The Punic Wars
Three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 BCE) determined who would dominate the Mediterranean.
First Punic War (264-241 BCE)
Cause: Conflict over Sicily.
Key development: Rome built a navy from scratch, equipping ships with the corvus (boarding bridge) to turn naval battles into infantry fights.
Outcome: Rome won Sicily. Carthage paid massive indemnity.
Second Punic War (218-201 BCE)
The most famous of the three, featuring Hannibal Barca.
Hannibal's plan: Cross the Alps into Italy and destroy Rome.
The march: 50,000 soldiers, 9,000 cavalry, 37 war elephants crossed the Alps in 15 days. Half the army died.
- Trebia (218 BCE)
- Lake Trasimene (217 BCE)
- Cannae (216 BCE) — 50,000+ Romans killed in one day
Despite these disasters, Rome refused to surrender.
The Fabian Strategy: Dictator Fabius avoided battle, harassing Hannibal's supply lines.
Scipio Africanus: Attacked Carthaginian Spain, then invaded North Africa.
Zama (202 BCE): Scipio defeated Hannibal in Africa. Carthage surrendered.
Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)
Cause: Rome feared Carthaginian revival.
Cato the Elder ended every speech: "Carthage must be destroyed."
Outcome: Rome besieged Carthage for three years, then razed it completely. Survivors sold into slavery. Salt supposedly sown into the earth (probably a myth).
Legacy
Rome became the Mediterranean's undisputed master. The wars revealed Roman resilience — they could lose battles repeatedly but never gave up.
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