Interpreting the Defeat of the Achaean Sympolity by Rome Through a Defence Economics Perspective

This chapter explains, through a Defence Economics perspective, why the Achaean federal state finally failed to offer adequate resistance to Rome and forestall the latter’s eventual triumph. To achieve this, we compare the Achaean federal state to Rome by measuring their strength through state power equations such as those developed by R. Cline, and J. R. Rummel (consisting of intertemporal measurement variables). These equations are comprised by a series of variables that measure the economic and military strength, technological level, geographical location, demographics, the quality of human capital, the level of natural resources and wealth-producing assets, the sociopolitical characteristics prevailing in the two countries, the state of morale, the beliefs, will and commitment to goals, the quality of leadership and administrative structures, the alliances, other internal factors as well as the external environment. The chapter further provides a game-theoretical analysis attempting to evaluate the pros and cons of a decision faced by Achaean policymakers whether or not to resist Rome.