The Punic Wars:
1st Punic War:
This war started as the Romans moved over the sea and marched on Sicily to gain lands there. The war ran between 264 BC and 241 BC. The initial battles were on land with the Battle of Agrigentum being a massive learning curve for the Carthage army as it was routed by the Romans.
After this the Carthaginian Empire decided to use their Navy, which ruled the seas, as a means of winning the war. What they didn’t know is that the Romans had built many ships and armed them with a new invention that was pretty much a pivotal bridge thrown across ships for legion soldiers to march across and do battle. This new invention was a huge success and the Roman Navy, while suffering some losses, was able to beat the Carthage Navy overall.
The outcome of the First Punic War was a resounding victory to Rome and the Carthage leadership signing a peace treaty advising as such.
After this the Carthaginian Empire decided to use their Navy, which ruled the seas, as a means of winning the war. What they didn’t know is that the Romans had built many ships and armed them with a new invention that was pretty much a pivotal bridge thrown across ships for legion soldiers to march across and do battle. This new invention was a huge success and the Roman Navy, while suffering some losses, was able to beat the Carthage Navy overall.
The outcome of the First Punic War was a resounding victory to Rome and the Carthage leadership signing a peace treaty advising as such.
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War happened between 218 BC and 201 BC. While this war was a lot shorter than the First Punic War, it is most well known for the Carthage leader Hannibal who caused massive damage to the Romans.
This war was fought over three fronts with Sicily never being a problem and the Romans defending resolutely, southern Spain where Carthage was able to hold on for quite a while before relinquishing control and retreating and the most well known being that of the battles in Italy.
Hannibal took an army of men and elephants through the Alps and surprised the Romans in Northern Italy where he won many great battles; these include the Battle of the Trebia, the Battle of Lake Trasimene and the Battle of Cannae.
As Hannibal moved in the north he requested more soldiers, something Carthage never gave him. It could be said that for this reason Hannibal was never able to complete his task even after 16 years in Italy.
The Romans realised they were going to find it difficult to beat Hannibal so they decided to cut off supplies to make life hard for Hannibal before then counter attacking by crossing over to Africa and attacking Carthage. This move was a great one as it meant Hannibal rushing back to defend his homeland before being demolished by the Romans at the Battle of Zama on October 19th 202 BC.
Again Rome gains victory in the war and now controls much of the Western Mediterranean meaning the Carthage Empire losses a lot of control.
This war was fought over three fronts with Sicily never being a problem and the Romans defending resolutely, southern Spain where Carthage was able to hold on for quite a while before relinquishing control and retreating and the most well known being that of the battles in Italy.
Hannibal took an army of men and elephants through the Alps and surprised the Romans in Northern Italy where he won many great battles; these include the Battle of the Trebia, the Battle of Lake Trasimene and the Battle of Cannae.
As Hannibal moved in the north he requested more soldiers, something Carthage never gave him. It could be said that for this reason Hannibal was never able to complete his task even after 16 years in Italy.
The Romans realised they were going to find it difficult to beat Hannibal so they decided to cut off supplies to make life hard for Hannibal before then counter attacking by crossing over to Africa and attacking Carthage. This move was a great one as it meant Hannibal rushing back to defend his homeland before being demolished by the Romans at the Battle of Zama on October 19th 202 BC.
Again Rome gains victory in the war and now controls much of the Western Mediterranean meaning the Carthage Empire losses a lot of control.
Third Punic War
Carthage continued paying the war debt to Rome for the proscribed fifty years and, when it was done, considered their treaty with Rome completed also. They went to war against Numidia, were defeated, and had to then pay that nation another war debt. As they had gone to war without Rome’s approval, the Roman senate considered Carthage a threat to the peace again.
The Roman senator Cato the Elder took the threat so seriously that he would end all of his speeches, no matter the subject, with the phrase, “And, further, I think that Carthage should be destroyed.” In 149 BCE Rome sent an embassy to Carthage suggesting exactly that course: that the city should be dismantled and moved inland away from the coast. The Carthaginians refused to comply with this and so began the Third Punic War in 149-146 BCE. The war raged on and then Rome finally won.
The Roman senator Cato the Elder took the threat so seriously that he would end all of his speeches, no matter the subject, with the phrase, “And, further, I think that Carthage should be destroyed.” In 149 BCE Rome sent an embassy to Carthage suggesting exactly that course: that the city should be dismantled and moved inland away from the coast. The Carthaginians refused to comply with this and so began the Third Punic War in 149-146 BCE. The war raged on and then Rome finally won.