[216], In the spring of 207BC Hasdrubal Barca repeated the feat of his elder brother by marching an army of 35,000 men across the Alps and invading Italy. [163] The Roman commanders captured Saguntum in 212BC and in 211BC hired 20,000 Celtiberian mercenaries to reinforce their army. [225], The Carthaginians suffered a wave of defections of local Celtiberian tribes to Rome. He then charged into the legions from behind. After the Carthaginians failed to resupply the city, Syracuse fell that autumn; Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier. His grandnephew became the first person to rule as emperor. [253] Over the following 48 years he repeatedly took advantage of Carthage's inability to protect its possessions. Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.) Warfare in the Hellenistic Age: The Punic Wars. How did class conflict shape the Roman Republic? Many senior Carthaginians wanted to reject it, but Hannibal spoke strongly in its favour and it was accepted in spring 201BC. Traditionally, when at war the Romans would raise two legions, each of 4,200 infantry[note 4] and 300 cavalry. [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. It led to the establishment of the Twelve Tables. 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. Other cities have copied architecture to express a city in a lucrative and valued way. After an initial Carthaginian victory, Fabius Maximus Cunctator harassed Hannibal wherever he went without offering battle. [191], The historian Richard Miles describes Cannae as "Rome's greatest military disaster". The campaign ended in disaster for the Carthaginians and their army surrendered. How did the punic wars affect rome? How did Rome's location near the Mediterranean Sea contribute to its growth? The three Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome took place over nearly a century, beginning in 264 B.C. He established conditions for future expansion. Polybius gives 140,000 personnel in the Roman fleet and 150,000 in the Carthaginian; these figures are broadly accepted by historians of the conflict. Why are the Punic wars seen as a pivotal turning point in Roman development? [249] Henceforth it was clear that Carthage was politically subordinate to Rome. 2 Yet, in . 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. 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. Mark, Joshua J.. "Punic Wars." Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) Observing that the three Carthaginian armies were deployed apart from each other, the Romans split their forces. Hasdrubal fled Spain, following his brother over the Alps into Italy to join forces. The ones referred to in this article are all Euboic (or Euboeic) talents, of approximately 26 kilograms (57lb). [42] On occasion some of the infantry would wear captured Roman armour, especially among the troops of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. [20], The Roman Republic had been aggressively expanding in the southern Italian mainland for a century before the First Punic War. [273] The next morning the Romans started systematically working their way through the residential part of the city, killing everyone they encountered and firing the buildings behind them. His surprise entry into the Italian peninsula led to the cancellation of Rome's planned campaign for the year: an invasion of Africa. A Roman relief force broke through the siege, but was then ambushed and besieged itself. The Punic Wars provided Rome with the training, the navy, and the wealth to expand from a small city to an empire which would rule the known world. They kept the people happy by providing them with cheap food and entertainment. [170] A large Roman army was lured into combat by Hannibal at the battle of the Trebia, encircled and destroyed. The Carthaginian government, however, still as corrupt and selfish as it had always been, taxed the people heavily to help pay the war debt while they, themselves, contributed nothing. The boys' mother was murdered by an evil king named Amulius. World History Encyclopedia. The treaties of friendship between Rome and Carthage were based mainly on trade. The king then threw the two babies into the Tiber River. By 265 B.C., Carthage was the wealthiest and most advanced city in the region, as well as its leading naval power. 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. There was also extensive fighting in Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal), Sicily, Sardinia and North Africa. [note 11][135][136] Weakened by 30 years of war, Carthage agreed rather than again enter into conflict with Rome. The Romans incorporated many Greek gods into their religion. How did the Punic Wars affect the development of the Roman Republic? She had a powerful navy, a mercenary army, and, through tribute, tariffs, and trade, enough wealth to do as she pleased. [25] Relationships were good and the two states had several times declared their mutual friendship via formal alliances: in 509BC, 348BC and around 279BC. By 212BC the full complement of the legions deployed would have been in excess of 100,000 men, plus, as always, a similar number of allied troops. [100] The Carthaginians attacked and recaptured Akragas in 255BC, but not believing they could hold the city they razed and abandoned it. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [210][211] The siege was marked by the ingenuity of Archimedes in inventing war machines to counteract the traditional siege warfare methods of the Romans. Later on the 1203 Words; 5 Pages . [53][54] Forming up in battle order was a complicated and premeditated affair, which took several hours. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Abandoning that tactic resulted in a major Roman loss at the Battle of Cannae (216); that defeat drew the Romans together, and, though worn down, they managed to rally, eventually defeating Hannibal at the Battle of Zama (202). [121] This new fleet effectively blockaded the Carthaginian garrisons. The Punic Wars and Expansion. Background. [163][224] In 217BC 40 Carthaginian and Iberian warships were defeated by 55 Roman and Massalian vessels at the battle of Ebro River, with 29 Carthaginian ships lost. The fighting took place primarily on Sicily and its surrounding waters, as well as in North Africa, Corsica and Sardinia. [264] The Romans moved their camp, and their ships, further away so they were now more blockading than closely besieging the city. [137] Polybius considered this "contrary to all justice" and modern historians have variously described the Romans' behaviour as "unprovoked aggression and treaty-breaking",[135] "shamelessly opportunistic"[138] and an "unscrupulous act". All Rights Reserved. [175][181], The Romans, panicked by these heavy defeats, appointed Quintus Fabius as dictator, with sole charge of the war effort. This victory was followed by an investment of the chief Punic base at Lilybaeum (Marsala), together with Drepanum (Trapani), by land and sea. https://www.worldhistory.org/Punic_Wars/. Hannibal returned to the city and told the Senate that Carthage should immediately surrender. [194] Within a few weeks of Cannae a Roman army of 25,000 was ambushed by Boii Gauls at the battle of Silva Litana and annihilated. Scipio Africanus the ElderMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). He and his wife raised the boys. How did the Punic Wars affect the development of the Roman Republic? 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. What is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides? [229][235] The last Carthaginian-held city in Iberia, Gades, defected to the Romans. [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. [2][3] Polybius's work is considered broadly objective and largely neutral between Carthaginian and Roman points of view. During the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal famously led his army, including three . Their army raided the Roman lines of communication,[263] and in 148BC Carthaginian fire ships destroyed many Roman vessels. If either commander felt at a disadvantage, they might march off without engaging. Hannibal was caught in southern Italy in a cat & mouse game with the. This left Rome free to land a force on Corsica (259) and expel the Carthaginians but did not suffice to loosen their grasp on Sicily. The challenge the nascent Roman Empire faced wasn't just that their opponents were bigger than them. 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. These wars were fought on three frontiers. [254] Masinissa's seizures of and raids into Carthaginian territory became increasingly flagrant. [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. Both allowed for the easier movement of troops. How did the Punic Wars affect the Romans? [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. The First Punic War was the closest match, for numerous reasons, b. [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]. [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. It is a debatable point whether his attack contravened the new treaty. His aim was to join his forces with those of Hannibal, but Hannibal was unaware of his presence. The elephants routed through the Carthaginian infantry, who were then charged by the Roman infantry to complete their defeat. A gross breach of the treaty was perpetrated when a Roman force was sent to occupy Sardinia, whose insurgent garrison had offered to surrender the island (238). [71] Away from the coasts its hilly and rugged terrain made manoeuvring large forces difficult and so encouraged defensive strategies. [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. - Rome won each of the Punic Wars and gained control over the western Mediterranean. Web. In either case, the Carthaginians argued that relationships entered into after the signing of the treaty were not covered by it. Hamilcar Barca was called upon to raise the siege and did so, even though Carthage had refused him the much-needed supplies and reinforcements on his campaigns on her behalf and he had led most of these mercenaries in battle himself. Unlike Rome, Carthage was a seafaring empire that had much better ships and naval technology. How did the Punic Wars affect Carthage? Hannibal's father, a Carthaginian general, made his son swear everlasting hostility to Rome. They led to the Roman Republic controlling much of the Mediterranean world, to the ruin of a great North African civilization, and to many modern people speaking a Latin-based or Latin-influenced language. The remaining Carthaginian-controlled towns then surrendered or were taken through force or treachery[214][215] and the Sicilian grain supply to Rome and its armies was secured. . How did the results of the First Punic War lead to the Second Punic War? [161] A Roman fleet carrying the Iberian-bound army landed at Rome's ally Massalia (modern Marseille) at the mouth of the Rhone,[162] but Hannibal evaded the Romans and they continued to Iberia. [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. [163] A rushed Carthaginian attack in late 218BC was beaten back at the battle of Cissa. The Second Punic War saw Roman troops, led by Scipio Africanus, defeat Hannibal after his stunning invasion of Italy. It resulted in the destruction of Carthage. Carthage withstood the Roman siege for two years before a change of Roman command put the young general Scipio Aemilianus (later known as Scipio the Younger) in charge of the North Africa campaign in 147 B.C. The Romans were a military people first and foremost. ), or Marcus Antonius, was an ally of Julius Caesar and the main rival of his successor Octavian (later Augustus). The Romans' lodgement between the Ebro and the Pyrenees blocked the route from Iberia to Italy and greatly hindered the despatch of reinforcements from Iberia to Hannibal.
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