Transcript The Punic Wars

The Punic Wars
Carthage
Ancient Phoenician City
 Fertile interior land
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Massive port
 Produced the best Navy
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Known to Rome as the “Great
Other”
Origins of the
st
1
Punic war
Carthage owned part of Sicily
 “Small” dispute in Messana
 One side went to Rome for aid and
the other went to Carthage
 Carthage was allowed into Messana
 Rome felt obligated to respond.
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1st
Punic War (264 – 250BCE)
Majority of the war was fought at sea
 Rome had made many mistakes
during this war
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◦ They were not sailors
◦ Loss of many fleets
◦ Election of
new General
annually
1st
Punic War
Romans were always better at Land
battle
 Development of the “Corvus”
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Plank of wood between boats
Results of
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st
1 War
Rome implemented consequences on
Carthage:
◦ Give up Sicily
◦ Puppet Ruler
Rome learned new tactics for war at sea
 Learned to conduct war on Grand Scale
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Origins of the
nd
2
Punic War
Peace Treaty with Rome proved difficult
 Rome was invading Corsica
 Hamilcar Barca
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◦ Conquered much of Spain
◦ Despised Rome wanted to have vengeance
for Carthage
Hamilcar was getting to
old for battle.
 Trained his son.
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Hannibal
Hannibal was quite young
when he became a leader
 Military Genius
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◦ Ancient and Modern Tactics
Marched on Rome at the age
of 25
 Wanted to fight on
Carthaginian terms
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2nd Punic War
Rome had an “endless” supply of
manpower
 Rome had many alliances
 Allies were tired of Roman Treatment
and Endless wars.
 Hannibal
decided to
invade Italy itself
 War broke out
218 BCE
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2nd Punic War
2nd Punic War - Alps
Hannibal’s march in to Italy
 Roman’s were not prepared for land
invasion
 As Hannibal
progressed out of
Spain, Romans were
not “threatened”
 Rhone River in
France
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2nd Punic War - Alps
Crossing the Alps – 217 BCE
 Dangerous 2 reasons:
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◦ The weather/Ecology of the Mountains
◦ Tribes they encountered
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“Freed” the Gaul
and other Germanic
tribes of Northern
Italy
2nd Punic War
Roman react sending both Consuls to
meet Carthage forces
 Trebbia River, Hannibal tricked the
Romans
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2nd Punic War
Romans
recouped, and
met Hannibal a
second time.
 Lake Trasimene.
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◦ Defeat Rome
◦ Still not receiving as much aid
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Annual elections – 216 elections.
◦ Would new consuls better Rome’s chance?
Battle of Cannae
Results Of Cannae
212 BCE
 Rome rebuilt
an army.
 212 – 211
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◦ Rome and
Carthage attempts
to starve each other
• Hannibal began to terrorize cities
• Roman’s goal to keep Hannibal in the
South part of Italy
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
Ran for Consul 205 BCE
 Would attack Carthage 204
 Carthage appealed for
Hannibal to return

Hannibal took 2 years to
get back to Carthage.
 Hannibal was able to raise
more troops
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Battle of Zama
Both side had about
the same number of
men.
 Romans had the
better cavalry
 Hannibal, on home
ground in Africa now,
had his elephants
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Scipio knew how Hannibal fought with trickery
 Roman troops were prepared
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End of the Second Punic War
VICTORY!!!
Results of 2nd Punic War
Turning point for Rome & Republic
 During the past 50 years Rome gained control
over the majority of the Mediterranean
 Republic had to adjust:
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Finances
Administration
Foreign Policy
Alliance system
Later Rome would have to face Greece
3rd Punic War
Carthage
recovered
economically
 The Roman
Senate felt
threaten
 Cato –
Senate Elder
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Started to campaign with the slogan:
Carthago Delenda Est! (Carthage must be destroyed)
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3rd Punic War
Cato got his
way
 Rome marched
on Carthage
 Carthage
avoided fighting
at first
149 BCE – Carthage defends itself.
3 years of fighting, Carthage city walls were
breached
Rome was victorious
Destruction of Carthage – Salted the Land
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