. Much
of Spain was soon to fall, as the tribes that had been warring with
Rome since 142 BC were defeated by Scipio Aemilianus in 133 BC. Spain
was quickly settled by Roman citizens, and peace was held. In that
same year, the kingdom of Pergamum in the far east, a strong ally of
Rome, was given to the republic as per the will of it's king, Attalus
III, who had died without heirs. |
