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THE PUNIC WARS
CONTENT SOURCE: RONALD MELLOR & MARNI MGEE
THE ANCIENT ROMAN WORLD, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS,
2004, p41 to 46
Source: http://www.pinterest.com/razvannicu/history/
What were the Punic
Wars?
Two very long battles between the
Carthaginians (in Africa) and
Rome.
Who were the
Carthaginians?
They were seafaring people who
left their homeland in Phoenicia
(modern day Lebanon) around 800
BCE.
They set up colonies in North
Africa and Spain and also on the
island of Sicily.
The City of Carthage
The most powerful Phoenician colony was the
North African City of Carthage.
It became a busy trading post for merchants from
all over the Mediterranean World.
In time Carthage gained independence from its
mother country, conquered other Phoenician
colonies and founded colonies of its own.
By the 3rd century BCE, this thriving and wealth
city controlled trade across the western
Mediterranean.
Why was there conflict between
Rome & Carthage?
Like two bullies on the same
playground, Rome and Carthage both
wanted to be the power in the
western Mediterranean world.
They both wanted to dominate the
fertile island of Sicily and control
trade at the straits of Messina –
between Sicily and the Italian
mainland.
What advantage does
Carthage have over Rome?
At this period in history Carthage
was wealthier and had a much
better navy.
Conflict begins in Sicily
264BC
Conflicts starts when the Sicilian city of
Messina asks Rome to help it fight against
Syracuse – another city in Sicily.
Then Syracuse asked Carthage to join it,
in its fight against Messina & Rome.
A series of wars ranged, on and off, for a
century with these two military alliances
fighting against one another
Why are they called the
Punic Wars?
They are called the Punic Wars, from
the Latin word for Phoenicia.
The enemies fought each other in Italy,
Spain, Sicily and North Africa.
The First Punic War:
Battles at Sea.
At the beginning of the First Punic
War, the Romans had no navy, only
trading ships.
They didn’t even know how to fight at
sea – they only knew how to fight on
land.
Rome Invents a Grappling
Machine for Sea Battles
The Romans invented a grappling machine that made
sea battles more like land battles.
The machine had huge hooks with heavy ropes attached.
The Roman solider-sailors lobbed the hooks over the side
of an enemy ship.
The hooks bit into the other ship, holding it while
Romans pulled it up beside their own.
With the enemy’s ship locked in place, the Romans
scrambled aboard and fought hand to hand on deck.
This technique gave the Romans a fighting chance at sea.
The First Punic War
In 241 BC, a Roman Commander
attacked the Carthaginian fleet of 170
ships.
Despite stormy seas, Rome sank 50
enemy ships and captured 70 more.
What was left of the Carthaginian fleet
sailed home defeated.
When the ships arrived in their home
port, the commander was executed.
The Results of the First
Punic War
After 23 years of battle, the first Punic
War comes to an end.
Rome controlled Sicily and dominated
the western Mediterranean.
A harsh peace treaty is opposed on
Carthage.
First Punic War:
Peace Treaty
Rome demanded that Cartage pay 80
tons of silver – this was equal to a
years pay for 200,000 Roman soldiers.
The city had to find some way to pay
this huge bill.
Carthage conquers the territory
of modern day Spain
In order to pay its debt to the Romans, Carthage
looked for new lands to conquer.
Carthage sent its top general, Hamilcar Barca to
Spain.
His assignment was to conquer the region and
develop the silver and copper mines there.
Hamilcar took his son, Hannibal to Spain with
him, and he did his job well.
He sent money and goods back to Cartage.
A new leader for Carthage:
Hannibal
When Hamilcar died, the 26 year old
Hannibal took over the job.
Like his father, Hannibal considered
Spain to be his territory
He believed Carthage should be the
power in this region.
Roman Alliance with
Spanish City of Saguntum
When Rome made an alliance with the
Spanish city of Saguntum, Hannibal
fought back and fulfilled the promise he
made as a boy – to be the sworn enemy of
Rome
Hannibal blocked the trade routes in and
out of Saguntum: all supplies of food and
military aid would not reach the city.
The Fall of Saguntum laids the
groundwork for the Second Punic War
After 8 months, Saguntum fell to
Hannibal’s warriors.
And in 218 BC Rome declared war
on Carthage again – The second
Punic war had begun.
The Second Pubic Wars:
Strategy
The Romans planned to invade Spain
and fight Hannibal there.
However, Hannibal decided to
surprise Rome and invade Italy first.
Hannibal’s
Long March to Rome
The journey towards Rome took five months,
beginning with a long journey across France.
Then Hannibal led his soldiers through the
Alps.
He lost one third of his men during the icy
mountain crossing.
However, Hannibal was not deterred and he
marched on with men, horse and war elephants.
War Ready Elephants:
Hannibal’s African elephants were decorated
for battle and painted in bright colors.
Their trucks were usually red.
Swords were attached to tusks.
Some carried towers on their backs.
These small fortresses protected the soldiers
riding inside as they shot arrows and hurdled
stones at their Roman enemies.
Second Punic Wars
The Battle of Lake Trebia
The Romans first faced Hannibal’s elephants
a the Battle of Lake Trebia in northern Italy
in 218BC.
Most Italians have never seen Elephants
before and their size alone, must have been
terrifying.
The Roman horses and many soldiers too
panicked at the site and smell of these
creatures.
Second Punic Wars
The Battle of Lake Trasimene
Hannibal showed his cleverness at the
Battle of Trasimene in Central Italy in
217BC.
Pretending to march against Rome itself,
he lured the Romans into a narrow pass
and ambushed them from the hills.
Hannibal’s troops won a major victory
over Rome at this location.
Second Punic Wars
The Battle of Cannae
A year later in 216 BC, Hannibal conquered the
Roman Troops again in the Battle of Cannae in
southern Italy, thanks to a powerful cavalry and
brilliant battle plan.
Hannibal commanded the soldiers fighting in the
center to retreat – to move back as if they were
losing.
The Roman fell for Hannibal trick and followed.
Then the Carthaginians fighting on the flanks closed
in on the Romans and surrounded them – they were
trapped.
Second Punic Wars
The Battle of Cannae:
Devastating Outcome For Rome
Rome lost nearly 60,000 soldiers.
Another 10,000 were captured.
Only 6000 Carthaginians were killed.
Hannibal’s Reputation
Whenever a Roman watchman thought
he spotted an army approaching the
city his cry “Hannibal ad portas”
(Hannibal at the gates) would echo
through the streets.
Rome Plans a New Fight
Back Strategy
The terrible defeat at Cannae
became a new turning point for
Rome.
More and more men joined the
Roman Army and wealthy citizens
gave generously to the war effort.
The Senate’s New War Plan
The leaders in the Senate decided not to
meet Hannibal in fixed battles, but to let
him wear himself out in smaller battles in
the countryside.
Rome’s new battle plan worked.
Carthaginian troops became exhausted.
Hannibal’s Soldiers had been in Italy for
10 years and Carthage refused to send
fresh troops.
The Romans
Recapture Spain
When the Roman general Publius Cornelius
Scipio took charge of the Roman force in
Spain, he cut off Hannibal’s supplies of food
and equipment.
The Roman finally drove the Carthaginians
out of Spain in 206BC
Then they invaded North Africa and the
town of Zama to the southwest of Carthage.
The Final Battle Between Rome
& Carthage: The Battle of Zama
Hannibal faced Scipio in the fierce battle of Zuma in
202 BC.
At Zama, Scipio ordered his soldiers to attack
Hannibal’s frontline elephants with spears and
arrows.
The elephants panicked and turned back, crashing
into the soldiers behind them.
Scipio killed almost all the Carthaginians, but
Hannibal survived.
Under Roman pressure, he fled Carthage and spent
his last 15 years in exile.
The Final Peace Settlement &
Ultmate Destruction of Carthage
Carthage was forced to surrender all its possession in
Europe.
Rome gave Scipio, the honorary title – “Africanus” the
conqueror of Africa
Carthage never threatened Rome again, but many
Romans still feared the revival of a Carthage threat.
Therefore in 146BC a decision was made by Rome to
finally destroy Carthage – Rome’s last opponent in the
western Mediterranean.
Rome was the dominant power on the land and sea – it
would remain that wait for 500 years.