What Are The Similarities Between Rome And Carthaginia

After 650 b.c., they expanded into north-central Italy and came to control Rome and most of Latium. The Etruscans found Rome a village but launched a building program that turned it into a city. The Romans borrowed ideas from the Etruscans, such as Etruscan dress—the toga and short cloak. The Roman army also borrowed its organization from the Etruscans. After their conquest of Italy, the Romans found themselves face to face with a strong power in the Mediterranean—the state of Carthage. The Phoenicians had founded Carthage around 800 b.c. on the coast of North Africa. By the third century b.c., Carthage had an enormous trading empire in the western Mediterranean, including the coast of northern Africa, southern Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and western Sicily. With its control of western Mediterranean trade, Carthage was the largest and richest state in the

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 Punic Wars were a series of conflicts between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean. They are called the Punic Wars because the word “Punic” is derived from the Roman word for Phoenician, in reference to the Carthaginians’ ancestry. Carthage was founded by settlers from Phoenicia on the fertile land of North Africa. The Phoenicians were known as brave and skillful sailors and merchants. By the third century BC, Carthage became a substantially strong power of the Western Mediterranean. It was considered the richest city in the world. All maritime trade between East and West Mediterranean went through it. Hundreds of ships transported goods from all over the world. The city, built up with tall buildings, had 700 thousand inhabitants. The Greek colonies in Sicily and Southern Italy were the only serious competition to Carthage. There was a continuous struggle between them for the possession of the island for 100 years, since the end of the fifth century BC. Four times the Carthaginians conquered the island. However, they could not take the city of Syracuse.

In the early 3rd century B.C., Rome and Carthage were expanding their empires and met at the city of Sicily. At the time the Roman military consisted of well regulated infantry and cavalry, but hardly any naval forces ready for combat. The Carthaginian military was the opposite.

After these events the Carthaginian Empire decided to use their Navy as one of the strategies to win the war. What they didn’t know is that the Romans had built many ships and armed them with a

In 146 B.C.E. the Roman Republic marched on the city of Corinth, the most powerful and wealthiest city state at the time of the attack. The Romans easily conquered Corinth and established themselves as one of the most dominant forces the Mediterranean world had ever seen. The Romans were not finished yet, they gained control over the entire Mediterranean world, most of Western Europe, and many of the Asian territories taken over by Alexander the great. The Romans had great military institutions, powerful political views, the smarts, and learned many lessons on how to rule the large areas around them. The Romans expanded so greatly during the period of 300-50 B.C.E. because of the pure drive, and how badly they wanted to expand.

All in a word, a more disciplined army and a stronger sense of honor and belongings of Romans made them competitive and advantageous than the Carthaginians so that the Romans can build a powerful empire in the core area of Europe that almost contains the whole Mediterranean.

Hostilities eventually broke out between these two powers, but Rome had one problem. They were not good seafarers and did not have a navy that could match that of the Carthaginians. However based on some Greek triremes that the Romans some how had they built replicas with bridges on them so that Romans could more easily board other ships. The Romans quickly built a navy that could rival that of Carthage within a few years based on this model. This once again showcases Roman innovation, because not only could they quickly borrow technology from their neighbors, but they could also improve upon it. This allowed them to win the First Punic War. The rivalry between these two powers would not end until the destruction of Carthage during the Third Punic

In 266 Carthage signed a treaty with Rome agreeing not to interfere with matters north of the River Ebro. This agreement didn't cause any problems to either side at this point as Carthage's Spanish lines were much further south, while Rome was not involved in Spain at all at this point. This implies that Rome felt she had the right to intervene in Carthage's affairs even at a distance, something that was bound to annoy the Carthaginians.

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).

It can be said that the two cities almost equaled regarding power and resources because Carthage had greater wealth, but Rome had a better organization. Carthage had a more powerful navy, but Rome had a more efficient army. Carthage had more brilliant leaders,

When trading expanded into the Mediterranean, trading became more successful because there were more valuable trading goods and more people to trade amongst. Carthage, a large city with a large population of different types of people, had authority over the middle section of the Mediterranean. Carthage, ruled over part of the empire indirectly, while other communities were left to be independent on their own. Greek and Roman writers were captivated by the beliefs and sacrifices of the

the strongest of the two in this field. This superiority was met by a large scale Roman construction of the navel fleet after their land forces captured one of the Carthaginian ships. Soon this was reflected in the fightings, and in 256 Carthage was besieged, but the Romans were defeated. Then for some years Carthage was the most successful who was commanded by Hamilcar. However, at the battle at the Aegates Islands in 241, the Carthaginians were beaten so badly that they requested peace. This agreement involved leaving

I do not believe that the Romans viewed the Carthaginians as most similar to themselves. Rome and Carthage differed in many ways including socially, politically, religiously, and militarily, both however were powers to be reckoned with leading up to the Punic Wars. The government of Carthage was nearly identical being composed of a King (Oligarchy), Senate, and power of the people, the one major difference I believe is the fact that Rome was on the rise while Carthage was in some ways an old, or falling apart country. As Polybius stated in a prior reading, the nature of every government goes through three successive periods, one of growth, one of perfection, and one of decay. Carthage was founded nearly 250 years before Rome and had expanded

Carthage and Rome were nations that were both well known for the power and strength, as well as impressiveness, of its nations. Carthage was a strong nation whose power was mighty, and start was shrouded in mystery. “The origin of Carthage, like that of Rome, is almost lost in the clouds of tradition. An old story tells us how Queen Dido was driven from Tyre and landed in Africa, as Aeneas did in Italy, with a band of fugitives. It is said that Dido purchased from the African princes as much land as an oxhide would cover; and cunningly cut the hide into thin strips and encircled enough land, upon which to found a city.”