Final answer:
By 129 B.C., Rome had conquered the Mediterranean Sea through the wars with Carthage, known as the Punic Wars. Rome's victory resulted in territorial expansion, including Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and parts of Greece, establishing a dominance that secured its trade and military power.
Step-by-step explanation:
By 129 B.C., Rome had conquered the Mediterranean Sea through the wars with Carthage, known as the Punic Wars. These conflicts began with the struggle for control of Sicily and evolved into a much larger confrontation between the two powers.
The First Punic War saw innovative tactics like the corvus boarding device helping Rome to emerge victorious. The uneasy peace that followed was shattered by the Third Punic War, leading to Rome's brutal destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. and the establishment of Roman hegemony in the western Mediterranean.
As a result of these wars, Rome exerted its dominance not only over Carthage but also over the major islands of the Mediterranean, such as Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica, and further expanded into the Greek territories. The Mediterranean Sea essentially became a Roman lake, securing trade and military routes for the burgeoning Republic and laying the foundation for it to become an empire.