The Later Roman Republic

The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, a Chronology Volume Two 145 BC - 27 BC

By: Brian Taylor

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The final tumultuous century of the Roman Republic began with a war against the tribes of the Spanish interior and the struggle in Rome between the newly emerging Optimates and Populares factions, embodied int he rivalry between the Gracchi and the Senate. Bloodshed between these factions increased the pace of decline and led to the civil war which erupted between Sulla and Marius. This cycle of civil war, which was continued years later by Pompeius and Caesar, would ensure the eventual rise to power of the ruthless political genius Octavian, the originator of the Principate and Imperial Rome in its truest form, and the death of the Republic.In Brian Taylor's second volume he documents in clear chronological style, the development of the Empire, its external and internal struggles and characters. In 147 BC Macedonia was annexed as a Roman province. By 133 BC Greece and most of Spain had been conquered. At the end of the period Roman armies had marched into the Middle East and had conquered the German tribes and the Gauls. In 55 BC Julius Caesar tried to invade Britain but he was frustrated by British warriors and the weather. When Octavian became the first Emperor of Rome in 27 BC, the Empire stretched across most of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.By detailing each year in turn, the reader can see how events unfolded during this turbulent and fascinating period of history. Where there are a number of conflicts, each is shown as a separate entry, be it the Gallic or Mithridatic Wars, Africa or Illyria. Thus, the reader is able to study a chosen area of operations in isolation while assessing its wider impact on the Romans or their enemies.