Incentives For Rome Go To War Essay

The Romans had numerous incentives to go to war in 200 BCE, which included but were not limited to fear, pride, revenge, and economic growth. Rome was a fast-growing empire and its next step was to expand out of the Italian peninsula and become a Mediterranean power. Rome feared Phillip V, thinking that he was aligning with Egypt to begin another Macedonian War, and would attack Rome’s Aetolian allies. During the Sabine Wars, Rome voted to go to war not because the Sabines attacked them, but rather because they feared how powerful the Sabines were becoming. This fear of other powerful nations repeatedly drove Rome to war and was used to “justify” the war. However, Rome realized that wealthy states could be made to pay lucrative indemnities,

such as Cartage did after the First and Second Punic Wars. Now Rome became focused on profitable wars rather than “just” wars as they previously had. Furthermore, the control of foreign trade further boosted Rome’s economy. The importation of grain allowed local farmers to focus on high-valued produce such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs to fill local markets, and olives and wine to export to foreign nations. Rome further bolstered its economy with the influx of war captives that were sold into slavery. As slaves became more available, the fields ceased to be plowed by freemen and the standard of living increased for those who could afford slaves. This time of economic prosperity permitted members of non-noteworthy families to rise in social, political, and economic ranks. With the promise of increased influence, trade, and income, Rome had many reasons to go to war.
The Romans exhibited xenophobia to any nation that they had not subjugated or did not consider an ally. Rome’s xenophobic tendencies were exploited by the Pergamene and Rhodian ambassadors who accused Phillip V of conspiring with Antiochus III against Rome. In addition, Phillip had allied with Hannibal during the Second Punic War. While Phillip was inhibited, Macedon did not suffer enough in the eyes of the Romans, which primed them to seek revenge upon Macedon. According to Ward, “the Romans had begun to extend the permanent operation of magisterial imperium over territories and people who had no hand in conferring it” (Ward 112). The increase of magisterial imperium reflects on Rome’s desire to control the surrounding nations. Rome did not necessarily want to conquer their Mediterranean neighbors, but they certainly wanted to control them. In addition, Rome desired to strengthen their ties with the Greek cities since their trade valued by the Roman Greek allies in Southern Italy. Subsequently, after the second war with Phillip, Rome allowed Macedon to remain an independent state. While Phillip had twice initiated wars that involved the Romans, Macedon still served an important role as a buffer nation. Also, since Roman stripped Macedon of its forces, acquired hostages and left Phillip in a weakened state, Phillip was subjugated to Rome and potentially become an ally. Rome’s current imperial stance focused on the subjugation of foreign nations rather than assimilating them.
As Rome became experienced with fighting wealthy foreign nations, it began to realize the wealth it could acquire from indemnities.

After the conclusion of the Second Punic War in 201 BCE, Rome placed a massive indemnity of 10,000 talents on Carthage that would be paid off over fifty years (Ward 111). This wealth provided Rome the means to continue to grow and funded the state. Realizing that there was fortunes to be won at war, Rome now had an economic incentive to go to war. Once Rome defeated Macedon, Phillip agreed to pay an indemnity of 1000 talents, half immediately and another half over ten years (Ward 117). Since the Second Macedonian War only lasted until 197 BCE, Rome now had two foreign nations filling its treasuries annually. The Romans now could see the economic opportunity that war presented and it encouraged them to continue to wage new wars. For example, after the Spartan War, Sparta owed 500 talents and after the War with Antiochus III, Syria owed 15,000 talents (Ward 119). In total, by 188 BCE, Rome was receiving 1,300 annually from three different nations, passively increasing their wealth and funding new campaigns to further increase their

income.
Not only did Rome benefit from the indemnities it levelled against from conquered nations, but it also benefited from the increasing number of slaves the wars produced. Since Rome was constantly at war during this time, they acquired many captives of which not all were ransomed and to recoup the cost of war, they were sold into slavery. The increase in slaves changed the Roman economic landscape in the sense that one could increase their wealth through buy, training, and selling slaves. Those who were wealthy enough to participate in the slave trade and raised their economic status also could raise their social and political status. For example, Marcus Porcius Cato, who was from a family not previously involved in Roman politics, held the offices of quaestor, aedile, praetor, consul, legate, and censor during his life (Plutarch 136). Cato acquired his wealth through the acquisition of slaves, as he became skilled with buying, training, and selling them. Specifically, he focused on buying the young slaves, “who like whelps and colts, were still capable of being reared and trained” (Reinhold 94). With his accumulated wealth, Cato entered and dominated the political landscape. The exodus from free labor brought the opportunity the Cato exploited the gain prestige and wealth.
Cato not only serves as an example of classes being shifted, but also he gives examples of Roman leaders possessing vast amounts of wealth.

While many of the accusations that Cato makes benefitted his career, these accusations must have been made with some evidence. According to Plutarch, when Cato served under Scipio in Africa, “he saw his commander was not only indulging in his usual lavish personal expenditure, but was also squandering extravagantly high pay upon his troops” (Plutarch 123). This display of wealth shows that Scipio possessed a vast amount of wealth to indulge himself while on campaign and it also shows that Rome was well funded as well, since it could pay the high salaries of the troops. If Rome was not in a position of vast wealth, censors would have noticed this incident of Scipio paying his troops high salaries. This though was apparently a non-issue until Cato accused Scipio of his lavish and corrupt lifestyle. In addition, during the Sack of Epirus, “so great was the booty that 400 denarii were appointed to each cavalryman and 200 to each foot soldier, and 150,000 human being were led away in slavery” (Reinhold 77). The financial gains that soldiers acquired during war most likely outweighed what they could produce during peace. Consequently, these soldiers were Roman citizens and the decision to wage war fell to the comitia, these men were likely to vote for war. Since the common soldiers as well as generals and commanders were increasing their

wealth from war, there seems to have been few reasons for these men to vote against war.
After the Second Punic War, Rome could justify war with more than just its survival, but now could justify war from an economic stance. While Roman xenophobia persisted as the primary reason of war, the benefits of war booty and indemnities were not overlooked. Progressively, Rome used war more as a method of earn wealth and to spread its influence. War became much more economic and political to Rome, contradicting their origins of a just war. The economic benefits that Rome reaped from its conflicts with Carthage, Macedon, Greece, and Syria, propelled it forward to become the dominant empire of the Mediterranean.