1st Punic War.---Main questions.
1. What was the cause of the 1st Punic War?
A king in Sicily attacked the town of Messana. The inhabitants appealed to the
Carthaginians and the Romans for help. Both powers were drawn into the
conflict which lasted for 24 years.
2. What was a “corvus”?
The Romans were not good fighters at sea. The Carthaginians were excellent
fighters at sea and continually beat the Romans until they invented the “corvus”.
This was a large plank tied to the mast of the ship with a sharp spike at the end
of it. When the Romans got close to the Carthaginian ships, they dropped the
plank which stuck into the deck of the enemy ship and ran along the plank. This
made naval battles more like land battles.
3. Who was Hamilcar Barca?
He was the leading Carthaginian general. He used guerrilla warfare on the
Romans but was not given enough troops by the Carthaginian government.
4. Who was Regulus?
Regulus was an upright Roman general who was defeated by the Carthaginians
in North Africa. On his word of honour to return to Carthage, he went to Rome
to organise peace. He told the Romans to keep fighting and then returned to
Carthage, despite the protests of his family, where he was killed. His nobility was
greatly admired by the Romans.
5. What were the results of the 1st Punic War?
a) Rome got control of the sea.
b) Rome got control of Sicily.
c) Carthage had to give a huge amount of money to Rome.
Types of questions asked on the 2nd Punic War.
1. What was the cause of the 2nd Punic War?
2. Why did Hannibal march along the coast of Spain and over the
Alps? 2 reasons.
3. The battles of the 3 T’s-Ticinus; Trebia; Trasimene
4. Quintus Fabius Maximus--dictator and his tactics.
5. Describe the battle of Cannae.
6. Sicily want to change sides to Carthage and how Marcellus sorted
the situation.
7. Spain and Publius Cornelius Scipio defeating Hasdrubal.
8. The battle of the river Metaurus.
9. How many years was Hannibal undefeated in Italy?
10. The battle of Zama—how Scipio won.
11. Results of the 2nd Punic War.
12. What happened Hannibal in the end.
13. What reward was given to Scipio after his great victory?
14. What happened Scipio in the end?