Rome's stunning rise to mastery of the ancient Mediterranean Nathan Rosenstein charts Rome's incredible journey and command of the Mediterranean over the course of the third and second centuries BC. He describes the Republic's great wars - against Pyrrhus, Carthage and Hannibal, and the kings of Macedon and Syria - as well as its subjugation of Gallic northern Italy and Spain. This book reveals why and shows how Rome engaged in war so frequently; it highlights the secret of Rome's extraordinary military success and the significant impact on both Italy and Rome.