republic. Patricians, wealthy landowners, had the say in government - about 10% of the population. Plebians, or common people, had few rights at first. Eventually they threatened to not serve in the military if they did not get some rights, so they were given an assembly to vote on Plebian matters.
             The first took place in 264 BC. Rome thought Carthage was a threat. Rome won in 241 BC. This was Rome's first military conquest.
             In 218 BC during the second of the Punic Wars, Hannibal, a Carthaginian general invaded from the north with his army and war elephants. They went by way of Spain, gaining allies along the way. In 216 BC Hannibal tricked the Romans. He pretended to retreat, then surrounded and smashed them, and got to the gates of Rome. Hannibal couldn't win because he didn't have enough supplies or men. Rome won in 202 BC.
             Rome won and destroyed Carthage in the third Punic War in 146 BC. By 196 BC Rome had beaten Macedonia, and by 133 BC Rome had the entire Greek world.
             (In 214 BC the Roman navy was coming to conquer the Greek town of Syracuse. Archimedes, who had developed a catapult that could throw rocks 600 feet, arranged mirrors to direct the suns concentrated rays at the Roman fleet - the entire fleet was burned.)
             Julius Caesar took over after much unrest due to problems from wars, slave revolts and other problems in 60 BC. The Punic wars had cost a lot in men, money, and had caused destruction. The first Triumvirate was instituted as three generals, Caesar, Pompeii, and Krassus, banded together. All had three had armies.
             Elected Consul in 70 BC, Pompeii helped end the slave revolt and destroyed Mediterranean pirates. The Senate opposed him so he banded with the other two. Pompeii's wife was Caesar's daughter. After she died, he became Caesar's jealous enemy. Pompei was defeated at Pharsala, and fled to Egypt where he was killed. Once, when invading Spain, his armies came across great tubs of honey, ate lots, ...