By the late 2nd century BCE, following its victories in the Punic Wars (264–146 BCE), the Roman Republic had become the dominant power in the Mediterranean world. Roman authority extended from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to Greece, the Aegean, and western Asia Minor, transforming a city-state republic into a far-reaching imperial system. This expansion was driven by sustained military campaigns, the creation of overseas provinces, and the growing influence of Roman elites whose power increasingly rested on conquest, wealth extraction, and control of trade routes.
Yet Rome’s supremacy masked growing instability. In Asia Minor, Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus (reign c. 120–63 BCE) emerged as the most serious challenger to Roman dominance, uniting regional opposition and exploiting local resentment toward Roman taxation and administration. Simultaneously, Mediterranean piracy expanded dramatically, with pirate networks forming semi-autonomous power structures that disrupted commerce and exposed the limits of Roman naval control. These pressures revealed the vulnerabilities of Rome’s overstretched republican system and set the stage for the Mithridatic Wars (88–63 BCE), a series of conflicts that would reshape Roman foreign policy, accelerate internal political crises, and mark a decisive step toward the end of the Republic.
Special thanks to Joel Bellviure for sharing his knowledge and critical input.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2024, February 13). Map of the Roman Republic on the eve of the Mithridatic Wars. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18467/map-of-the-roman-republic-on-the-eve-of-the-mithri/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Roman Republic on the eve of the Mithridatic Wars." World History Encyclopedia, February 13, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18467/map-of-the-roman-republic-on-the-eve-of-the-mithri/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Roman Republic on the eve of the Mithridatic Wars." World History Encyclopedia, 13 Feb 2024, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18467/map-of-the-roman-republic-on-the-eve-of-the-mithri/.
