His surprise entry into the Italian peninsula led to the cancellation of Rome's planned campaign for the year: an invasion of Africa. Wars of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Punic_Wars&oldid=1135825581, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 02:31. Related Content Carthage Under SiegeThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). In 218 Hannibal attacked Roman territory, starting from Spain and . Invested with an unrestricted foreign command, he spent the rest of his life in founding a Spanish empire (237228). As long as Rome remained the little city of trade by the Tiber River, Carthage reigned supreme; but the island of Sicily would be the flashpoint for growing Roman resentment of the Carthaginians. The First Punic War was the closest match, for numerous reasons, b. Cite This Work Rome won the first Punic War when Carthage agreed to terms in 241 BC, in doing so, Rome became the dominant navy in the Mediterranean Sea, Carthage had to pay for war damages, and Rome took control of all of the Carthaginian lands on the island of Sicily. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The end of the war sparked a major but eventually unsuccessful revolt within Carthaginian territory known as the Mercenary War. And after the war ended, many veterans from farming families preferred settling in cities, especially Rome, rather than return to the countryside. [241], Rome and Carthage entered into peace negotiations and Carthage recalled Hannibal from Italy. With the Punic Wars, they got all the resources they needed from the Republic and from the Carthaginians. [64] As novice shipwrights, the Romans built copies that were heavier than the Carthaginian vessels; thus they were slower and less manoeuvrable. The name Punic comes from the word Phoenician (Phoinix in the Greek, Poenus from Punicus in Latin) as applied to the citizens of Carthage, who were of Phoenician ethnicity. [158] An army had previously been created by the Romans to campaign in Iberia and the Roman Senate detached one Roman and one allied legion from it to send to north Italy. This one originated due to the hatred between the Romans and Carthaginians, as well as the resurgence of Carthage's army. Which statement best describes a challenge in the Roman economy? "|not ordinary; cruel|beyond a person's ability to survive| Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. These wars are collectively called the Punic Wars. [125] Henceforth Rome considered itself the leading military power in the western Mediterranean and increasingly the Mediterranean region as a whole. [267] Hasdrubal had Roman prisoners tortured to death on the walls, in view of the Roman army. Not only do we pay for our servers, but also for related services such as our content delivery network, Google Workspace, email, and much more. Significance of Punic Wars. - The Roman general Scipio Africanus defeated the Carthaginians in the Second Punic War. [200][202], Meanwhile, the Romans took drastic steps to raise new legions: enrolling slaves, criminals and those who did not meet the usual property qualification. The Carthaginians accordingly opened negotiations and consented to a peace by which they ceded Sicily and the Lipari (Eolie) Islands to Rome and paid an indemnity of 3,200 talents. What was one way the consuls were prevented from having too much power? To counter this, the Romans introduced the corvus, a bridge 1.2 metres (4 feet) wide and 11 metres (36 feet) long, with a heavy spike on the underside, which was designed to pierce and anchor into an enemy ship's deck. The end result was that Rome defeated Carthage and went on to dominate both the western and eastern halves of the Mediterranean. In 218 Hannibal attacked Roman territory, starting from Spain and marching overland into Italy with troops and elephants. Hiero II, the tyrant of Syracuse for the previous forty-five years and a staunch Roman ally, died in that year and his successor Hieronymus was discontented with his situation. Rome won all three wars. Rome emerged as the pre-eminent power in the Mediterranean and Carthage lay in ruin for over one hundred years until it was finally re-built following the death of Julius Caesar. [66] At least half of the oarsmen would need to have had some experience if the ship was to be handled effectively. Which statement best describes the physical geography of the Italian Peninsula? The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage did not officially end until a peace treaty was signed in 1985 AD. However, the scheme of preparing for a fresh conflict found a worthy champion in Hamilcar Barca. The Carthaginian's superior seamanship was not as effective as they had hoped, while the Romans' corvus gave them an edge as the battle degenerated into a shapeless brawl. [269], Scipio moved back to a close blockade of the city and built a mole which cut off supply from the sea. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In response, Roman advisers were sent to train his soldiers= and he waged war against the Carthaginian ally Gala. [196][197], Little survives of Polybius's account of Hannibal's army in Italy after Cannae and Livy is the best surviving source for this part of the war. The Carthaginian government, however, still as corrupt and selfish as it had always been, taxed the people heavily to help pay the war debt while they, themselves, contributed nothing. It has a legislative branch with two houses. 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. At the same time, the Carthaginians, who felt no less severely the financial strain of the prolonged struggle, reduced their forces and made no attempt to deliver a counterattack. [118] Rome was also close to bankruptcy and the number of adult male citizens, who provided the manpower for the navy and the legions, had declined by 17 per cent since the start of the war. [146] This gave Carthage the silver mines, agricultural wealth, manpower, military facilities such as shipyards, and territorial depth to stand up to future Roman demands with confidence. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. How did both the construction of roads and the Mediterranean Sea contribute to the expansion of the Roman Republic? They substitute for the limited written records that describe the founding of Rome. Some members of the city council denounced his actions and Hasdrubal had them put to death and took control of the city. [28] The immediate cause of the war was the issue of control of the independent Sicilian city state of Messana (modern Messina). The First Genocide: Carthage, 146 BC. But wherever his main army was not active the Romans threatened Carthaginian-supporting towns or sought battle with Carthaginian or Carthaginian-allied detachments; frequently with success. 10,000 talents was approximately 269,000kg (265 long tons) of silver. By immobilizing the other ship, and attaching it to their own, the Romans could manipulate a sea engagement through the strategies of a land battle. Punic Wars, or Carthaginian Wars, Three wars (264-241, 218-201, 149-146 bce) between Rome and Carthage. Carthage and Rome came into conflict as they sought to expand; Rome defeated Carthage in the three Punic Wars. Hannibal was born in 247 B.C.E. [140][141][142], With the suppression of the rebellion, Hamilcar understood that Carthage needed to strengthen its economic and military base if it were to again confront Rome. The besiegers met with a gallant resistance and in 249 were compelled to withdraw by the loss of their fleet in a surprise attack upon Drepanum, in which the admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher was repulsed with a loss of 93 ships. Other cities have copied architecture to express a city in a lucrative and valued way. The Punic Wars and Expansion. This caused Carthage to cease to be a military threat. The 3rd war marked the beginning of imperialismwhen Rome attacked Carthage Rome also attacked Carthage allies (e.- the Greeks, annexing land along the way) Prisoners of war become slaves and slavery becomes more prominent, alter the nature of Roman society New territories increased Rome's wealth, as Rome gained access to new resources. The defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War . The Romans retreated to their coastal stronghold north of the Ebro, from which the Carthaginians again failed to expel them. the Roman fleet was able to win a decisive victory against the Carthaginians at sea, breaking their legendary naval superiority. Shortly after this, the Roman general, Publius Cornelius Scipio (l. 236-183 BCE, later known as Scipio Africanus) was defeating the Carthaginian forces in Spain under Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal Barca (l. c. 244-207 BCE). Mago was also recalled; he died of wounds on the voyage and some of his ships were intercepted by the Romans,[222] but 12,000 of his troops reached Carthage. He then marched his massive army across the Pyrenees and Alps into central Italy in what would be remembered as one of the most read more, Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome on February 15. [108] Repeated attempts to storm Lilybaeum's strong walls failed, as did attempts to block access to its harbour, and the Romans settled down to a siege which was to last nine years. Even though Rome had never had a navy before the First Punic War, they emerged in 241 BCE as masters of the sea and Carthage was a defeated city. Sources other than Polybius are discussed by Bernard Mineo in "Principal Literary Sources for the Punic Wars (apart from Polybius)". They went to war against Numidia, were defeated, and had to then pay that nation another war debt. [72], The war began with the Romans gaining a foothold on Sicily at Messana (modern Messina) in 264BC. Why did some Romans attempt to reform the government? [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. There were strong commercial links. Pennsylvania State University. What resulted from the First Punic War? 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. [119] Goldsworthy describes Roman manpower losses as "appalling". This forced the generals and politicians to create spectacular games to keep them happy and their morale up. The Second Punic War forced them to abandon Spain and the Third ended Carthage. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. During the Pyrrhic War of 280275BC, against a king of Epirus who alternately fought Rome in Italy and Carthage on Sicily, Carthage provided materiel to the Romans and on at least one occasion used its navy to ferry a Roman force. [161] A Roman fleet carrying the Iberian-bound army landed at Rome's ally Massalia (modern Marseille) at the mouth of the Rhone,[162] but Hannibal evaded the Romans and they continued to Iberia. 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. His work was continued by his son-in-law Hasdrubal and his son Hannibal, who was placed at the head of the army in 221. Why are legends and myths used to explain the founding of Rome? To avoid complete humiliation Carthage had no resource but to humiliate its adversary. It is a combination of hills, mountains, and plains. [121] This new fleet effectively blockaded the Carthaginian garrisons. Outcome - Rome takes Sicily , then Sardinia and Corsica . We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. One of those disinherited was the Numidian prince Masinissa, who was thus driven into the arms of Rome. 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. Gauls now joined Hannibal's army in large numbers. [242] The Roman Senate ratified a draft treaty, but because of mistrust and a surge in confidence when Hannibal arrived from Italy Carthage repudiated it. By the terms of the peace treaty Carthage paid large reparations and Sicily was annexed as a Roman province. [247] The Roman and allied Numidian cavalry then pressed their attacks and drove the Carthaginian cavalry from the field. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. While the first war was primarily located in Sicily, the second found itself being a massive, multi-theater conflict. Abandoning that tactic resulted in a major Roman loss at the Battle of Cannae (216); that defeat drew the Romans together, and, though worn down, they managed to rally, eventually defeating Hannibal at the Battle of Zama (202). The infantry from these areas were unarmoured troops who would charge ferociously, but had a reputation for breaking off if a combat was protracted. The three Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome took place over nearly a century, beginning in 264 B.C. Best Answer. "Punic" comes from the Latin "Punicus" which was the Roman word for Phoenicians and the Carthaginians were considered Phoenicians. [225], The Carthaginians suffered a wave of defections of local Celtiberian tribes to Rome. [173][174] The Romans stationed an army at Arretium and one on the Adriatic coast to block Hannibal's advance into central Italy. That's what makes the Punic Wars so difficult to understand. [262][263] The Roman army moved to lay siege to Carthage, but its walls were so strong and its citizen-militia so determined it was unable to make any impact, while the Carthaginians struck back effectively. The First Punic War occurred between 264 BC and 241 BC and was the first of three major wars fought between the Carthaginians and the Roman Republic. [245][246] Unlike most battles of the Second Punic War, the Romans had superiority in cavalry and the Carthaginians in infantry. Cato is remembered for his rallying cry, Carthage must be destroyed! which some historians have cited as an early support for genocide. They concentrated their efforts on the conquest of Spain rather than trying to drive the Romans out of their former colonies. [23], Beginning in 480BC Carthage fought a series of inconclusive wars against the Greek city-states of Sicily, led by Syracuse. The Punic Wars were a series of wars between 264 and 146BC fought between Rome and Carthage. The Carthaginian territory became the Roman province of Africa. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Disputes over what territory led to the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage? She had a powerful navy, a mercenary army, and, through tribute, tariffs, and trade, enough wealth to do as she pleased. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). |heave|"Ravens watched the desert heave. It lasted 23 years, until 241BC, when the Carthaginians were defeated. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/punic-wars. [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. Roman province of Africa peninsula led to the cancellation of Rome into conflict as they to! 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