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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 8 page paper traces the problems that developed as the Empire expanded, specifically in regard to land, and argues that these difficulties led to civil war, and to a government so corrupt that it brought about the collapse of the Republic. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVRomRep.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
years. This paper discusses the Roman Republic and the struggles that took place within it, and argues that the land problem of the time was of such magnitude, and the
government so corrupt, that the Republics downfall was inevitable. Discussion The "land problem" that Rome faced in the late Republic was a by-product of its expansion and of the wars
that were fought during this period (Forsythe, 2002). In the Late Republic period, 133-30 B.C., Romes frontiers "reached the Euphrates and the Rhine" but it failed to face the problems
that came with its great expansion (Forsythe, 2002). One of the biggest problems was the "decline in the number of small landowner, whose spirit had made Rome great" (Forsythe, 2002).
The landowners were frequently conscripted for military service, had seen their homes destroyed when Hannibal marched on the city, and found that they could not compete with the low prices
the new province of Sicily was charging for its grain (Forsythe, 2002). Disgruntled and with nowhere to turn, these small farmers sold their lands and moved to Rome, where they
"joined the unemployed, discontented proletariat, so-called because their only contribution was proles, children" (Forsythe, 2002). It is logical to assume that these "disgruntled" farmer expected at least some sort of
assistance from the government. Another problem involving the land was the fact that aristocrats were buying up large tracts and turning them into slave plantations where they produced "olive oil
and wine, or ... sheep and cattle" (Forsythe, 2002). These efforts were profitable because a large number of slaves to work these plantations, called "latifundia," were available from conquered territories
(Forsythe, 2002). Again it doesnt require a great leap to speculate that the former small landowners were resentful of the privilege extended to these wealthy aristocrats while they lost their
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