The Punic Wars
Rome vs. Carthage
Essential Question:
Why was Rome able to conquer
Carthage and then go on to
extend its influence across the
entire Mediterranean basin and
much of Western Europe?
Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean Sea
• The Roman Army was different than
other armies because it was separated
into small sections called legions.
Legions could move around easily.
Soldiers in the Roman Army were
called legionaries. They built roads
for soldiers and trade, which unified
the Roman people.
Roman Expansion (con’t.)
• Farmers and
soldiers received
conquered lands.
• Spread Roman
culture and Latin
language.
•
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Roman Army
One of best armies of all time
– Victorious against many formidable opponents
Army was a both a duty & distinguishing mark of Roman citizenship
Army changed drastically over time
– Originally only citizens that could afford equipment
– Fought in phalanx during monarchy
Republican Legions - units
– Equites (cavalry)
– Velites (light infantry)
– Heavy infantry
– Auxilia (auxiliary troops and specialist)
Brutal discipline
Reforms
– End of the 2nd century BCE
– Created professional standing armies
– Employed poorer classes
– Loyalty of the soldiers in the hands of their general
Factors in Legion’s Success
• Military organization was more flexible than those of many
opponents
• Roman discipline, organization & systemization sustained
combat effectiveness over a longer period
• Roman military and civic culture gave the military consistent
motivation and cohesion
• Romans were more persistent and more willing to absorb and
replace losses over time than their opponents
• Roman Engineering skills were second to none
– Offensive and defensive siege warfare
– Construction and investiture of fortifications
• Roman military equipment
– Soldiers equipped with heavy shields, helmets and highly
effective body armor
The Punic Wars
(Rome vs. Carthage)
• Carthage was a city-state on
the northern coast of Africa.
Carthage was a huge trading
empire.
• Rome was gaining power in
the Mediterranean.
Carthage was also gaining
power in the Mediterranean.
Rome did not want Carthage
to control trade. Rome
fought three wars with
Carthage called the Punic
Wars.
The
st
1
Punic War (264-241 B.C.E.)
• Carthage was seeking to expand into Sicily where the
Romans were already dominant
• Both fought for control of the Mediterranean Sea and
the surrounding land.
• Carthage had a strong navy, while Roman had a
strong army
– (doesn’t this sound familiar? What other war have
we talked about where the rivals also had these
differences?)
• Outcome? Rome built a strong navy.
The
nd
2
Punic War (218-201 B.C.E)
Hannibal from Carthage…
• Wanted to defeat Rome
for the death of his
father
• Fought on Roman land,
but…
– (he crossed over the
Alps using war
elephants)
• Was too weak to take
over Rome
The
nd
2
Punic War (con’t.)
• Tide turned Rome’s favor
when brilliant general,
Publius Cornelius Scipio
when he invaded North
Africa.
• This forced Hannibal to
come back and defend
Carthage
• Outcome? Hannibal was
defeated and surrendered
Spain to Rome.
The
rd
3
Punic War (146-149 B.C.E.)
The Romans…
• Burned Carthage to the ground, and razed the
city over
• Plowed salt into Carthage’s farms so that they
would not grow crops anymore
• Massacred Carthaginian people or sold them
into slavery.
• Sent message to others: DON’ T MESS WITH
ROME.
• Outcome? Carthage became a Roman
province.
After the Punic Wars…
• Rome was able , over the next 100 years,
to dominate the Mediterranean basin,
leading to much cultural diffusion of
Roman culture.
• Roman culture will spread around the
Mediterranean Basin (Africa, Asia,
Europe, including the Hellenistic world
of Eastern Mediterranean) and Western
Europe (Gaul, Spain, the British Isles –
present day England and Ireland)
Effects of Expansion
• After the Punic Wars, Roman territory
extended from Spain to Greece
– Conquerors brought back wealth, slaves
• Bought large estates
• Many small farmers couldn’t compete
– Lost their farms
– Poverty and unemployment increased
• Gap increased between rich and poor
– Anger and tension grew between classes
Review Questions:
• Why was Rome able to conquer
Carthage?
• How did Rome go on to extend its
influence across the entire
Mediterranean basin and much of
Western Europe?
Activity – Punic Wars Magazine Cover
• Directions: Using the information on the Punic
Wars from your notes and text, design a
magazine cover featuring the Punic Wars.
Your cover must have a title, at least one
picture, 5 subtitles, and a date. In addition,
you must type up an explanation of your
subtitles informing me as their correlation with
the Punic Wars. I encourage you to use the
computer, but you can also draw the cover.
You must also include color. Attach the
assignment sheet to your magazine cover.
• This assignment is worth 50 POINTS.
Points
1. Creative magazine title and date – 5
pts.
2. Cover picture – 5 pts.
3. Color, creativity, and effort – 5 pts.
4. 5 subtitles – 15 pts.
5. Explanation of sub-titles – 20 pts.
Total Points – 50 pts.
Activity – Punic Wars Magazine
• Directions: Using the information on the Punic Wars
from your notes and text, create a magazine featuring
events from the Punic Wars. Your cover must have a
title, at least one picture, 5 subtitles, and a date. Your
magazine must also have a table of contents. The
body of your magazine should consist of at least 5
articles that relate to your subtitles. These articles
should demonstrate your understanding of the Punic
Wars and the impact the wars had on Roman
expansion. I strongly encourage you to use the
computer, but you may also draw the cover. Your
magazine should be colorful and visually appealing.
Attach the assignment sheet as the last page of your
magazine.
• This assignment is worth 100 POINTS.
Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Creative magazine title and date – 5 pts.
Cover Picture – 5 pts.
Table of Contents – 5 pts.
Color, creativity, and effort – 10 pts.
5 subtitles – 25 pts.
Articles – 50 points (10 pts. Each)
Total Points - 100
Examples…
• Look at various magazines such as Rolling Stone, Teen
People, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Time,
Newsweek, etc. for ideas on titles and sub-titles.
• Here are some examples from the latest Vanity Fair magazine
(issue – April ’09)
– How Iceland went PFFFT! Could it happen here?
– The Hedge Fund Time Bomb
– Is it Time to Rethink the American Dream?
– Exclusive! Mark Seal: Bernie Madoff’s Secrets
– Brother, Can you spare a laugh? Featuring Jonah Hill, Seth
Rogan, Jason Segel, and Paul Rudd with Amy Poehler,
Anna Faris, Bill Hader, and More!
– Plus! Pirates of the 21st Century! Anatomy of a High Seas
Hijacking
Example of Magazine Cover