The Punic Wars

Rome against Carthage

The First Punic War (264 to 241 BC)

• Rome's first territorial conquest outside of Italy was Carthage in Africa.

• Rome wanted Carthage for two reasons:

The First Punic War

• Rome invaded Sicily.

Reasons for the first Punic War:

1) Carthage controlled Sicily, a valuable source of grain.

Reasons for the first Punic War:

2) The navy of Carthage was a threat; it controlled commercial trade in the Mediterranean, and limited trade at sea for Rome.

The First Punic War 264 BC

• Rome built a navy (at first Carthage was stronger at sea). • The Roman Ships had a gangplank to hook on to enemy boats

so legionaries could board and fight on deck. • Rome utterly destroyed the Carthaginian Navy.

The First Punic War

• The Carthaginians signed a treaty making Sicily the first Roman province.

• Next Rome took the islands of Corsica and Sardinia.

The Second Punic War

• Again Carthage became a threat. • They expanded their empire into Spain and were

advancing north, closer to Italy.

The Second Punic War 218 BC – 201 BC

• Rome demanded that the greatest of all Carthaginian generals, Hannibal, surrender a city in Northern Spain - Saguntum (a Roman ally).

• He Refused, and launched an invasion on Italy instead.

The Second Punic War

• From Spain he marched 40,000 infantry, 8000 cavalry, & 60 battle elephants over the Alps (mountain barrier to Italy).

• Within two months he conquered all of Northern Italy.

The Second Punic War• Once in Italy he was almost

unstoppable. • He defeated the Romans at the

Trebia River, & Lake Trasimene.

The Second Punic War• In Southern Italy he defeated

the Romans at the battle of Cannae (216 BC)

• 40,000 Romans killed

The Second Punic War

• Rome gradually recovered.

• While Hannibal remained free to roam Italy, he didn’t have the men or the equipment to attack major cities.

• Romans began to reconquer some of the

Italian cities that were taken by Hannibal

• Before attacking Rome Hannibal needed reinforcements.

• He sent for his brother, Hasdrubal.

• The Romans intercepted his messengers.

• After learning the location of his armies they crushed them & delivered Hastrubal's head to Hannibal.

The Second Punic War• Hannibal was at Rome's doorstep without siege

equipment, or reinforcements from Spain. • In Spain the Carthaginians were losing a counter

invasion led by the Roman General Scipio.• By 206 BC, under Scipio, the Romans pushed

Carthaginians out of Spain. • Scipio conquered all of Spain and Hannibal retreated to

protect Carthage. • In spite of winning every battle he lost the war.

The Second Punic War

• He was defeated at the battle of Zama in 202 BC by Scipio.

• Carthage surrendered and Rome became an empire.• Hannibal committed suicide when assassins followed him

into exile.

The Second Punic War

• Four reasons Hannibal lost the war:• 1) No siege equipment for Rome's walls• 2) Rome's allies were too loyal to join him• 3) Carthage didn't get reinforcements through• 4) The Romans never gave up

The Third Punic War 146 BC

• Carthage revived its commercial empire and violated a treaty by building up its military.

• Rome, still angry about the second war, destroyed, plundered, burned, and plowed the city under, sowing the ground with salt so nothing could grow.

• They slaughtered the inhabitants and those not killed were sold into slavery.