Because of the Roman territory had much increased
there arose the question for the administration. There were
appointed two pretors more (the hightest duty after the consul) to
administrate the first provinces Sicily/Sardinia and Corsica. Both
pretors were sent with a military unit over which they had the
authority to Sicily. But like all consuls and pretors of the empire
they had to obey the orders of the senate.
Caused of plundering of Illyric pirates began in 229 BC
the first Illyric war. Rome sent a fleet with 200 ships to defeat
them and due to this thrust the Romans conquered some territories
near the coast of today´s Ex-Yugoslavia.
But the bigges danger were still the Gauls which still
had their settlements in North Rome. In any way Rome wanted to get
rid of this problem. The fear after the Gallic assault was still in
them and they didn´t know what to do. But then the Gauls
brought it to the head by starting an attack against the Romans.
After that the two consuls convoked their armies to line up against
the Gauls. The Gauls were strong but they weren´t a worthy
opponent to the Romans. As the result of that North Italy has been
cleared from the Gauls, they got slaughtered and expeled. But
meanwhile this terrible military atrocities the Roman art developed
further. Above all the field of writing began to show considerably
changes. More and more Roman civils and slaves spoke Greek and
importand Greek texts were translated into the Latin, for example
the "odyssey" from Homer. The philosopher Naevius created the Latin
comedy. But soon should this artistic side of the empire get
overshadowed from the war harm.
Hamilkar, a Cartagian general could expand the
possession of Spain it´s homeland and came finally to the
lake Ebro what lies in the north-east of the country, also near at
hand to the Roman border. After Hamilkar had handed off the
leadership of the army to Hasdrubal the Romans sent a legation to
negotiate with them to Cartago Nova, a town what the Cartagian had
established on Spanish ground. Knowing of their military
inferiority Hasdrubal agreed to the contract what the Romans had
prepared. It prescribed that no armed Cartagian force must not
cross over the Ebro. Hasdrubal tried hard to hold the contract and
to provocate not Rome. But the Romans made an alliance with
Saguntum, a town southern from the Ebro.
Suddenly changed the situation when Hamilkar´s
son Hannibal took the supreme command in Spain in 221 BC after the
assassination of his father. The 25 years old Hannibal was superior
to his predecessor´s military talent and gave the Spanish
politic soon new impulses. This would be the prelude to the
conquest of the remainig Spain. When the Romans heard from this
happening they sent a legation again to realize Hannibal that he
has to respect the integrity of Saguntum. Hannibal understood
immediately the range of the Roman order. An establishment of the
Romans in Saguntum would widen the influence wide over the Ebro to
the south and threaten their own position in Middle Spain from the
flank. And he asked if this would be the last direct of Rome. So he
turned down brusque the Roman order, and when Rome once again sent
a legation to New Cartago the answer was courtly but not binding.
Hannibal had free hand.
In the following spring started the attack on Saguntum
and Rome wasnt´t turning a hair. They sent not even troops to
Saguntum´s support because they had enough problems with the
Gauls which they wanted to expel totally from North Italy. But how
they should have known what ideas Hannibal had in this time. He
marched further to the Ebro and when this message arrives Rome they
declared the Cartagians the war.