Why didn t Rome just Expand more East

If an ancient Scythian soldier brought the head of an enemy to his king, he was rewarded with a share of the battle's booty. More heads equaled more gold. Unsurprisingly, this was a fantastic incentive for the fierce Scythian warriors to wreak carnage on the battlefield. Armed with bows on horseback, the Scythians were deadly in battle and were often hired as mercenaries by foreign armies. Could this be why the Romans never conquered Scythia? While it may not be the only reason, the Scythian soldier's reputation no doubt had Roman emperors thinking twice about launching an invasion. In its heyday, the Romans had the most formidable army the world had ever seen. Not only was it brilliantly equipped and trained, but the Romans were able to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers into one battle if needed. Civilizations collapsed and the Romans marched in. At its height, there were anywhere between 60 and 80 million people in the Roman Empire. Greece, Egypt, Spain, North Africa, and Britain were all overpowered, and still Rome was looking to expand. As for the Scythians, they were a nomadic race of warriors, whose empire spanned from Eastern Europe across to Central Asia. If the Romans had conquered the Scythians, they stood to seize a vast area of Eurasia that stretched as far as 4,000 kilometers wide. While it's possible that an invasion was considered at some point, there were several key factors that made Roman leaders reconsider embarking on a large-scale Scythian invasion. These included geographical, strategic, and military concerns, which all added up to Rome's deciding to pass on conquering the Scythians. This video is sponsored by Triple10. You know, an unloved job can really harm our physical or mental health. Many of us want to find a better job to increase our income or work from anywhere in the world. Triple10 will help you get there by jumping into the tech industry. How? 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Make sure to click my link in the description to get a 30% off, valid on all their programs. The Scythian Empire was at its peak from roughly 670 to 350 BC. During this time, the Scythians ruled over a massive stretch of land that included modern-day Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iran. The empire was mostly centered around what is now Crimea, but because they were a nomadic people, areas of settlement varied sporadically. The Scythians are believed to be of Iranian origin and were well-known by a wide range of civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans, Assyrians, Persians, and even Chinese. Herodotus, the Greek historian, wrote of the Scythians originally coming from Central Asia. He reasoned that they were most likely forced to move west toward warmer climates and better lands to settle on. In the early 7th century BC, King Aes Pacaios led the Scythians to overthrow the Assyrian ruler, Asarhaddon. This was no mean feat, as at the time the Assyrians were one of the most powerful states in the ancient east. From here, the Scythians took control of Palestinian Syria before heading into the Caucasus region, where they ran into the Cimmerian people. The Caucasus mountains and plains north of the North Sea had long been home of the Cimmerians, and they formed an initial alliance with the Scythians. The two armies combined to fight the Assyrians again with further success. Because of lightning-quick attacks on horseback, the Scythians were an incredibly difficult foe, and the Assyrians soon found themselves out of their depth. Scythians were not only highly skilled horsemen, but were adept archers and swordsmen. This coupled with their hit-and-run strategies proved to be too much for the stunned Assyrians. The Scythians demanded the Assyrians agree to peace, which they did, with one proviso that the daughter of an Assyrian leader marry the king of the Scythians. Peace was made, and the Assyrians and Scythians became allies. This inevitably led to the Scythians going to war against their former allies, the Cimmerians, who were settled throughout much of Asia Minor. The Cimmerians were forced to defend their land against the ruthless Scythian warriors, and were eventually defeated. After a 30-year period of The Scythians eventually expelled the Cimmerians. This left the Scythians in control of the Pontic Steppe, which was a massive expanse of plains and grasslands. The Pontic Steppe included modern-day Bulgaria, southeast Romania and Moldova, southern Ukraine, and then east through to Russia and into northwest Kazakhstan. The Scythian Empire also controlled the northern regions of the North and Caspian Seas. From here, the Scythians were able to launch wave after wave of attacks against neighboring and faraway targets. In the 6th and 5th centuries BC, they rode into modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, and Poland, slaughtering anyone who stood in their way, and seizing up anything that took their fancy. Scythian soldiers were particularly skilled at hit-and-run tactics, which generally involved them launching sudden surprise attacks on horseback, often from all directions and after dark. After wielding as much damage as they could, the Scythian soldiers would then gallop away, leaving their enemies wondering what on earth had hit them. While the Scythians were busy expanding their empire, Rome was just starting to grow. In 723 BC, the city of Rome was formed on the Tiber River. At the time, the Italian peninsula was ruled by an ancient civilization called the Etruscans. However, the citizens of Rome wanted to break free and form a republic. They rallied and fought the Etruscans over the best part of a century before finally overthrowing their rulers in 509 BC. The Roman Republic was born, and it was hungry to expand. From here, the Romans began conquering the remainder of the Italian peninsula, always with an eye to keep accumulating new territories. It was around this time that the Scythians were at their mightiest. In 513 BC, they recorded arguably their biggest triumph when they defeated the mighty Persian army led by King Darius. Darius had come to the He didn't wait around, and soon pushed to the south, snapping up Egypt, northwestern India, and a chunk of northern Central Asia. Still not satisfied, Darius set his sights on the Scythian kingdom, something that his advisors quickly warned him against doing. They pointed out that the Scythians were not only a tough and savage race, but they knew the steppe landscape like the back of their hands. It would be foolhardy to risk an invasion, but Darius disagreed and assembled a colossal force of invaders. Instead of immediately engaging the masses of Persians, the Scythians employed a tactic of continual withdrawal. This led the infuriated Persians deeper and deeper into Scythian territory, and further and further from their supply lines. Darius soon realized there were no towns to conquer in Scythia, as the nomadic people preferred temporary settlements. When his troops were then subjugated to the sudden and brutal surprise attacks, morale began to plummet. As good as the Persians were, they were fighting on Scythian lands, lands ideal for fast, mobile raids on horseback. They were none better in the world at this than the Scythians. Frustrated, starving, and humiliated, Darius retreated, handing the Scythians their biggest victory. By the 4th century BC, they had evolved into a diverse mix of people that included the Pontic Scythians, the Royal Scyths, the Saka, and the Masajetai. They used the vast plains of the Pontic steppe to harvest wheat, which they then sold to foreign clients in Greece, Persia, and Europe. The defeats of larger armies such as the Persians had given the Scythians such a mighty reputation that they were often recruited and paid handsomely to fight with and train foreign armies, such as the Athenian military. As is the case though, one power is inevitably overthrown by a hungrier up-and-comer. In the late 4th century BC, the Sarmatians were starting to make their presence known in Central Asia and Asia Minor. The Sarmatians had a lot in common with the Scythians. Both had Iranian heritage, both originated from around Central Asia, and both were nomadic warrior civilizations. In 310 BC, the Sarmatians defeated the Scythians at the Battle of the River Thaddeus. The defeat resulted in the Scythians losing a lot of territory, and from there on, they were largely confined to the Crimea peninsula. Back in Rome in the mid 3rd century BC, the Romans embarked on their first overseas campaign. The First Punic War between Rome and Carthage broke out. Carthage was basically where modern day North Africa is. When the Romans overpowered Carthage in 241 BC, it signaled the beginning of what was to become one of the biggest expansions of an empire in history. It was at this stage that the Romans had their best chance to invade Scythia. The Scythians were losing their grip on their kingdom, and had suffered a big loss to the Sarmatians not too long ago. But several factors came into play, which likely prevented such an invasion. First of all, the Scythian reputation on the battlefield. Even though they'd recently been defeated by the Sarmatians, the Scythians were still widely regarded as the best horseback warriors in the world. Even the best drilled and equipped cavalries were nervous at the thought of going into battle with the experienced Scythians. Many were also no doubt only too aware of the rumor that the Scythians behead their victims in exchange for reward. Another reason for the Romans opting not to invade Scythia was what they would actually be gaining. The Scythian empire might have been vast, but a large part of it was also a steppe. The major difference between a plain and a steppe is that steppes tend to be treeless. This is ideal for nomadic tribes raising and breeding livestock, which is what the Romans were not. The Eurasian steppe wasn't exactly conductive to establishing thriving settlements and farms, which is what the Romans were after. The arid climate, treeless plains, and thousands of kilometers of dry grasslands would have made an uninviting territory to conquer. Who would want to live there, and what would they grow besides wheat? King Darius of Persia discovered this to his detriment, bemoaning the fact that water and forests were hard to come by. Another disadvantage of acquiring Scythia's lands was that most of it was landlocked. The Romans were looking to expand their wealth, and that meant access to major waterways and ports. If the thought of taking on a ferocious army of horsemen to lay claim to grasslands wasn't much of an incentive, the Romans had a lot more to worry about. Just before 200 BC, Germanic tribes had begun moving down aggressively from Scandinavia. They were looking to both snap up any land they fancied, as well as go to war with anyone brave enough to challenge them. Although the real Germanic threat didn't fully appear until around the year 200 AD, the Romans would have no doubt been bracing themselves for the inevitable confrontation. This meant the timing was off for what would have had to be a full-scale invasion of Scythia. It wasn't worth throwing away so many resources at a region that had little to offer in terms of potential wealth. While the Scythians most certainly still had plenty of wealth in terms of gold and silver stashes, the kingdom itself had little to do with Rome's grand plans. The lusher fields and forests of Europe and the strategic benefits of Egypt held far more appeal for Rome. The Romans instead concentrated on conquering the surrounding territories. They took Greece in 146 BC, and then Caesar marched into Gaul in 58 BC. When Augustus overthrew Cleopatra to claim Egypt in 30 BC, the Roman Empire was very much starting to consolidate. By the year 117 AD, the Roman Empire spanned three continents, including much of Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. While there had been a small window to conquer Scythia, the Romans really had no need. They had bigger plans.