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In the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.), Rome fought against Hannibal, the leader of Carthage who took his entire army through Spain and then, in a preemptive move, crossed the Italian Alps in merely 15 days to the great surprise of the Romans.  Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps with 30,000 men and some elephants is considered one of the greatest military feats of the ancient world.  He then beat the Romans in a series of battles for 16 years but could not conquer Rome itself.  Hannibal had to retreat to Africa when the Roman general attacked Carthage.  Rome acquired Spain as a result of the Second Punic War.   

In the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.), Rome fought against Hannibal, the leader of Carthage who took his entire army through Spain and then, in a preemptive move, crossed the Italian Alps in merely 15 days to the great surprise of the Romans.  Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps with 30,000 men and some elephants is considered one of the greatest military feats of the ancient world.  He then beat the Romans in a series of battles for 16 years but could not conquer Rome itself.  Hannibal had to retreat to Africa when the Roman general attacked Carthage.  Rome acquired Spain as a result of the Second Punic War.   

In the Third Punic War, the Romans destroyed Carthage (146 B.C.), killed its inhabitants or took them as slaves, and salted its farms to make it impossible to grow crops.  The Romans then went into Macedonia and Greece to defeat it in revenge for having helped Hannibal.  By the end, Rome controlled all around the Mediterranean Sea, which was the entire western civilized world.  The Roman senator Cato the Elder encouraged this revenge by ending every speech with the conclusion, Carthago delenda est: “Carthage must be destroyed.”  The Roman soldiers returned home with their winnings, and with Greek knowledge.  Rome itself became Hellenistic, fascinated by the culture of the Greeks, including their architecture, their language, and their system of justice.  The Roman empire helped spread Greek knowledge further than the Greeks themselves could.

In the Third Punic War, the Romans destroyed Carthage (146 B.C.), killed its inhabitants or took them as slaves, and salted its farms to make it impossible to grow crops.  The Romans then went into Macedonia and Greece to defeat it in revenge for having helped Hannibal.  By the end, Rome controlled all around the Mediterranean Sea, which was the entire western civilized world.  The Roman senator Cato the Elder encouraged this revenge by ending every speech with the conclusion, ''Carthago delenda est'': “Carthage must be destroyed.”  The Roman soldiers returned home with their winnings, and with Greek knowledge.  Rome itself became Hellenistic, fascinated by the culture of the Greeks, including their architecture, their language, and their system of justice.  The Roman empire helped spread Greek knowledge further than the Greeks themselves could.

===Leading up to an Empire===

===Leading up to an Empire===

In 27 B.C. Octavian struck a deal to share power with the Roman Senate, with the Senate bestowing on Octavian the name “Augustus” (a term usually used in reference to the gods), and the Roman empire was born.  The power shared with the Roman Senate was mostly an illusion, however, as Augustus became the dictator, chief priest, and “imperator”, a title which meant he had complete control of the army.  Augustus then ruled from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, including the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.  

In 27 B.C. Octavian struck a deal to share power with the Roman Senate, with the Senate bestowing on Octavian the name “Augustus” (a term usually used in reference to the gods), and the Roman empire was born.  The power shared with the Roman Senate was mostly an illusion, however, as Augustus became the dictator, chief priest, and “imperator”, a title which meant he had complete control of the army.  Augustus then ruled from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, including the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.  

Augustus essentially established a constitutional monarchy rather than a true republic, as the Senate’s role was only advisory.  Yet under this system of government the Roman empire thrived for 200 years, with the population of Rome growing to more than one million persons by about A.D. 100, a huge number for the ancient world.  The Roman empire included far more than 100 cities, which had their own local governments, and which engaged in trade with each other.  Eventually, plague and economic disaster began to cause decreases in the populations of cities by about 200 A.D., and barbarian invasions caused more to flee to the countryside.  By the 6th century A.D. the population of Rome was probably less than 50,000 people.  The broadest dates assigned to the Roman empire are from 509 B.C. to A.D. 476, when the last emperor was deposed (removed from power).  The greatest time period for the Roman empire was from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 (known as “Pax Romana,” as described later).

Augustus essentially established a constitutional monarchy rather than a true republic, as the Senate’s role was only advisory.  Yet under this system of government the Roman empire thrived for 200 years, with the population of Rome growing to more than one million persons by about A.D. 100, a huge number for the ancient world.  The Roman empire included far more than 100 cities, which had their own local governments, and which engaged in trade with each other.  Eventually, plague and economic disaster began to cause decreases in the populations of cities by about A.D. 200, and barbarian invasions caused more to flee to the countryside.  By the 6th century A.D. the population of Rome was probably less than 50,000 people.  The broadest dates assigned to the Roman empire are from 509 B.C. to A.D. 476, when the last emperor was deposed (removed from power).  The greatest time period for the Roman empire was from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 (known as “Pax Romana,” as described later).

The Roman empire is known for its organization and practical benefits for its citizens:  great roads, drinking water, currency, laws, powerful military, useful sewers and the orderly administration of justice.  Massive in geography, the Empire extended all along the Mediterranean Sea and brought civilization to vast tracts of land and many peoples.  The “Silk Road” connected the Roman empire to Parthia (Persia or modern Iran), China and India, thereby facilitating trade.  The Roman empire also established a language and alphabet that is the basis for Western European countries and the United States to this day.  After initially persecuting Christians, the Roman empire enabled Christianity to expand and flourish.  Summed up in one word, the Roman empire was “organized”.

The Roman empire is known for its organization and practical benefits for its citizens:  great roads, drinking water, currency, laws, powerful military, useful sewers and the orderly administration of justice.  Massive in geography, the Empire extended all along the Mediterranean Sea and brought civilization to vast tracts of land and many peoples.  The “Silk Road” connected the Roman empire to Parthia (Persia or modern Iran), China and India, thereby facilitating trade.  The Roman empire also established a language and alphabet that is the basis for Western European countries and the United States to this day.  After initially persecuting Christians, the Roman empire enabled Christianity to expand and flourish.  Summed up in one word, the Roman empire was “organized”.

The trial of Jesus revealed that while the Roman empire was tremendous in its military, there was much that it lacked in terms of understanding.  Pontius Pilate, like most Romans, had no understanding or appreciation of the concept of objective truth.  “Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’  Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38 (NAS)).  Pilate then left without giving Jesus the opportunity to teach him about truth.  In the Roman empire, “truth” did not exist; it was merely whatever the emperor or Roman army said it was.  Intellectual progress in the Roman empire was far less than the achievements of Ancient Greece.

The trial of Jesus revealed that while the Roman empire was tremendous in its military, there was much that it lacked in terms of understanding.  Pontius Pilate, like most Romans, had no understanding or appreciation of the concept of objective truth.  “Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’  Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38 (NAS)).  Pilate then left without giving Jesus the opportunity to teach him about truth.  In the Roman empire, “truth” did not exist; it was merely whatever the emperor or Roman army said it was.  Intellectual progress in the Roman empire was far less than the achievements of Ancient Greece.

Roman leadership weakened immediately following Tiberius.  He was followed by Caligula (A.D. 37-41), who was a crazy and highly immoral tyrant whose reign ended in assassination by his own guards, a fate that would greet many despotic Roman emperors.  His corrupt rule, which was one of the worst in all of history, can be best remembered as the first emperor to be installed after the crucifixion of Christ.  At one point Caligula made his favorite horse a consul.  In A.D. 39 he removed the consuls without even consulting with the Senate, because the Senate had not gone along with something he wanted to do.  Then he publicly humiliated senators by forcing several of them to trot beside his chariot in public while wearing their full robes.  Caligula even planned to impose and install a statute of himself as Zeus in the holiest part of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which would have been the worst insult imaginable to the Jewish faith.  His reign of terror came to an end when he was assassinated by one of his own guards, fulfilling Jesus’ teaching that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”  When news of Caligula’s death reached the public, they were afraid to show their joy lest it only be a rumor invented by Caligula himself that he might punish anyone who dared celebrate upon his death.   

Roman leadership weakened immediately following Tiberius.  He was followed by Caligula (A.D. 37-41), who was a crazy and highly immoral tyrant whose reign ended in assassination by his own guards, a fate that would greet many despotic Roman emperors.  His corrupt rule, which was one of the worst in all of history, can be best remembered as the first emperor to be installed after the crucifixion of Christ.  At one point Caligula made his favorite horse a consul.  In A.D. 39 he removed the consuls without even consulting with the Senate, because the Senate had not gone along with something he wanted to do.  Then he publicly humiliated senators by forcing several of them to trot beside his chariot in public while wearing their full robes.  Caligula even planned to impose and install a statue of himself as Zeus in the holiest part of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which would have been the worst insult imaginable to the Jewish faith.  His reign of terror came to an end when he was assassinated by one of his own guards, fulfilling Jesus’ teaching that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”  When news of Caligula’s death reached the public, they were afraid to show their joy lest it only be a rumor invented by Caligula himself that he might punish anyone who dared celebrate upon his death.   

Caligula’s successor was his uncle Claudius, chosen by the guards who had killed Caligula.  Some believe the only way Claudius lived through Caligula’s rule was by feigning insanity.  Much to everyone’s surprise, Claudius proved to be a wise and able ruler, and under his rule, Britain became part of the Roman Empire.  Shortly after becoming emperor, however, Claudius died from poisoned mushrooms given to him by his wife so that her son Nero could be king.

Caligula’s successor was his uncle Claudius, chosen by the guards who had killed Caligula.  Some believe the only way Claudius lived through Caligula’s rule was by feigning insanity.  Much to everyone’s surprise, Claudius proved to be a wise and able ruler, and under his rule, Britain became part of the Roman Empire.  Shortly after becoming emperor, however, Claudius died from poisoned mushrooms given to him by his wife so that her son Nero could be king.