Rome became a major naval power when it began to expand its territory beyond Italy. Since the Romans preferred fighting on land to battles at sea, the Roman navy never became as important as the army. However, Rome used its fleets to transport troops, support land campaigns, and protect its ports. The navy also protected trade by fighting piracy. During the first 200 years of the Roman Empire, Roman naval power kept the Mediterranean Sea virtually free of pirates.
Rome built its first large navy during the Punic Wars against Carthage in the 200s and 100s B.C. Despite disasters resulting from the inexperience of its sailors, the Roman navy performed well against Carthage, partly because Rome built more and larger ships than its rival. The Romans preferred heavy ships equipped with bridges that allowed Roman troops to board Carthaginian vessels, where they fought as they did on land.
After the Punic Wars, the Roman navy declined in strength and importance. Rome relied instead on the ships of its Greek allies for naval operations. As a result, piracy increased dramatically. By the first century B.C., pirates roamed the Mediterranean Sea unchecked. They raided trading vessels, attacked ports and coastal communities, and even went ashore to kidnap wealthy Romans and hold them for ransom.
When the pirates of the Mediterranean threatened the empire’s food supply, Rome decided to take action. In 67 B.C., the Roman Senate appointed Pompey commander of a large operation against the pirates, and he received almost unlimited authority. Pompey raised a massive fleet by seizing the naval forces of Rhodes and other smaller states. His forces attacked all the pirate strongholds in the Mediterranean at the same time, while Pompey himself led a fleet that forced pirate ships from west to east. His successful three-month campaign ended when he attacked the main pirate headquarters at Cilicia on the coast of Asia Minor and forced the last pirates to surrender.
During the civil wars of the late Roman Republic*, the Roman fleets were revived. Sextus Pompeius, the son of Pompey, used his fleets in an attempt to gain control of the Roman world, but Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) defeated him at sea. Octavian’s victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. marked the end of the civil wars and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Because of the role of the navy in the civil wars, and especially at the Battle of Actium, the emperor Augustus understood the importance of naval power. He moved quickly to establish permanent fleets. Two major fleets— one based at Ravenna on Italy’s east coast and one based at Misenum (near present-day Naples)—guarded the coasts of Italy. Augustus also stationed a fleet at Alexandria in Egypt. Later Roman emperors maintained fleets in North Africa, Britain, on the Rhine and Danube rivers, and on the Black Sea. These fleets prevented pirates from returning until the A.D. 200s. In the A.D. 300s, the emperor Constantine divided the fleets into smaller squadrons but by this time Rome’s fleets were declining, and Roman naval power eventually disappeared. (See also Armies, Roman; Civil Wars, Roman; Economy, Roman; Naval Power, Greek; Ships and Shipbuilding; Trade, Roman; Wars and Warfare, Roman.)
* Roman Republic Rome during the period from 509 B.C. to 31 B.C., when popular assemblies annually elected their governmental officials
CAESAR’S REVENGE
When the young Julius Caesar sailed for Rhodes to study law, a gang of pirates captured him and held him for ransom. The pirates were amused by the young man's arrogance. When they set the ransom price at 20 talents—a huge amount of money—Caesar told them he was worth at least 50 talents. He even had the audacity to onder the pirates to keep quiet while he took his afternoon nap. The pirates were especially amused when Caesar promised to return after his release and crucify them all.
Caesar, however, was true to his word. After the ransom was paid, he hired a fleet in nearby Miletus. He then returned and crucified every pirate he found.