Since Roman authors wrote the history of the wars, they were called Punic Wars because they felt Carthage started them. Observing that the three Carthaginian armies were deployed apart from each other, the Romans split their forces. The Third Punic War, also known in Latin as Tertium Bellum Punicum was the final of the Punic Wars that lasted between 149 BC an 146 BC fought between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginians.Unlike the previous two wars which occurred all around the Mediterranean, the Third Punic War was mostly focused on North Africa, in the area of modern day Tunisia. In 251 or 250 the Roman general Lucius Caecilius Metellus at last brought about a pitched battle near Panormus in which the enemys force was effectively crippled. Punic wars helped Rome consolidate its power, increase its wealth, and boost its reputation, all of which served to demonstrate its superiority over other areas.What was the outcome of the first Punic War?Rome gained control of all of the Carthaginian lands on Sicily after Carthage agreed to terms in the first Punic War, which was settled in 241 BC. With the Punic Wars, they got all the resources they needed from the Republic and from the Carthaginians. Although Rome had no navy and knew nothing of sea battles, they swiftly built and equipped 330 ships. How did Julius Caesar influence the Roman leaders who came after him? Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) 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. 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. This gave Rome full control of Sicily and Corsica. [145] Hamilcar took the army which he had led in the Mercenary War to Iberia in 237BC and carved out a quasi-monarchial, autonomous state in its south east. [153] There were three main military theatres in the war: Italy, where Hannibal defeated the Roman legions repeatedly, with occasional subsidiary campaigns in Sicily, Sardinia and Greece; Iberia, where Hasdrubal, a younger brother of Hannibal, defended the Carthaginian colonial cities with mixed success until moving into Italy; and Africa, where the war was decided. Infantry were usually positioned in the centre of the battle line, with light infantry skirmishers to their front and cavalry on each flank. In 201 BCE, you have the end of the Second Punic War. Invested with an unrestricted foreign command, he spent the rest of his life in founding a Spanish empire (237228). 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. How did the Roman Republic influence the executive branch in the United States? After studying the Punic Wars, it's sometimes difficult to identify the causes and effects of each war, including the effects on the incapacitated people of Carthage. There were campaigns in Italy, Iberia (Spain), Sicily, North Africa, and more. 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. The fighting took place primarily on Sicily and its surrounding waters, as well as in North Africa, Corsica and Sardinia. [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. A Roman relief force broke through the siege, but was then ambushed and besieged itself. [2][8] The modern historian Andrew Curry sees Polybius as being "fairly reliable";[9] Craige Champion describes him as "a remarkably well-informed, industrious, and insightful historian". The Romans facing Hannibal in southern Italy tricked him into believing the whole Roman army was still in camp, while a large portion marched north under the consul Claudius Nero and reinforced the Romans facing Hasdrubal, who were commanded by the other consul, Marcus Salinator. [116][205] By 207BC Hannibal had been confined to the extreme south of Italy and many of the cities and territories which had joined the Carthaginian cause had returned to their Roman allegiance. He died by his own hand, drinking poison, in 184 BCE, aged sixty-seven. [274] There were 50,000 Carthaginian prisoners, a small proportion of the pre-war population, who were sold into slavery. His surprise entry into the Italian peninsula led to the cancellation of Rome's planned campaign for the year: an invasion of Africa. In 264 B.C., Rome decided to intervene in a dispute on the western coast of the island of Sicily (then a Carthaginian province) involving an attack by soldiers from the city of Syracuse against the city of Messina. The farmers were known as the backbone of Rome at the time. This war was costly to both sides but Carthage suffered more seriously owing to: Further, however, they seriously underestimated their enemy. 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. Rome's army gained new soldiers from conquered territories. Accordingly they equipped a new army in which, by the advice of a Greek captain of mercenaries named Xanthippus, cavalry and elephants formed the strongest arm. the Roman fleet was able to win a decisive victory against the Carthaginians at sea, breaking their legendary naval superiority. [85] In 258BC a Roman fleet defeated a smaller Carthaginian fleet at the battle of Sulci off the western coast of Sardinia. There is scholarly debate as to whether Saguntum was a formal Roman ally, in which case attacking it may have been a breach of the clause in the Treaty of Lutatius prohibiting attacking each others allies; or whether the city had less formally requested Rome's protection, and possibly been granted it. How were plebeians and enslaved persons similar in Roman society? [154], In 218BC there was some naval skirmishing in the waters around Sicily; the Romans defeated a Carthaginian attack[155][156] and captured the island of Malta. [117][124], The Treaty of Lutatius was agreed by which Carthage paid 3,200 talents of silver[note 10] in reparations and Sicily was annexed as a Roman province. World History Encyclopedia. Legend says that the boys were raised by a mighty wolf. [282][283] Rome still exists as the capital of Italy;[284] the ruins of Carthage lie 24 kilometres (15mi) east of Tunis on the North African coast.[285][286]. . [60] It would also normally carry a complement of 40 marines;[61] if battle was thought to be imminent this would be increased to as many as 120. [253] Over the following 48 years he repeatedly took advantage of Carthage's inability to protect its possessions. In 205BC this war ended with a negotiated peace. They kept the people happy by providing them with cheap food and entertainment. The end of the war sparked a major but eventually unsuccessful revolt within Carthaginian territory known as the Mercenary War. Follow the steps: [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. Further, Hannibal used counter-intelligence to reinforce and spread the rumor that Fabius refused to fight because he was in the pay of the Carthaginians. This one originated due to the hatred between the Romans and Carthaginians, as well as the resurgence of Carthage's army. Updates? Raising fresh troops to replace these delayed the army's departure for Iberia until September. At the Battle of Zama in 202, Hannibal sent an elephant charge against the Romans which Scipio, mindful of Hannibal's strategies, deflected easily. [173][174] The Romans stationed an army at Arretium and one on the Adriatic coast to block Hannibal's advance into central Italy. [185][186] The Roman Senate authorised the raising of a force of 86,000 men, the largest in Roman history to that point. 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. [244] Hannibal attempted to use 80 elephants to break into the Roman infantry formation, but the Romans countered them effectively and they routed back through the Carthaginian ranks. Two years later, Hannibal marched his army across the Ebro River into Saguntum, an Iberian city under Roman protection, effectively declaring war on Rome. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [175][183] Hannibal marched through the richest and most fertile provinces of Italy, hoping the devastation would draw Fabius into battle, but Fabius refused. [169] As a result, most of the Gallic tribes declared for the Carthaginian cause and Hannibal's army grew to 37,000 men. [64] As novice shipwrights, the Romans built copies that were heavier than the Carthaginian vessels; thus they were slower and less manoeuvrable. [157] In Cisalpine Gaul (modern northern Italy), the major Gallic tribes attacked the Roman colonies there, causing the Roman settlers to flee to their previously-established colony of Mutina (modern Modena), where they were besieged. The boys grew bigger and stronger. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. [134] An expedition was prepared to reoccupy Sardinia, where mutinous soldiers had slaughtered all Carthaginians. They went from paying a small amount of taxes to paying no taxes. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. Most of the conflict took place on the island of Sicily, or in the waters surrounding Sicily. He was stopped and defeated at the Battle of the Metaurus in 207 BCE, dying on the field. While Carthage was unhappy with this development, there was little they could do about it. How did the Etruscans influence the Roman economy? She had a powerful navy, a mercenary army, and, through tribute, tariffs, and trade, enough wealth to do as she pleased. Answer: In the first Punic War, Carthaginian expansion into Sicily was reversed and they were forced out of Sicily. The Carthaginian territories were taken over as the Roman province of Africa. - The Punic Wars were the reason Rome . After this disastrous defeat, however, the Romans managed to rebound, and the Carthaginians lost their hold on Italy as Rome won victories in Spain and North Africa under the rising young general Scipio Africanus. Pennsylvania State University. The Punic Wars were caused by the competing interests of Carthage and Rome. and ending in Roman victory with the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. According to legend, as Scipio Aemilianus watched the once-mighty city fall into utter ruin, he broke down in tears. 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. Hasdrubal chose diplomatic, rather than military, solutions to conflict with Rome but was assassinated by a servant in 221 BCE and command then went to Hannibal Barca (l. 247-183 BCE, Hamilcar's oldest son). [245][246] Unlike most battles of the Second Punic War, the Romans had superiority in cavalry and the Carthaginians in infantry. By the end of the Second Punic War, the Romans decide to take the battle to Carthage. [163] A rushed Carthaginian attack in late 218BC was beaten back at the battle of Cissa. She rescues the boy who becomes the founder. [159], Meanwhile, Hannibal assembled a Carthaginian army in New Carthage (modern Cartagena) in Iberia and led it northwards along the coast in May or June. |heave|"Ravens watched the desert heave. [17] Modern historians usually take into account the writings of various Roman annalists, some contemporary; the Sicilian Greek Diodorus Siculus; and the later Roman historians[14] Plutarch, Appian,[note 2] and Dio Cassius. The pressures that Rome faced during the Second Punic War resulted in significant changes to the Roman political system. [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. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. |revered|"Obedience is revered. At some point also Rome entered into relations with Saguntum (Sagunto), a town on the east coast, south of the Ebro. He led Rome as a dictator when he was asked. How did Rome's location near the Mediterranean Sea contribute to its growth? For the full article, see, The interval between the First and Second Punic Wars (241218, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Punic-Wars, The western Mediterranean during the Punic Wars. [115] Evidence of Carthage's financial situation includes their request for a 2,000-talent loan[note 9] from Ptolemaic Egypt, which was refused. Punic Wars, also known as Carthaginian Wars, occurred between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire from 264 to 146 bce. The United States gave the executive branch the power to veto laws. Mark, J. J. In either case, the Carthaginians argued that relationships entered into after the signing of the treaty were not covered by it. [33] The balance were equipped as heavy infantry, with body armour, a large shield and short thrusting swords. [260], As well as manning the walls of Carthage, the Carthaginians formed a field army under Hasdrubal the Boetharch, which was based 25 kilometres (16mi) to the south. [82][83][84] A Carthaginian base on Corsica was seized, but an attack on Sardinia was repulsed; the base on Corsica was then lost. During the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal famously led his army, including three . Cite This Work On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [249] Henceforth it was clear that Carthage was politically subordinate to Rome. The Second Punic War occurred between 218-201 BC. [224] The Carthaginian commander in Iberia, Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal, marched into this area in 215BC, offered battle and was defeated at Dertosa, although both sides suffered heavy casualties. hey adopted some elements of the Greek religion. 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. Omissions? The elephants routed through the Carthaginian infantry, who were then charged by the Roman infantry to complete their defeat. They are known as the Punic Wars because the Latin term for Carthaginian was Punici (older Poenici, from their Phoenician ancestry). Fall of Carthage. [120], The Romans rebuilt their fleet again in 243BC after the Senate approached Rome's wealthiest citizens for loans to finance the construction of one ship each, repayable from the reparations to be imposed on Carthage once the war was won. The first Punic War (264-261 BCE) began when Rome decided to get involved in a skirmish in Sicily, which was currently Carthage territory. In response, Roman advisers were sent to train his soldiers= and he waged war against the Carthaginian ally Gala. 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. Though Rome won both the First and Second Punic Wars, Carthage at times came close to victory. How did the Punic Wars affect the Romans? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fabius' strategy might have worked had not the Romans become impatient with their legions' inactivity. Why did some Romans attempt to reform the government? Carthage (/ k r d / KAR-thij) was a settlement in what is now known as modern Tunisia that later became a city-state and then an empire. [58] So ubiquitous was the type that Polybius uses it as a shorthand for "warship" in general. "Punic" comes from the Latin "Punicus" which was the Roman word for Phoenicians and the Carthaginians were considered Phoenicians. [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 Romans forced them to leave Sicily, return all captured Romans, pay a huge amount of money, and keep their quinqueremes out of Roman waters. Carthage Under SiegeThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). and ending in Roman victory with the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. - Rome won each of the Punic Wars and gained control over the western Mediterranean. As a result of these three wars, Carthage was destroyed, its people were sold into slavery, and Rome gained control of the western Mediterranean. 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. [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. Before the Twelve Tables, which Roman citizens could hold a government office? This battle confirmed Roman dominance in Italy and marked the end of their Fabian strategy. 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. What importance does Carthage serve in the Punic [266] The Romans launched an assault on the walls; after confused fighting they broke into the city, but, lost in the dark, withdrew. He gave himself the title after the Senate appointed him as ruler. Hannibals daring elephantine invasion of Rome reached its height at the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C., where he used his superior cavalry to surround a Roman army twice the size of his own and inflict massive casualties. Hannibal's father, a Carthaginian general, made his son swear everlasting hostility to Rome. [193] Brian Carey writes that these three defeats brought Rome to the brink of collapse. This ultimately led to the establishment of Roman Empire. Carthage was also to pay Rome a war debt of 200 talents every year for fifty years. The Romans killed the Carthaginians on the elephants and sent the animals back into the Carthaginian ranks, then followed with a combined cavalry charge and infantry advance which caught the enemy between and crushed them. The approximate extent of territory controlled by Rome and Carthage immediately before the start of the First Punic War. Rome won all three wars. Please support World History Encyclopedia. [105][106] In 250BC the Carthaginians advanced on Panormus, but in a battle outside the walls the Romans drove off the Carthaginian elephants with javelins. What was a characteristic of the Roman Senate? 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