First Punic War
• Began with a dispute over Sicily (Port of Messina)
• Strengths at war:• Carthage was superior fighting at sea• Rome was superior fighting on land
• Rome used grappling hooks to pull in ships and fight “on land”
• Rome takes control of Sicily and is ready to attack Carthage
In Between the Wars
• Hamilcar Barca• Leader of Carthage troops (mercenaries) during
the first Punic War
• Held a grudge against both Carthage and Rome• Carthage because they didn’t pay his troops• Rome because they defeated him in war
• Gathers another mercenary army and takes them to Spain (unbeknownst to Carthage)
In Between Wars
• Makes his son Hannibal promise never to be a friend to Rome
• Hannibal attacks Saguntum Rome does nothing for their ally!
• Rome sent a delegation to Carthage • The Carthaginian senate gave Rome a choice war or
peace • The leader of the Roman delegation declared war!
• And so begins the unnecessary Second Punic War (Oh Rome, you war loving people..)
Hannibal Kicks Butt
• Leads his army from Spain, through southern France and the Alps, and invades Italy from the north
• Defeats Roman armies sent to stop him several times but hesitates to attack Rome itself• Sees Rome as too well fortified
• Settles instead on war of attrition in hope of destroying Roman economic base
HANNIBAL AD PORTAS!!
Scipio to the Rescue
• Rome is unable to defeat Hannibal in Italy
• So…patrician general Scipio Aemilius Africanus sailed a Roman army across the Mediterranean, landed in North Africa, and headed for Carthage!
• Hannibal forced to leave Italy to protect Carthage
• Carthage is defeated at the Battle of Zama, fought outside the walls of Carthage
Rome is Victorious!
• Carthaginians gave up their land in Spain
• Handed over their warships
• Agreed to another loss to Rome
• The terms were meant to cripple Carthage and never allow them to challenge Rome again
Here We Go Again…
• 50 years of peace between Rome and Carthage
• Carthage has regained prosperity but is no threat to Rome
• Basically, Rome wanted Carthage gone off the face of the Earth
• This hatred for Carthage was headed by Cato, a Roman senator• “Carthago delenda est”
Third Punic War
• 146 BCE Rome burns Carthage
• Sells the living population into slavery
• Sowed the soil with salt so no crops could grow
• Rome is now in total control of the Mediterranean