First Punic War

There were three Punic or Carthaginian Wars is Roman history. These were between 264 and 146 BC. These wars were the first great wars of Roman expansion outside Italy. The enemy of Rome had a large empire that stretched along the coast of North America and southern Spain and some parts of Sicily. This empire was known as Carthage. The purpose of these wars was to decide which power would become the dominant force around the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome and Carthage shared many aspects when the two first clash. Carthage had two chief magistrates referred to as Suffetes, which compared to the political power of the Roman consuls, a council of elders named the “hundred,” which was similar to the Roman senate, and there was a Carthaginian assembly, the consistency resembled the Roman comitia (Morey, 1901). This is where the similarities end for Carthaginian, ruled by a few wealthy families, the Carthaginians did not integrate their subjects into the state, and they did not have the great loyalty of its citizens that Rome enjoyed. By placing its army under the command of a single permanent leader, Carthage created an overwhelming advantage to Rome, which had its armies controlled by the ever-changing civil magistrates and consuls (Morey, 1901).

The Romans won the Second Punic war for a variety of reasons. These included the role and strategy of the Roman Senate and the failure of the Carthaginian government to support Hannibal. Rome’s strong control of the sea as well as Carthage's failure to rebuild their navy contributed greatly. The actions of Fabius Maximus and Scipio Africanus brought about the decline of Hannibal's momentum in Italy and his final defeat. Thus, there was no single reason as to why Rome were victorious against Carthage.

The first Punic war started as the Romans moved over the sea and marched on Sicily to gain lands there. The war began 264 BCE and finished 241 BCE. There were a lot of battles especially with the Battle of Agrigentum being a massive learning curve for the Carthage army as it was routed by the Romans.

From 264 BC to 146 BC, a series of wars broke out between Carthage and Rome. These wars were probably the largest that had ever taken place in this time period, and were called The Punic Wars. The reason for the conflict was the existing Carthaginian Empire and expanding Roman Republic came into contact with one another. During this time new strategic weapons and plans were being used. The Romans successfully defeated the Carthaginians with a wide use of tactics and sophisticated weapons.

This exhausting conflict was, according to Caven, a ‘contest in three rounds’ in which the Romans fought first for control of Sicily, then for the leadership of the western Mediterranean and finally to determine the survival or extinction of Carthage.

Carthage and Rome were at their best times when they engaged in war. They both had rich empires that controlled vast territories. Rome had an excellent political organization and large armies with loyal soldiers that fought til death. Carthage was financially strong to maintain its armies and its navy. Carthage had brilliant army leaders that would control many towns around the Mediterranean that benefited her in commerce. The Punic wars brought sorrow and pain to Rome but also helped Rome to become a naval power without planing for

This war between the Romans and their most powerful enemies, the Carthaginians, incurred devastating losses on both sides, with the Romans eventually rising to victory. Following their victory, the Roman Republic was almost geographically unrecognisable and had been moulded by the Second Punic War into the “super-powered Empire of the Mediterranean” (UNRV History, Results of the Second Punic War, 2015).

The Punic Wars consisted of three major wars. It involved a conflict that was fought between ancient Carthage and Rome. All three Punic Wars that were fought were between the same two forces, which were Carthage and Rome. It took place almost over nearly a century ago. The Punic War began in 264 BC and it ended in 146 BC with some destruction of Carthage. The word Punic came from the word Phoenician, and the reason the Punic War broke out was because Rome interfered in a dispute on the island of Sicily that was controlled by the Carthaginians. Sicily is an island that is located in the Mediterranean.

The Punic Wars, a century-long conflict between Rome and Carthage started in 264 B.C. and continued until 146 B.C. when Carthage gets destroyed. Carthage, a Phoenician colony, came to be a superpower of the Mediterranean and posed a threat to the Romans. The First Punic War focuses on gaining control over the islands of Sicily and Corsica. The two powerful countries entered into a dispute between the Sicilian cities of Messana and Syracuse and established their presence on the island. Neither superpower would quickly hand over Sicily, so this local conflict transformed into a 23-year war that concluded with Rome gaining the advantage at sea forcing Carthage to admit defeat. Rome did not quit after gaining control over Sicily; they eventually forced the Carthaginians to surrender Sardinia. After their defeat in the First Punic War, Carthage started to harvest hatred for the Romans and this hostility for Rome would lead to General Hannibal, the leader of the Punic forces, to begin a campaign of vengeance. Hannibal marched his troops across the Alps in the most treacherous conditions in order to conduct a surprise attack on the Romans and invade Italy, which would be a starting factor of the Second Punic War in 218 B.C. The Carthaginians swept through the Romans in Ticinus, Trebia, and Lake Trasimene and Hannibal’s reputation grew as did his army. At this point in the war, he dictated the rules. This chain of events led to the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C. (History.com, 2009).

War breaks out in 218 BC and Hannibal sets off with his army to army invade Italy. The Second Punic War was from 218-201 BC. Hannibal was very successful in his invasion. His goal was to defeat Roam and get it’s allies to join him, he repeatedly defeats Romans and destroys the Roman army at Cannae. During the mist of Hannibal’s rain of terror against Rome they started to form allies in Africa with the the rulers of Numidia.

Rome and Rome came to aid. The fear of a powerful neighbor was only one out

The first Punic War ended when Rome upgraded its sea vessels to march the highly sophisticated vessels of the Carthaginians. With the superior army of Rome effectively trained and translated to sailors, the Romans effectively defeated the naval power of the Carthaginians and become the new naval power while acquiring the Island of Sicily as a province of Rome (Morey, 1901).

Carthage and Rome originally cooperated but fell out over control of Sicily. Rome won this conflict. The rivalry for control of the Western Mediterranean continued into a rush until Rome became one of the great world powers after its winning of the struggle. Hence Carthage and Rome became enemies when they fought over the control over Sicily in the First Punic war (264-241 BC). Carthage had territories in western Sicily. In eastern Rome and Carthage fought each other in the First, Second and Third Punic Wars (264-241 BC, 218-201 BC and 149-146 BC).

Indeed, the conflict between the two nations of Rome and Carthage was unavoidable. The ever-growing Roman Empire’s territory expanded far too close to Carthaginian’ borders for comfort, and with such contrasting lifestyle, customs and morality, along with the desire to claim and conquer the same territory, peace was simply out of the question. The peace truce signed in 241 B.C. after the first Punic War was short-lived. When Rome declared war upon Carthaginian territory in the Mediterranean Sea in the year 218 B.C., Carthage sent their best military man, Hannibal, to lead a third of Carthage’s military through Spain and the Alps, and into Roman territory in Italy. Hannibal’s military genius and strategy was outstandingly better than any opponent he faced. He began his conquest superbly, first by forcing the first Roman troops he encountered, led by experienced Roman generals, to fight at a river crossing, surrounded on all sides by determined Carthaginian warriors. The next major victory Hannibal won was several months later when Hannibal ambushed a force of more than two legions and killed their leader, who was one of the Consuls of Rome. Hannibal went on, winning battle after battle, gaining allies, and weakening the Roman Empire, until it looked as if nothing could stop the Carthaginians from conquering the once-impenetrable Rome.