Forging an Empire: Rome's Mediterranean Conquest

About This Podcast

Discover how Rome, a land power, invented a bizarre naval weapon to conquer the seas—a device so clumsy it sank their own fleets. This episode charts the Republic's relentless expansion, from the brutal Punic Wars against Carthage, fueled by Cato's obsessive hatred, to the subtle political conquest of Greece disguised as liberation. We explore how these victories flooded Rome with wealth and slaves, creating vast inequality that tore the Republic apart from within. How did the conquest of others ultimately lead Rome to conquer itself?