With those two men he was integral to Romes transition from republic to empire. [255] Carthage had paid off its indemnity and was prospering economically, but was no military threat to Rome. The Carthaginian's superior seamanship was not as effective as they had hoped, while the Romans' corvus gave them an edge as the battle degenerated into a shapeless brawl. [198][199], When the port city of Locri defected to Carthage in the summer of 215BC it was immediately used to reinforce the Carthaginian forces in Italy with soldiers, supplies and war elephants. 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. [237], In 213BC Syphax, a powerful Numidian king in North Africa, declared for Rome. The First Punic War was the closest match, for numerous reasons, b. They served under a variety of arrangements; for example, some were the regular troops of allied cities or kingdoms seconded to Carthage as part of formal treaties, some were from allied states fighting under their own leaders, many were volunteers from areas under Carthaginian control who were not Carthaginian citizens. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. 1 In fact, the Carthaginian's activities in the Second Punic War made such a lasting impression on history that the conflict was branded 'Hannibal's War'. It was the long-standing Roman procedure to elect two men each year as senior magistrates, known as consuls, who at time of war would each lead an army. Answer: A result of the first Punic War and the Romans was the decisive naval victory against the Carthaginians at the Aegate Islands. But while in those years Carthage did nothinga number of Roman citizens voluntarily presented to the state a fleet of 200 men-of-war, carrying 60,000 troops. To avoid complete humiliation Carthage had no resource but to humiliate its adversary. - The Punic Wars were the reason Rome . The Carthaginian formation collapsed; Hannibal was one of the few to escape the field. This victory had significant repercussions on Roman politics and society. How were plebeians and enslaved persons similar in Roman society? [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. There were strong commercial links. Rome was better disposed to protracted warfare all three times they went up against Carthage. Fabius refused to engage Hannibal directly relying, instead, on cutting off his supplies and starving his army. [63][87] The Carthaginians were again beaten;[88] this was possibly the largest naval battle in history by the number of combatants involved. The interaction of these conflicting policies caused the two powers to stumble into war more by accident than design. 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. Invested with an unrestricted foreign command, he spent the rest of his life in founding a Spanish empire (237228). Carthage was Phoenician city founded in 814 BC, and the term Punic relates to the Latin and Greek words for Phoenician. The Punic Wars and Expansion. They were a series of three wars that led to the destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its people, and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. By the time the First Punic War broke out, Rome had become the dominant power throughout the Italian peninsula, while Carthage-a powerful city- Even so, they lacked the expertise at sea of the Carthaginians and, more importantly, were lacking a general with the skill of the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca (l. 275-228 BCE). Rome received the training, the navy, and the wealth it needed from the Punic Wars to grow from a small city to an empire that would rule the known world. Rome divided the new territories into provinces. The triumvirate took control of the government. As a result, the Roman infantry was surrounded with no means of escape. [92] At the battle of Tunis in spring 255BC a combined force of infantry, cavalry and war elephants under the command of the Spartan mercenary Xanthippus crushed the Romans. [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. [82][83][84] A Carthaginian base on Corsica was seized, but an attack on Sardinia was repulsed; the base on Corsica was then lost. How did the Roman Republic influence the executive branch in the United States? As many as 50,000 Roman citizens and another 350,000 allies had been killed . As a result of these three wars, Carthage was destroyed, its people were sold into slavery, and Rome gained control of the western Mediterranean. Operations began with a joint attack upon Messana, which the Romans easily repelled. [158] An army had previously been created by the Romans to campaign in Iberia and the Roman Senate detached one Roman and one allied legion from it to send to north Italy. The Carthaginian council upheld Hannibals action and drew upon itself a declaration of war. Why did Rome declare war against Carthage in the Third Punic War? Does knowing a foreign language help you get into college? Scipio was not able to prevent Hasdrubal from leading his depleted army through the western passes of the Pyrenees into Gaul. [278] The province became a major source of grain and other foodstuffs. - In the First Punic War, Rome gained control of Sicily. Best Answer. Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264-146 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. Carthage and its HarbourThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). Explain how the connotation of the new word differs from the connotation of the original. Hannibals losses in the Second Punic War effectively put an end to Carthages empire in the western Mediterranean, leaving Rome in control of Spain and allowing Carthage to retain only its territory in North Africa. 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. A friend of and mentor to Scipio Aemilianus, he was an eyewitness to the siege and destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Hannibal is called back to defend the homeland and he is defeated here at Zama. Carthage was also forced to give up its fleet and pay a large indemnity in silver to Rome. At the start of the war Carthage was the dominant power of the western Mediterranean, with an extensive maritime empire, while Rome was a rapidly expanding power in Italy, with a strong army but no navy. This could be increased to 5,000 in some circumstances, Roman and Greek sources refer to these foreign fighters derogatively as "mercenaries", but the modern historian Adrian Goldsworthy describes this as "a gross oversimplification". [83], Taking advantage of their naval victories the Romans launched an invasion of North Africa in 256BC,[86] which the Carthaginians intercepted at the battle of Cape Ecnomus off the southern coast of Sicily. He defeated the Romans at Drepana in 249 BCE but then was forced to withdraw due to a lack of manpower and supplies. How did the Punic Wars affect the development of the Roman Republic? After one campaign they were ready to sue for peace, but the terms which the Roman commander Marcus Atilius Regulus offered were intolerably harsh. Infantry were usually positioned in the centre of the battle line, with light infantry skirmishers to their front and cavalry on each flank. What concern did Romans have about Julius Caesar? The Romans fought against the city of Carthage which then ended in their destruction. [276][277], The remaining Carthaginian territories were annexed by Rome and reconstituted to become the Roman province of Africa with Utica as its capital. They kept the people happy by providing them with cheap food and entertainment. [71] Away from the coasts its hilly and rugged terrain made manoeuvring large forces difficult and so encouraged defensive strategies. [192] Toni aco del Hoyo describes the Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae as the three "great military calamities" suffered by the Romans in the first three years of the war. [33] The balance were equipped as heavy infantry, with body armour, a large shield and short thrusting swords. If either commander felt at a disadvantage, they might march off without engaging. Hamilcar was surnamed Barca (meaning `lightning') because of his speed in attacking anywhere and the suddenness of the action. [195] Fabius was elected consul in 215 BC and was re-elected in 214 BC. 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. [150] At some time during the next six years Rome made a separate agreement with the city of Saguntum, which was situated well south of the Ebro. The treaties of friendship between Rome and Carthage were based mainly on trade. The Romans took the Punic Wars to be a purely military affair and used the military as the primary tool of warfare. Both empires wanted to take control of Sicily and Corsica, the ideal trading spot in the entire Mediterranean. 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. [10] The details of the war in modern sources are largely based on interpretations of Polybius's account. [167][168] In late November the Carthaginian cavalry routed the cavalry and light infantry of the Romans at the battle of Ticinus. [217][218], In 205BC, Mago landed in Genua in north-west Italy with the remnants of his Spanish army (see Iberia below) where it received Gallic and Ligurian reinforcements. How did the Punic Wars affect the Romans? How did class conflict shape the Roman Republic? The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage between 264 and 146 B.C.E. Hannibal kept his oath and devoted his life to defeating Rome. [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. Two of the major Samnite tribes also joined the Carthaginian cause. The Mamertini, a band of Campanian mercenaries, had forcibly established themselves within the town and were being hard pressed in 264 by Hieron II of Syracuse. 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 end result was that Rome defeated Carthage and went on to dominate both the western and eastern halves of the Mediterranean. [2][3] Polybius's work is considered broadly objective and largely neutral between Carthaginian and Roman points of view. A cavalry force of 4,000 from the other Roman army was also engaged and wiped out. And after the war ended, many veterans from farming families preferred settling in cities, especially Rome, rather than return to the countryside. [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. Ercte (247244) and Mt. [179][180] The prisoners were badly treated if they were Romans, but released if they were from one of Rome's Latin allies. What was the role of the judicial branch of Roman government? How did the Punic Wars affect the Romans? In 219 Hannibal laid siege to Saguntum and carried the town in spite of a stubborn defense. The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic. [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. Nevertheless, their victory must have been bittersweet. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Upon Hasdrubals death in 221 B.C., Hannibal took command of Carthaginian forces in Spain. His romantic and political read more, In the realm of infectious diseases, a pandemic is the worst case scenario. The Punic wars were a series of conflicts encompassing 43 years of war over more than a century, from 265 BCE to 146 BCE. The Greek historian Polybius, one of the main sources of information about the Punic Wars, was born around 200 B.C. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [note 8][89][90][91] The invasion initially went well and in 255BC the Carthaginians sued for peace; the proposed terms were so harsh they decided to fight on. Why were Carthage and Rome continually at war between 264 and 146 BCE? [170] A large Roman army was lured into combat by Hannibal at the battle of the Trebia, encircled and destroyed. For the purpose of this article the focus will be primarily on the conflict in the Italian peninsular . Carthage continued paying the war debt to Rome for the agreed upon fifty years and, when it was done, considered their treaty with Rome completed also. There were campaigns in Italy, Iberia (Spain), Sicily, North Africa, and more. He was reinforcing the will to resist in the Carthaginian citizens; from this point there could be no possibility of negotiations. "|shift or raise with great effort; throw|violent; painful| 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. B.C., Hannibal took command of Carthaginian forces in Spain in 814,. Non-Profit organization registered in Canada 10 ] the balance were equipped as heavy infantry, body! His army resource but to humiliate its adversary eastern halves of the judicial branch of Roman government Punic relates the... 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