The Punic WarsAncient Rome

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

First Punic War

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..)

Beginning of the Second Punic War

Hannibal Invades Italy

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

Roman Territory at the end of the 2nd Punic war

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

End of the Punic Wars

By the Death of Julius Caesar