Why do Romans and not Greeks govern the Mediterranean world?

Answer 1

Rome came to govern the Mediterranean world because it became the most powerful military force in this area. The Greeks ruled the eastern Mediterranean, but did so in four separate kingdoms which were liable to fight each other.

Alexander the great conquered the Achaemenid Empire (the second of the four pre-Islamic Persian empires) whose territories stretched from Turkey to the river Indus in Pakistan and into Central Asia, and from Middle East north of Saudi Arabia to Egypt. After his death there were fights between his generals and the conquered territories were eventually divided between the what historians called the Hellenistic states: Kingdom of Pergamon in western Turkey, the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt, eastern Libya and the eastern part of Turkey's Mediterranean coast) and the Seleucid Empire, which was centred on Syria and covered all the other territories, from eastern Turkey to the Indus river. Thus, the eastern Mediterranean was ruled by the kings of different Greek states.

Rome came to govern the Mediterranean because she became the greatest military power in the area. When she expanded into central and southern Italy she made military alliances with the peoples who lived in these areas. These allies supplied Rome with soldiers in exchange for a share in the spoils of war. In this way Rome acquired the largest pool of military manpower in the Mediterranean. Moreover, as a result of the Three Punic Wars she fought against the Carthaginians, Rome gained control over the western Mediterranean, which increased her power further.

Rome fought a war against the kingdom of Macedon, the largest and the dominant state in mainland Greece with the help with some allied Greek states. Following this she was drawn into a series of wars between rival Greek states to defend her Greek allies. This led Rome to decide to annex mainland Greece in 146 BC.

In 133 BC the last king of Pergamon, Attalus III, an ally of Rome, died without male issue and bequeathed his kingdom to Rome.

Pompey the Great annexed Syria after defeating the kingdoms of Pontus (in north-western Turkey) and Armenia in the Third Mithridatic War (73-63 BC). The Seleucid Empire was a shadow of its former self. The Persians had retaken their lands and there were attacks by the Armenians and the Arabs. The kingdom was reduced to just the cities of coastal Syria and there were continuous civil wars over the throne. Pompey wanted to take over Syria to ensure stability in the area

Rome was annexed in 30 BC when Mark Anthony and his ally, Cleopatra VII of Egypt. lost the final Civil War of the Roman Republic in 30 BC.