The imperial expansion of Rome or in simpler terms the development of the Roman Empire can be associated with the 2nd century BC. In a relatively short period of time, Rome expanded its territory immensely at a rapid pace. Although the victories in the Second Punic War satisfied Rome, they also motivated it to expand further into neighboring territories and eventually conquer Greece and the North African coast. The Roman Empire became colossal and unstoppable in the blink of an eye. Robin Waterfield's new translation of Plutarch's original work Roman Lives clarifies the reasons for this sudden need for growth. The need to increase common wealth, the lack of land available to the Roman citizen, the precaution of having foreign allies, and, above all, the constant need to be the most influential empire are among some of the reasons given by Plutarch. The lives of Cato the Elder, Aemilius Paulus, Tiberius, and Gaius Gracchus demonstrate specific instances of how these factors influenced Rome and caused it to expand its borders. All explanations are valid, however, if you look at the bigger picture it becomes clear that the prosperity of Roman society underlies them all. Many factors contribute to the success of a society and determine the supremacy of the entire empire. The most obvious of these factors is the common wealth of the population. This wealth is not simply calculated in monetary form but includes the amount of resources and military power possessed by an empire. Rome's never-ending need for increased wealth could have led to expansion. Since the territory was not rich in resources and the soil was not the best for agriculture, the expansion of the Roman border......middle of paper......only material wealth; gave Rome the status of dominant figure. It also instilled fear in neighboring empires, forcing them to strongly consider an alliance with Rome. Their success was largely due to the fact that they never underestimated the strength of the enemy, and this helped them conquer the land they fought for. All conquered land not only served its purpose for the citizens, but was also seen as a war trophy for Rome. These are just a few of the many hypotheses as to why Rome grew and spread so rapidly, but regardless of nation, location, or empire, the need to have authority over others remains the reason for all expansion. Works Cited Plutarch, Philip A. Stadter, and Robin Waterfield. "Cato the Elder, Aemilius Paulus, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus." Roman Lives: A selection of eight Roman Lives. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. 3-115. Press.