Maintaining the empire put a strain on Rome, with its generals ambitiously seeking new lands to conquer and plunder, in their quest for glory. One such figure was Julius Caesar, who conquered lands further north, defeating the Celts in what is now France. The rest of the North African territory would fall under the rule of Rome, giving the empire the greatest control over the western Mediterranean. Even with significant control of the territory, the Romans were not satisfied with control of the territory near them. They believed that the farthest land might contain riches that would make them even richer. The more powerful and rich they became, the more they could expand the Roman Empire. Many of the conquered nations benefited from the Roman lifestyle imposed on them. Western Europe found itself with the technologies of public baths, roads and water supplies, which fell into disuse after the retreat of the Romans.