Date of Award

5-1-2002

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Dr. Charles King

Second Advisor

Dr. Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman

Abstract

In the early second century BC, Rome built an empire that encompassed the Western Mediterranean basin and most of the Italic Peninsula. The necessity of using manpower provided by Italian treaties, the desire for economic gain, the differing treatment of Eastern and Western peoples, and especially, the political competition among the nobiles all created the Roman imperialistic war-machine. Growth had its consequences, though, as the Hannibalic War diminished the number of qualified generals, which allowed younger men to assume command of the legions. These circumstances allowed Titus Quinctius Flamininus to rise swiftly through the ranks of Roman Republican politics and develop a highly successful career by exploiting the elements of Roman imperialism. As Rome entered into a new stage of imperialistic development, Flamininus took advantage of the new situation, as Scipio had before him, to create a successful career. In accordance with standard cultural practices, Flamininus unerringly pursued auctoritas and personal benefit from the outset of his career. Throughout the Second Macedonian and Spartan Wars he manipulated military and political scenarios to retain his command and settle those conflicts before another ambitious Roman could steal his glory. Following his martial exploits, Flamininus continued to compete for political preeminence through his diplomatic work in Greece prior to the Syrian War. After serving as censor, however, Flamininus wisely curtailed his political activity to prevent himself from being the object of jealous rivals. Titus Quinctius Flamininus stands as a notable figure in Roman imperialistic history, whose involvement in Greece helped to continue the expansion of the fledgling empire. His actions in the East have been interpreted as being motivated by philhellenism and duty to allies among other reasons, but Flamininus found his motivation from the desire to effectively compete and succeed within the politico-cultural setting of the middle Republic.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the Department of History and the Faculty of the Graduate College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 2002 Jeffrey S. Volcheck

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