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Punic Wars Research Paper

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What kind of a war lasts century? Well, in ancient times a series of wars called the Punic Wars lasted approximately a century. The Punic Wars consisted of three parts: the First Punic War, the Second Punic War, and the Third Punic War. The wars and battles were between both Carthage and their allies versus Rome and their allies. The Punic wars were very important in shaping present-day society in both Carthage and Rome.
Believe it or not, Carthage and Rome started off as friends. The main reason they started fighting each other was because of a small island territory off the coast of Italy called Sicily. Despite Carthage's constant disputes with its neighboring regions, Carthage and Rome were historically friendly towards one another. Over the years, the two cities formed and signed treaties solidifying trading rights. Ultimately the First Punic war was launched in 264 B.C., when Rome got in the middle of a dispute on the Carthaginian controlled island of Sicily (Punic Wars)
Both cities, Rome and Carthage, wanted the island of Sicily for commercial purposes. "In 264 B.C. Cartlidge threaten to seize the Strait of Messina, A narrow …show more content…

The Romans and the Carthaginians had been at peace for nearly 50 years, but some members of the Roman Senate were convinced that Carthage was still a threat. The Romans were looking for a reason to start another war with the Carthaginians, and they gave them one on a silver platter. "In 149 B.C., after Carthage technically broke its treaty with Rome by declaring war against the neighboring state of Numidia, the Romans sent an army to North Africa, beginning the Third Punic War." (Punic Wars) Three years later the Romans burned Carthage to the ground, and sold the 50,000 remaining survivors into slavery. Scipio Aemilianus led the destruction, and he ended all of his speeches with "Carthago delenda eat", meaning Carthage must be destroyed. (World History Book page

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