how did the punic wars affect carthage

The two sides' infantry fought inconclusively until the Roman cavalry returned and attacked the Carthaginian rear. 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. Rome and Carthage fought in the Punic Wars. It took place from 218 BC to 201 BC. This victory was followed by an investment of the chief Punic base at Lilybaeum (Marsala), together with Drepanum (Trapani), by land and sea. [170] A large Roman army was lured into combat by Hannibal at the battle of the Trebia, encircled and destroyed. 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. In either case, the Carthaginians argued that relationships entered into after the signing of the treaty were not covered by it. How did the Greeks influence religion in Rome? It lasted 23 years, until 241BC, when the Carthaginians were defeated. He and his wife raised the boys. - Rome won each of the Punic Wars and gained control over the western Mediterranean. [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. Seeing the crying babies, she took pity on them. [62][63], In 260BC Romans set out to construct a fleet and used a shipwrecked Carthaginian quinquereme as a blueprint for their own. World History Encyclopedia. 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 Romans fought against the city of Carthage which then ended in their destruction. After the Carthaginians failed to resupply the city, Syracuse fell that autumn; Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier. [190] At least 67,500 Romans were killed or captured. It is a debatable point whether his attack contravened the new treaty. The Carthaginians refused to comply with this and so began the Third Punic War. [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. Had the Carthaginian government better supplied and reinforced Hamilcar, they most probably would have won the war but, instead, they contented themselves with hoarding their wealth and trusted to Hamilcar and his mercenaries to take care of their enemies without the necessary support. [127][128] War-weary Carthage fared poorly in the initial engagements, especially under the generalship of Hanno. Several different "talents" are known from antiquity. While this was the Romans only naval defeat in the war, their fleet had suffered a series of grievous losses by storm, and now it was so reduced that the attack upon Sicily had to be suspended. 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. The Punic Wars were caused by the competing interests of Carthage and Rome. [77][78] The focus of the war shifted to the sea, where the Romans had little experience; on the few occasions they had previously felt the need for a naval presence they had usually relied on small squadrons provided by their Latin or Greek allies. 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. How did the citizens of the Roman Republic govern themselves? [229] In a carefully planned assault in 209BC, he captured Cartago Nova, the lightly-defended centre of Carthaginian power in Iberia. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! [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. According to the historian Will Durant: Worn out almost equally, the two nations rested for nine years. Hannibal, however, never attained the goal of creating a major division between Rome and its allies. Best Answer. If either commander felt at a disadvantage, they might march off without engaging. [174] Hannibal hoped some of these allies could be persuaded to defect and marched south hoping to win over Roman allies among the ethnic Greek and Italic states. Two of the major Samnite tribes also joined the Carthaginian cause. Hasdrubal[note 13] led the Carthaginian cavalry on the left wing and routed the Roman cavalry opposite, then swept around the rear of the Romans to attack the cavalry on the other wing. 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. Read the passage from the myth of Romulus and Remus. in Carthage, a powerful city in North Africa that was a threat to the Roman Republic in the Mediterranean. 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. This aggression provoked war with Carthage and Syracuse. These wars were fought on three frontiers. [100] The Carthaginians attacked and recaptured Akragas in 255BC, but not believing they could hold the city they razed and abandoned it. As you read this section, make note of what the United States created and what it valued. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. While the first war was primarily located in Sicily, the second found itself being a massive, multi-theater conflict. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Punic_Wars/. This erupted into full-scale mutiny under the leadership of Spendius and Matho; 70,000 Africans from Carthage's oppressed dependant territories flocked to join the mutineers, bringing supplies and finance. the mountain range in the center of the peninsula. Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264146 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. It resulted in the destruction of Carthage. A second Roman fleet, which subsequently reached Africa after defeating the full Carthaginian fleet off Cape Hermaeum (Shark Peninsula), withdrew all the remaining troops. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Since the 19th-century read more, As the first Roman emperor (though he never claimed the title for himself), Augustus led Romes transformation from republic to empire during the tumultuous years following the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father Julius Caesar. [2][6][7] Modern historians consider Polybius to have treated the relatives of Scipio Aemilianus, his patron and friend, unduly favourably but the consensus is to accept his account largely at face value. These included the large city of Capua and the major port city of Tarentum (modern Taranto). Underline the antecedent. [163] A rushed Carthaginian attack in late 218BC was beaten back at the battle of Cissa. Nevertheless, three years . Roman families prayed around shrines at home each day. Significance of Punic Wars. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The Punic wars would have ended early, Carthage would have colonized Italy and gone on to become the dominant superpower in the Mediterranean, significantly altering European history as we know it. [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. The Carthaginians had already agreed to help and felt betrayed by the Mamertines' appeal to Rome. In 255, under Xanthippus command, they offered battle to Regulus, who had taken up position with an inadequate force near Tunis, outmaneuvered him, and destroyed the bulk of his army. In 218 Hannibal attacked Roman territory, starting from Spain and . Rome brought in an army to settle the dispute and Carthage took that as an act of war. Some members of the city council denounced his actions and Hasdrubal had them put to death and took control of the city. [269], Scipio moved back to a close blockade of the city and built a mole which cut off supply from the sea. 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. The added weight in the prow compromised both the ship's manoeuvrability and its seaworthiness, and in rough sea conditions the corvus became useless; part way through the First Punic War the Romans ceased using it. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. They ordered him to give up his military and return to Rome. [22] During this period of Roman expansion Carthage, with its capital in what is now Tunisia, had come to dominate southern Iberia, much of the coastal regions of North Africa, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia and the western half of Sicily in a thalassocracy. The Second Punic War began in 218BC and witnessed the Carthaginian general Hannibal's crossing of the Alps and invasion of mainland Italy. How did Julius Caesar become dictator for life? In this fight, Romulus killed Remus. Carthage was Phoenician city founded in 814 BC, and the term Punic relates to the Latin and Greek words for Phoenician. Dahia Ibo Shabaka, Larry S. Krieger, Linda Black, Phillip C. Naylor, Roger B. Beck, Deborah Gray White, Edward L. Ayers, Jess F. de la Teja, Robert D. Schulzinger. The Greek historian Polybius, one of the main sources of information about the Punic Wars, was born around 200 B.C. The Punic Wars are also considered to include the four-year-long revolt against Carthage which started in 241BC. [2] He is best known for The Histories, written sometime after 146BC. [265] The war dragged on into 147BC. 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). The ruins of the city lie east of modern Tunis on the North African coast. 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. Also in 146 B.C., Roman troops moved east to defeat King Philip V of Macedonia in the Macedonian Wars, and by years end Rome reigned supreme over an empire stretching from the Atlantic coast of Spain to the border between Greece and Asia Minor (now Turkey). Later on the 1203 Words; 5 Pages . [209], Up to 215BC Sicily remained firmly in Roman hands, blocking the ready seaborne reinforcement and resupply of Hannibal from Carthage. What was one way the consuls were prevented from having too much power? This forced them West, into Spain, where a particularly famous family, the Barcas, started conquering Spain. She cared for them for years. [12][15][16] Several of the city states in southern Italy allied with Hannibal or were captured when pro-Carthaginian factions betrayed their defences. [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. Third Punic War also called Third Carthaginian War (149-146 bce) third of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) Empire that resulted in the final destruction of Carthage the enslavement of its population and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. 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. [281] A century later, the site of Carthage was rebuilt as a Roman city by Julius Caesar; it became one of the main cities of Roman Africa by the time of the Empire. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. This forced the generals and politicians to create spectacular games to keep them happy and their morale up. [232] The Carthaginians were defeated, but Hasdrubal was able to withdraw the majority of his army and prevent any Roman pursuit; most of his losses were among his Iberian allies. Before the Twelve Tables, which Roman citizens could hold a government office? [223], The Roman fleet continued on from Massala in the autumn of 218BC, landing the army it was transporting in north-east Iberia, where it won support among the local tribes. The treaties of friendship between Rome and Carthage were based mainly on trade. How is the US government similar to the Roman Republic? In spring 212BC the Romans stormed Syracuse in a surprise night assault and captured several districts of the city. This breach of the recently signed treaty is considered by modern historians to be the single greatest cause of war with Carthage breaking out again in 218BC in the Second Punic War. Many historians believe that if Hannibal had pressed on and taken Rome, the second Punic war would have swung heavily in favor of the Carthaginians. He defeated the Romans at Drepana in 249 BCE but then was forced to withdraw due to a lack of manpower and supplies. Hannibal came out of retirement to try to rectify the situation, was betrayed by the rich Carthaginians to the Romans, and fled. They concentrated their efforts on the conquest of Spain rather than trying to drive the Romans out of their former colonies. [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. During the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal famously led his army, including three . 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. The Second Punic War saw Hannibal and his troopsincluding as many as 90,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry and a number of elephantsmarch from Spain across the Alps and into Italy, where they scored a string of victories over Roman troops at Ticinus, Trebia and Trasimene. When an epidemic spreads beyond a countrys borders, thats when the disease officially becomes a pandemic. Which natural feature is called "the Apennines"? The Romans fought for the Mamertines of Messina and, in 264 BCE, Rome and Carthage declared war on each other for the control of Sicily. [34][35], Carthaginian citizens only served in their army if there was a direct threat to the city of Carthage. He shrewdly combined military read more, Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. They were a fertile place to grow crops and raise livestock. 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. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Hasdrubal fled Spain, following his brother over the Alps into Italy to join forces. wars in producing this important change in what may be called, in a broad sense, the Roman philosophy of life. [42] On occasion some of the infantry would wear captured Roman armour, especially among the troops of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. [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. The three Punic Wars between . These roles would be reversed after the First Punic War and the Carthaginians progressively lost more power, wealth, and prestige in the later conflicts. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The successful Roman invasion of the Carthaginian homeland in Africa in 204BC led to Hannibal's recall. The Third Punic War was essentially the siege of Carthage; it led to the destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its people, and Roman hegemony in the western Mediterranean. [209][213] It captured several Roman-garrisoned towns on Sicily; many Roman garrisons were either expelled or massacred by Carthaginian partisans. What importance does Carthage serve in the Punic Both were wealthy cities competing for land. He thought that Caesar was a danger to the entire republic. - In the First Punic War, Rome gained . 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 Of modern Tunis on the North African coast lightly-defended centre of Carthaginian power in Iberia were caused by the '... Having too much power Roman citizens could hold a government office forced the and... 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