Similarities Between Rome And Rome

Carthage was founded around 813 BCE by the Phoenician Queen Elissa also known as Dido. Originally the city was called Kart-hadasht, but the Greeks called it Karchedon and then the Romans changed it to Carthago. The city started off as only a small port on the coast used for short stops, however over time Carthage became the most powerful city in the Mediterranean before the progression of Rome. After the fall of the Phoenician city of Tyre in 332 BCE, Carthage became the new center of Phoenician trade with a harbor made up of 220 docks in a semi-circle. The Carthaginians enslaved and demanded money from native africans in the area and grew the city in size. They also became very successful in trading. In less then one hundred years Carthage became the richest city in the Mediterranean.

The three Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage went on for over a century. The wars started in 264 B.C. and ended with the Romans destroying Carthage in 146 B.C. The conflict between the countries came from the clash of economic interests. The wars were the first big wars of Roman expansion outside Italy. Carthage had a big empire along the coast of North America, southern Spain, and a few parts of Sicily. The purpose of these wars was to decide which power would become the dominant force around the Mediterranean Sea. The first war was the beginning of the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean sea, and lasted more than twenty years. The second was

How did the ancient city of Carthage almost become Rome’s equal? Also, how was this state of the city at this time come about in the ancient world? Carthage being a port city and Rome also being so close to the Mediterranean, gave both cities great business and imperial opportunities. In fact, both cities flourished because of their geographical locations to a certain extent. These opportunities and the desire to obtain them would eventually lead the two cities into war and conflict.

Carthage became the wealthiest city in the region by 265 B.C. and possessed the leading naval power (Punic Wars). While some clashes erupted between Carthage and other powers in the area, the relations between the city and the Romans remained generally peaceful. However, the relationship changed in 264 B.C. when Rome intervened in a dispute between the cities of Syracuse and Messina on the island of Sicily (Punic Wars). Rome supported Messina, while Carthage sided with Syracuse. The interactions between Carthage, Rome, and the two cities led to a direct conflict between Rome and Carthage (Punic Wars).

During the early republic, the Roman state grew exponentially in both size and power. Though the Gauls sacked and burned Rome in 390 B.C., the Romans rebounded under the leadership of the military hero Camillus, eventually gaining control of the entire Italian peninsula by 264 B.C. Rome then fought a series of wars known as the Punic Wars with Carthage, a powerful city-state in northern Africa. The first two Punic Wars ended with Rome in full control of Sicily, the western Mediterranean and much of Spain. In the Third Punic War (149–146 B.C.), the Romans captured and destroyed the city of Carthage and sold its surviving inhabitants into slavery, making a section of northern Africa a Roman province. At the same time, Rome also spread its influence

Rome was a thriving and expanding republic that wanted to conquer the Western Mediterranean beginning with Sicily, however, Carthage, her archrival held a lot of power in those regions through trade and commerce. Carthage was also a large republic who posed a great threat to Rome’s expansion and desire to become a supreme Empire.

By bringing under its control the trading colonies of northern Africa and cities on the island of Sicily, Carthage established itself as a trading and commercial supremacist. Rome, on the other hand, conquered all of the continuous lands on the Italian peninsula and proved itself as a country of survivors and fearless fighters. Both countries were expanding areas of influence around their capitals, and this process led to a confrontation with each other in the first Punic War on the island of Sicily located right between these two rivals. THE STRENGTHS OF BOTH Because Carthage was established around 800 B.C. versus Rome in 753 B.C. it had almost fifty years more time to develop than did Rome.

Rome gained a brilliant General by the name of Publius Scipio Africanus, who who subdued Spain, and changed the Roman Strategies by attacking Carthage directly, thus forcing Hannibal (an offensive genius) to return to Africa and fight a defense war (Morey

Rome had to build a navy to be equal to Carthage in the First Punic war (B.C. 264-241). There was an event that Carthage was using the sea to make its business with other cities. Rome was not a naval power like Carthage. Rome did not have that access to the sea that would guarantee supremacy. That’s why the Romans decided not to surrender to the circumstances so they could pursue Carthage and make an impact on its sea business ventures. Carthage was the world’s first naval power, according to (Morey,1901) and Rome was its rival. Rome

Roman republic ascension to hegemony in Mediterranean sea, was basically as a result of war between Carthage and Rome, this was the first Punic war. This war can be likened to Peloponnesian war between Greeks and Athens which was due to rivalry between the two cities. The rivalry between Rome and Carthage had saw the two great cities, fortified with securities and rosy community get destroyed and many souls were lost as the after march of war. The first Punic war saw Rome became a strong naval power which was used in the combat against Carthaginians. Civilization and expansion of her kingdom was one area, where Carthage almost equal the Rome achievement. The Carthaginians were as successful as Romans as well captured a lot of neighboring

In the IXth century, the city of Carthage was founded by colonists from Tyre. In their language, the city name meant "New City". The city will be very successful and prosperous starting with VIth century. Carthaginian sailors will explore the coasts of Africa and Europe, reaching even the islands of Great Britain. Carthage will have colonies of its own in Sicily, Spain, Corsica, Sardinia, Baleares. In the IIIrd century BC, Carthage is the most powerful city of the Mediterranean from a commercial perspective.

According to Morey (1901), the city of Carthage was located on the northern coast of Africa. The city was the colony of Tyre and well known as a capital of great commercial empire. The Phoenicians from Tyre migrated and established the city of Carthage along with the native races of Africa the Lydians and the Numidians. Carthaginian government was one of the powerful empires of that era and even compared to Roman government. Carthaginian and Roman governments had many similarities however the command of the army was on the hand of permanent able leaders for Carthaginian whereas it was on the hand of constantly changing civil magistrates for Romans.

After the sustained struggle of the Romans against her great rival Carthage in the seventeen-year long series of battles both on the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa, Carthaginians, along with their greatest general Hannibal, were finally humbled by the military genius of Roman general Scipio Africanus. Thereafter the Roman republic achieved a dominant status in the western Mediterranean which she never exercised before.

Rome was pioneer in trade and they made allies with its neighboring countries as well as foreign countries. Carthage was originated from Africa and became powerhouse of trade and commerce. Leighton (1879) argued that Carthage growth its wealth from agriculture, trade, and commerce. According to Morey

Carthage was a Phoenician island founded 50 years before Rome. The fact it was founded before Rome, was one of their many advantages/strengths over Rome. Some other advantages were that they had Hannibal (247 BCE - 182 BCE), the Carthaginian general who was one of the greatest military leaders in history and helped them a lot in the Punic Wars. Another military advantage is that Carthage had a good navy. The Romans, were in a position to outfight the Carthaginians, although the Romans were not in a position to out-sail the Carthaginians, due to their good navy.