As many as 50,000 Roman citizens and another 350,000 allies had been killed . Three conflicts between these states took place on both land and sea across the western Mediterranean region and involved a total of forty-three years of warfare. [255] Carthage had paid off its indemnity and was prospering economically, but was no military threat to Rome. As a result of these three wars, Carthage was destroyed, its people were sold into slavery, and Rome gained control of the western Mediterranean. [67] As a result, the Romans were initially at a disadvantage against the more experienced Carthaginians. Third Punic War (149 - 146 B.C) The third Punic War compound the belic conflict which led to the total eradication of the Carthaginian civilization and culture. the Roman fleet was able to win a decisive victory against the Carthaginians at sea, breaking their legendary naval superiority. ), These elephants were typically about 2.5m (8ft 2in) high at the shoulder and should not be confused with the larger. Its most famous eruption took place in the year 79 A.D., when it buried the city of Pompeii under a thick carpet of volcanic ash. Their army raided the Roman lines of communication,[263] and in 148BC Carthaginian fire ships destroyed many Roman vessels. The first concerned control of Sicily and of the sea lanes in the western Mediterranean; it ended with Rome victorious but with great loss of ships and men on both sides. [4][5] Polybius was an analytical historian and wherever possible interviewed participants, from both sides, in the events he wrote about. It was made up of three hundred patricians who were elected for life. Fabius' strategy might have worked had not the Romans become impatient with their legions' inactivity. The Roman general Scipio Aemilianus (l. 185-129 BCE) besieged the city for three years and, when it fell, sacked it and burned it to the ground. . Over the course of nearly 20 years, Rome rebuilt its entire fleet in order to confront Carthages powerful navy, scoring its first sea victory at Mylae in 260 B.C. Which statement best describes educational opportunities in Roman society? [115] Evidence of Carthage's financial situation includes their request for a 2,000-talent loan[note 9] from Ptolemaic Egypt, which was refused. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Carthage and Rome. [122] Polybius regarded the war as "the longest, most continuous and most severely contested war known to us in history". Through a treaty with the small city of Rome, she barred Roman trade in the Western Mediterranean and, as Rome had no navy, was able to easily enforce the treaty. First Punic War (264-241 B.C.) How might you respond to it ? [175][183] Hannibal marched through the richest and most fertile provinces of Italy, hoping the devastation would draw Fabius into battle, but Fabius refused. What were the main effects of the Punic Wars? How did Cincinnatus exercise his civic duty? [245], The new peace treaty dictated by Rome stripped Carthage of all of its overseas territories and some of its African ones; an indemnity of 10,000 silver talents[note 15] was to be paid over 50 years; hostages were to be taken; Carthage was forbidden to possess war elephants and its fleet was restricted to 10 warships; it was prohibited from waging war outside Africa and in Africa only with Rome's express permission. Our main source for information about the Punic Wars is the . Legend says that the boys were raised by a mighty wolf. [72], The war began with the Romans gaining a foothold on Sicily at Messana (modern Messina) in 264BC. [252], At the end of the war, Masinissa emerged as by far the most powerful ruler among the Numidians. As the Punic Wars ended, the surviving 50,000 citizens of Carthage were sold into slavery. [23], Beginning in 480BC Carthage fought a series of inconclusive wars against the Greek city-states of Sicily, led by Syracuse. . Warfare in the Hellenistic Age: The Punic Wars. In the Third Punic War, the Romans destroyed the city of Carthage in 146 B.C., turning North Africa into yet another province of the all-powerful Roman Empire. Meanwhile, the Carthaginian army was crippled by plague. Prior to the conflict, Carthage had grown from a small port-of-call to the richest and most powerful city in the Mediterranean region before 260 BCE. The Punic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between Carthage and Rome between 264 BCE and 146 BCE. 2 Yet, in . He and his wife raised the boys. View Hannibal's campaign against Rome with the siege of Saguntum, The interval between the First and Second Punic Wars (241218, https://www.britannica.com/event/Punic-Wars, Humanities LibreTexts Library - The Punic Wars, UNRV History - The Punic Wars and Expansion, Punic Wars - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). and ending in Roman victory with the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. He died by his own hand, drinking poison, in 184 BCE, aged sixty-seven. The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage between 264 and 146 B.C.E. Some members of the city council denounced his actions and Hasdrubal had them put to death and took control of the city. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264146 bce), a series of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire, resulting in. Which statement best describes Julius Caesar's legacy? As a result, the Roman infantry was surrounded with no means of escape. Cite This Work While Carthage would largely ignore the war, leaving the fighting to Hamilcar and his mercenaries, Rome would be building and equipping more ships and training more men. When they did exactly that, and the Romans pressed what they saw as an advantage and followed them, Hannibal closed from behind and the sides, enveloping the Roman forces and crushing them. There were strong commercial links. With the Punic Wars, they got all the resources they needed from the Republic and from the Carthaginians. See also why doesn't earth fall into the sun He is remembered for expanding and reforming the Roman Republic. During the war, the Carthaginian government had repeatedly failed to pay its mercenary army and so, in 241 BCE, these mercenaries laid siege to the city. In 254 they captured the important fortress of Panormus (Palermo), but when Carthage threw reinforcements into the island the war again came to a standstill. Punic Wars, also known as Carthaginian Wars, occurred between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire from 264 to 146 bce. How did Romes expansion after the Punic Wars affect Romes social development? Pennsylvania State University. [194] Within a few weeks of Cannae a Roman army of 25,000 was ambushed by Boii Gauls at the battle of Silva Litana and annihilated. Significance of Punic Wars. Two of the major Samnite tribes also joined the Carthaginian cause. 44,000 Roman soldiers died at Cannae compared with 6000 of Hannibal's forces. After an initial Carthaginian victory, Fabius Maximus Cunctator harassed Hannibal wherever he went without offering battle. This war was over who would control the island of Sicily. [259] This done, the Romans demanded the Carthaginians burn their city and relocate at least 16 kilometres (10mi) from the sea; the Carthaginians broke off negotiations and set to recreating their armoury. He sought to compensate for the loss of Sicily by acquiring a dominion in Spain where Carthage might gain new wealth and form a fresh base of operations against Rome. [239] After landing in Africa in 204BC, he was joined by Masinissa and a force of Numidian cavalry. After one campaign they were ready to sue for peace, but the terms which the Roman commander Marcus Atilius Regulus offered were intolerably harsh. [213], Carthage sent more reinforcements to Sicily in 211BC and went on the offensive. [179][180] The prisoners were badly treated if they were Romans, but released if they were from one of Rome's Latin allies. [266][268] With no Carthaginian army in the field those cities which had remained loyal went over to the Romans or were captured. His aim was to join his forces with those of Hannibal, but Hannibal was unaware of his presence. Livy relied heavily on Polybius, but wrote in a more structured way, with more details about Roman politics, as well as being openly pro-Roman. He created jobs in overseas Roman colonies for those in poverty. [273] It took six days to clear the city of resistance; only on the last day did Scipio take prisoners. [25] Relationships were good and the two states had several times declared their mutual friendship via formal alliances: in 509BC, 348BC and around 279BC. She took the babies to her cave and fed them. However, the scheme of preparing for a fresh conflict found a worthy champion in Hamilcar Barca. This ultimately led to the establishment of Roman Empire. Carthage Under SiegeThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). It was the long-standing Roman procedure to elect two men each year as senior magistrates, known as consuls, who at time of war would each lead an army. [50][51] When armies were campaigning, surprise attacks, ambushes and stratagems were common. The Battle of the Metaurus (207 BCE) was a military engagement Carthaginian warfare has been overshadowed by defeat to Rome in Scipio Africanus Major (l. 236-183 BCE) received his epithet due Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization Intelligence Activities in Ancient Rome: Trust in the Gods but Verify, Livy: The Early History of Rome, Books I-V. They substitute for the limited written records that describe the founding of Rome. The new allies increased the number of places that Hannibal's army was expected to defend from Roman retribution, but provided relatively few fresh troops to assist him in doing so. Wars between Rome and Carthage, 264 to 146 BC. Updates? In 202 BCE at the Battle of Zama, the Romans are able to decisively beat Hannibal. The successful Roman invasion of the Carthaginian homeland in Africa in 204BC led to Hannibal's recall. Approximately 1,200 of the infantry poorer or younger men unable to afford the armour and equipment of a standard legionary served as javelin-armed skirmishers known as velites; they each carried several javelins, which would be thrown from a distance, a short sword and a 90-centimetre (3ft) shield. A fresh Roman army attacked the main Carthaginian stronghold on the island, Agrigentum, in 210BC and the city was betrayed to the Romans by a discontented Carthaginian officer. [251], Under the pressure of the war, the Romans developed an increasingly effective system of logistics to equip and feed the unprecedented numbers of soldiers they field. Whenever Carthage petitioned Rome for redress, or permission to take military action, Rome backed its ally, Masinissa, and refused. [212], A large Carthaginian army led by Himilco was sent to relieve the city in 213BC. The campaign ended in disaster for the Carthaginians and their army surrendered. The attendant new obligation to safeguard the peninsula against foreign interference made it necessary not to allow the neighbouring island of Sicily to fall into the hands of a strong and expansive power. [104] On Sicily the Romans avoided battle in 252 and 251BC, according to Polybius because they feared the war elephants which the Carthaginians had shipped to the island. [42] On occasion some of the infantry would wear captured Roman armour, especially among the troops of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. That's what makes the Punic Wars so difficult to understand. In spring 212BC the Romans stormed Syracuse in a surprise night assault and captured several districts of the city. 3,200 talents was approximately 82,000kg (81 long tons). The Carthaginians hastily collected a relief force, but in a battle fought off the Aegates Insulae (Egadi Islands), west of Drepana, their fleet was caught at a disadvantage and mostly sunk or captured (March 10, 241). The first concerned control of Sicily and of the sea lanes in the western Mediterranean; it ended with Rome victorious but with great loss of ships and men on both sides. How did the Punic Wars affect the development of the Roman Republic? [2][8][11], The account of the Roman historian Livy is commonly used by modern historians where Polybius's account is not extant. [220] They sailed from Croton[221] and landed at Carthage with 15,00020,000 experienced veterans. [187][188] Paullus and Varro marched southward to confront Hannibal, who accepted battle on the open plain near Cannae. While Carthage was unhappy with this development, there was little they could do about it. According to legend, as Scipio Aemilianus watched the once-mighty city fall into utter ruin, he broke down in tears. [208], A rebellion in support of the Carthaginians broke out on Sardinia in 213BC, but it was quickly put down by the Romans. These developments made possible the subsequent Roman overseas wars of conquest. Both allowed for the easier movement of troops. When Hiero II (r. 270-215 BCE) of neighboring Syracuse fought against the Mamertines of Messina, the Mamertines asked first Carthage and then Rome for help. The two sides' infantry fought inconclusively until the Roman cavalry returned and attacked the Carthaginian rear. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Scipio allowed Carthage to retain her colonies in Africa but she had to surrender her navy and was not allowed to make war under any circumstances without Rome's approval. Explain how the connotation of the new word differs from the connotation of the original. |revered|"Obedience is revered. The proximate cause of the first outbreak was a crisis in the city of Messana (Messina), commanding the straits between Italy and Sicily. [127][128] War-weary Carthage fared poorly in the initial engagements, especially under the generalship of Hanno. [98][99], The war continued, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage. Which group could be elected to the Senate for life? Carthage, on the other hand, had long been anxious to conquer Sicily and so to complete the chain of island posts by which it controlled the western Mediterranean. Wealthy males continued their education past the age of 12. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This war was costly to both sides but Carthage suffered more seriously owing to: Further, however, they seriously underestimated their enemy. From which body of water did Rome get fresh water for drinking and agriculture? The end of the Punic Wars and Romes replacement of Carthage as the dominant force in the Western Mediterranean, a position it would hold for the following several centuries, were symbolized by the victory and subsequent destruction of the city of Carthage. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. PublicAffairs. [64] As novice shipwrights, the Romans built copies that were heavier than the Carthaginian vessels; thus they were slower and less manoeuvrable. In 263 the Romans advanced with a considerable force into Hierons territory and induced him to seek peace and alliance with them. [20], The Roman Republic had been aggressively expanding in the southern Italian mainland for a century before the First Punic War. [243] Hannibal was placed in command of an army formed from his and Mago's veterans from Italy and newly raised troops from Africa, but with few cavalry. [68], All warships were equipped with rams, a triple set of 60-centimetre-wide (2ft) bronze blades weighing up to 270 kilograms (600lb) positioned at the waterline. The two earlier Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, 264-241 BCE and 218-201 BCE, could equally well be seen as the inevitable result of two major powers coming into direct contact with one another, each fearing the other. Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264-146 bce), a series of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire, resulting in the destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its population, and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. The Romans, more experienced at sea battles now and better equipped and led, won a series of decisive victories over Carthage and in 241 BCE the Carthaginians sued for peace. 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