Punic War
1st: 23 years
2nd: 17 years
3rd: 3 years
Rome let Carthage pay actual money
Burnt Carthage for 17 days
Plebeians changed a lot after Punic War
Economic change, social upheaval
Slaves poured to Italy
In the end of 2nd century BCE: over million slaves
↑ good for aristocrats but not good for middle class and farmers
Farmers hard work because men were fighting wars → no one run things
Cannot pay the debts → lost farms to aristocrats for the money they owed
→ no land for living
→ find jobs (no jobs because slaves worked for free)
Big farms became massive estates called latifundia
Poor plebs: how to make them happy
Hopes for 2 things: bread and circuses
Bread: free grain from state
Circuses: entertainment (Circus Maximus, Colosseum)
Keep them alive and quiet
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