Summary of the Three Punic Wars

THE PUNIC WARS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN ROME

AND CARTHAGE AND COVERED THE DATES 265

BC TO 146 BC

This presentation is a VERY brief summary of the

three Punic Wars.  For more details,

you can use google or the links

provided in this unit.

THE FIRST PUNIC WAR265-219 BC

265 BC. Leaders in Messina, a city in Sicily, at war with another city, Syracuse appealed to both Rome and Carthage for assistance. The Carthaginians arrived first, seized the city, and were then thrown out by the Romans. 264 BC. The Carthaginians allied with Syracuse (ruler Hiero II) against Rome to regain Messina by siege and were defeated by the Roman army of Appius Claudius Caudex whose subsequent siege of Syracuse was also unsuccessful. 263 BC. Roman victories in eastern Sicily forced Hiero to switch sides and support the Roman invasion of Carthaginian territories in western Sicily. 262 BC. Roman army successfully besieged the Carthaginian fortress city at Agrigentum held by Hannibal Gisco and defeated a relieving army led by Hanno. 260 BC. Carthaginian navy defeated a Roman naval squadron at Lipara Islands.

260 BC. Roman fleet using new "secret weapon" the Corvus (a boarding bridge) destroyed a Carthaginian fleet at Mylae enabling the Romans to invade Corsica and Sardinia. 256 BC. A huge Roman fleet carrying an army to invade Africa defeated a nearly-as-large Carthaginian fleet at the battle of Cape Ecnomus off Sicily by using the Corvus again. The 20,000 strong Roman army under Marcus Atillius Regulus landed near Tunis. The Romans won major battle at Adys. When the Carthaginians asked for peace, the Romans made such excessive demands the Carthaginians called in Greek mercenary support led by Xanthippus. 255 BC. Xanthippus reorganized and trained the Carthaginian army enabling them to defeat and capture Regulus at the Battle of Tunes. While evacuating the surviving troops a large Roman fleet was destroyed in a storm, losing almost 100,000 of the best soldiers and sailors. 254 BC. With the threat in Africa gone Carthage again managed to reenforce its garrisons in Sicily and recapture Agrigentum.

The corvus was a big deal, because it allowed the Romans to  fight at sea the way they were

accustomed to fight on land.  This allowed them to compete with Carthage at sea.

251 BC. Roman consul Lucius Caecilius Mettellus defeated an equal strength Carthaginian army commanded by Hasdrubal at Cape Panormus. The Carthaginians asked for peace, but the Romans again refused. 249 BC. The Carthaginian fleet of admiral Adherbal destroyed a large Roman fleet commanded by P. Claudius Pulcher at the Battle of Drepanum. The same year Hamilcar Barca defeated Roman land forces in Sicily. Then the Romans suffered their fourth naval disaster in storms. By then they had lost over 700 vessels. 247-243 BC. Hamilcar Barca defeated all Roman offensives in Sicily but was unable to carry the war into Roman territory. 242 BC. The Romans completed rebuilding their navy and launched successful ground and naval assaults against Carthaginian fortresses at Lilybaeum and Drepanum in Sicily. 241 BC. The Roman navy commanded by L. Lutatius Catulus decisively defeated the Carthaginian relief fleet sent to Sicily under command of Hanno. Carthage surrendered, gave up all territories in Sicily, and paid a huge indemnity. This officially ended the First Punic War. 238. Despite the peace, Rome invaded Sardinia on the pretext of quelling a revolt of Carthaginian mercenary troops.

 Hamilcar Barca was the first general of the Barca

clan to give the Romans trouble.  His son, Hannibal, and his son-in-law Hasdrubal would

later prove worthy adversaries for a slew of Roman generals.

230-219 BC. The Romans were busy winning two small wars in Illyria (Albania) and in fending off an invasion of Italy by Gauls (Celts). The Illyrians were no match whatsoever. The Gauls were successful initially, but were eventually driven back to the Po River Valley. They were eager for revenge

when a leader like Hannibal came to organize them.

This is where things stood at the end of the First Punic War.

    

THE SECOND PUNIC WAR

221-202 BC

The second punic war began in Spain.  221 BC. The Romans began to support an anti-Carthaginian group in Saguntum, a Greek city well within the recognized Carthaginian area in Spain. This was clearly a provocation. 219 BC. Hannibal Barca (son of the assassinated Hamilcar) took Saguntum by storm and Rome declared war.

218 BC. Leaving about 20,000 troops with his brother, Hasdrubal, to fight in Spain, Hannibal left Spain ahead of the Roman army he knew would be arriving, marched over the Pyrenees, eluded a Roman force in southern Gaul (France), crossed the Rhone and then the Alps. At the same time the Roman army commanded by Consul Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio was moving from Italy to Spain. P.C. Scipio allowed Hannibal to outwit him in Gaul and then foolishly sent his army on to Spain while returning with a few troops to the Po River. Another Roman army led by the Praetor Lucius Manlius was assembling to defend the Po against possible Gaulish uprisings. The main Roman army commanded by the other Consul, Titus Sempronius, was preparing in Sicily to invade Africa. Learning of Hannibal's movements the Romans brought this army from Sicily by sea to the Po to join in the defense against Hannibal. Hannibal astounded the Romans by debouching from the Alps so quickly by October. In November he trounced the Roman army led by P.C. Scipio and L. Manlius at the Ticinus River. Hannibal rapidly executed his plan to recruit and train Gauls. In December T. Sempronius arrived. Hannibal tricked Sempronius into attacking across the Trebia River, executed an ambush, and nearly destroyed the Roman army.

The Battle of the Trebia River, where Hannibal trounced the Roman

general Tiberius Sempronius was one of the biggest battles, and defeats for Rome, of all the Punic

Wars.

217 BC. Hannibal recruited more Gauls and rested his army early in the year. The Romans elected new consuls - Gaius Flaminius and Gnaeus Servilius - to command two armies assembled in northern Italy. In March Hannibal crossed the Apennines and moved his army behind the divided Romans. In April Hannibal ambushed Flaminius, who was rushing south, at Lake Trasimene. The Roman Senate then appointed Quintus Fabius Dictator. Fabius instituted the delaying (attrition) strategy that came to bear his name (Fabian). Meanwhile P. C. Scipio joined his brother in Spain where they slowly drove Hannibal's brothers, Hasdrubal and Mago, back and retook Saguntum. 216 BC Hannibal won the greatest battle of his career and provided succeeding generations of military students and commanders with the epitome of a perfect tactical battle at Cannae. The indomitable Romans declared full mobilization, elected M. Junius Pera dictator, and sent another army south under command of the very experienced Marcus Claudius Marcellus.

Marcus Claudius Marcellus was the first Roman general in the Punic Wars to have much success over the Carthaginians, particularly Hannibal. 

215-213 BC. According to Hannibal's strategic plan, King Philip of Macedon joined the war, but with their vast manpower resources the Romans were able to dispatch armies against him in Greece. Meanwhile the Roman armies in Spain continued their gradual success. Hannibal was able to elude much larger Roman armies marching about southern Italy, but could do little more. 213-211 BC. While Hannibal continued to defeat one Roman general after another in southern Italy, M. Claudius Marcellus took a large force to Sicily to besiege Syracuse. It was in this famous siege that Archimedes distinguished himself be inventing numerous defensive engineering apparatus before being killed by the victorious Romans. 211 BC. Hasdrubal finally defeated and killed the Scipio brothers in Spain. The consuls Publius Sulpicius Galba and Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus invested Hannibal's ally, Capua, with very large armies. Hannibal attempted to relieve the city, but was driven off by superior forces. He then attempted a march directly on Rome itself, but its massive fortifications and 50,000 man garrison made any real attempt at a siege impossible. Capua eventually surrendered. 210 BC. Roman efforts to destroy Hannibal's logistic bases in southern Italy rather than face him in open battle also failed as he destroyed several more armies, killing G. F. Centumalus himself at the Second Battle of Herdonia. Hannibal then defeated M. C. Marcellus again at Numistro.

210-209 BC. The Roman Senate sent Publius C. Scipio, son of the killed commander to take over the Roman armies in Spain. He quickly executed a brilliant surprise advance against the Carthaginian capital at New Carthage. 209-208 BC. Even though Quintus Fabius captured Hannibal's base at Tarentum by treason of its garrison, Hannibal managed to hold off vastly superior Roman armies, defeating M.C. Marcellus yet again, at Asculum. 208 BC. P. C. Scipio managed a drawn battle with Hasdrubal at Beccula, but allowed the latter to march away with a fresh army toward Italy. Hasdrubal moved into Gaul to recruit a relief force as ordered by Hannibal.

Publius Cornelius Scipio was the Roman general, initially sent

to Spain, to help control the

Carthaginians.  It would be his son,

Scipio Africanus, who finally put a stop to the Carthaginians once and for all.

207 BC. The Consul Caius Claudius Nero with a superior force managed to check Hannibal's march north in Italy at Grumentum. Then, as Hannibal encamped to await word from Hasdrubal, Nero intercepted the messengers. Leaving part of the army to deceive Hannibal, Nero marched rapidly and secretly north to join the other Roman Consul, M. Livius Salinator near the Metaurus River. Realizing he was outnumbered by the combined Roman armies, Hasdrubal attempted to withdraw across the river but was killed in battle as his army was destroyed. This was the decisive battle of the war. 206 BC. Scipio continued to defeat the remaining Carthaginian forces in Spain led by Hannibal's remaining brother, Mago, and Hasdrubal Gisco. Hannibal continued his war of maneuver across southern Italy but was gradually confined to the southernmost section in Bruttium. 205 BC. Having gained control of Spain, Scipio journeyed to Africa to enlist local allies and then proceeded to Sicily to train an invasion army using the exiled survivors of Cannae as cadre.

Scipio, for the first time, took the war to Africa, the home

of Carthage.  No Romans had gone their previously.

204 BC. Mago Barca led a small Carthaginian army in an amphibious landing near Genoa in hopes of replacing Hasdrubal's threat to Rome. Scipio landed in Africa with a fine, veteran army of 30,000 men to besiege Utica. Another of Hannibal's brothers, Hanno, was killed in this action. Hasdrubal Gisco and the Numidian king Syphax forced Scipio to give up the siege. 203 BC. Scipio destroyed the armies of Hasdrubal Gisco and Syphax in a surprise attack on their separate camps. But the allies soon brought up fresh armies, which Scipio again defeated at Bagbrades. At this the Carthaginian Senate recalled Hannibal and Mago from Italy to defend the city. Mago died from wounds en route, but Hannibal managed to elude the Roman navy and bring a few thousand Italian veterans with him. 202 BC. Hannibal attempted to position himself between Scipio's Romans and their Numidian allies, but failed to prevent the junction of the two forces. Hannibal was forced into battle, although unready, at Zama, where he attempted to repeat the basic tactical maneuver of Cannae. Scipio was no Varro and his army was much better trained than the Roman levies of 14 years previous. While Hannibal's force of new recruits was no match for his original veteran army. The result was complete victory for the Romans, after which Carthage finally surrendered and Hannibal fled to Asia Minor. Scipio was given the honorific name, Africanus.

The Battle of Zama, depicted in the painting in the previous slide, was the cap of the Second Punic War.  Things were not over, but the Third Punic War was mostly

anticlimactic and consisted of the Romans showing a very ugly side.In the slides that follow, you will see what happened in the third

Punic War.

THE THIRD PUNIC WAR:

 149-146 BCE

    149 BC. Rome declared war on the pretext of various incitements by its African (Numidian) allies. Surprisingly, the initial naval and ground operations went in favor of Carthage. 147 BC. The invading Roman army in Africa received a new commander -Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, the son of one great Roman general (L. Aemilius Paulus who destroyed the Macedonians at Pynda) and adopted grandson of another (Scipio Africanus). 146 BC. Scipio Aemilianus sacked Carthage but wanted to spare the city further destruction. The Roman Senate decreed otherwise, completely destroying the city and selling some 50,000 citizens as slaves. The city became a quarry of available stone for generations, but no copies of written literature survived.

A VIEW OF CARTHAGE TODAY AND ITS ANCIENT RUINS: