The Three Punic Wars
(1) The First Punic War (264 B.C. – 241 B.C.)
(a) CAUSES
I. The Romans had major influence in the Mediterranean Sea BUT Roman ships
were continuously being attacked by the Carthaginians, who were the other
major Mediterranean influence and who had colonies all over the
Mediterranean.
II. The Romans wanted to expand and create their empire and so after taking all
Italy they conquered Sicily, which was rich in wheat and therefore very useful.
(b) DESCRIPTION
I. In 264 B.C., the Romans attacked Sicily (mainly for its wheat), which was a
colony belonging to Carthage.
II. This war took twenty-three years.
III. The Romans suffered a lot at sea because they were not good sailors like the
Carthaginians.
IV. Instead of ramming the enemy ships like the Carthaginians, the Romans
invented “the hook” in order to hook their ship with that of the enemy and
then use the hook as a platform to jump onto the enemy ship and fight handto-hand (as they knew best).
(c) CONSEQUENCES
I. After twenty-three years, the Romans won the war and took Sicily.
II. The Carthaginians lost; the war, Sicily, their wheat and they had to pay a large
fine to the Romans.
III. Obviously, after this great defeat the Carthaginians started planning for
revenge.
IV. During this war the Romans invented the hook in order to be able to do what
they knew best: that is fight hand-to-hand with the enemy. Thus made this
important invention due to necessity since they were suffering at sea against
the Carthaginians.
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(2) The Second Punic War (218 B.C. – 201B.C.)
(a) CAUSES
I. The Carthaginians under their great general Hannibal wanted to take revenge
for the first Punic War and attack the Romans in Italy.
II. The second Punic war started when the Carthaginians were ordered by the
Romans to surrender the Spanish city (Saguntum, which was allied to the
Romans) Hannibal had captured (in 219 B.C.). The Romans also wanted that
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School
the Carthaginians also surrender Hannibal himself. Hannibal’s answer was
to lead an attack against the Romans.
(b) DESCRIPTION
I. In 218 B.C., Hannibal marched against Italy using a very dangerous route
through Spain, the Pyrenees and the Alps in order to surprise the Romans from
the back and enter North Italy from the Alps instead of attacking the South of
Italy.
II. He left with approx. 40,000 men and 40 elephants.
III. He arrived in Italy with heavy losses since he during the long and difficult
journey he lost approx. 10,000 men and many of his elephants.
IV. Hannibal won three battles against the Romans in Northern Italy and killed
most of the Roman army.
V. However, in order to defeat Rome itself, Hannibal wanted more supplies. So
he marched to the South of Italy in order to wait for supplies and fresh troops.
VI. Carthaginian help from Spain (a Carthaginian colony) under the command of
his brother Hasdrubal was eliminated by the Romans in Northern Italy.
VII. In 204 B.C. the Romans under their general Scipio attacked Carthage on order
to force Hannibal out of Italy. The Carthaginians asked Hannibal to go back
to Carthage to defend it against Scipio’s attack.
VIII. In 202 B.C. Hannibal arrived in Carthage and was defeated by Scipio.
(c) CONSEQUENCES
I.
II.
III.
IV.
The Romans under General Scipio attacked Carthage.
Carthage lost the war, its Mediterranean colonies, its army and its fleet.
Hasdrubal was brutally murdered by the Romans.
Carthage surrendered and asked for peace. It also had to pay vast sums of
money to the Romans.
V. Hannibal escaped and committed suicide.
VI. Rome was safe from Carthaginian aggression and became the ONLY
dominant power in the Mediterranean Sea.
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(3) The Third Punic War (149 B.C. – 146 B.C.)
(a) CAUSES
I. Although Carthage lost everything in the second Punic war the Romans still
feared it since being an important North African port, it was still rich in
commerce and trading.
II. The Romans were afraid that Carthage might become rich and construct
another fleet and army to attack them again.
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School
(b) DESCRIPTION
I. A Roman fleet was sent to besiege Carthage and destroy it.
(c) CONSEQUENCES
I. Carthage was defeated and its people killed or enslaved.
II. The city and the surrounding land were burnt and soil thrown on the land so
that no crops will grow again.
III. This led to the free expansion of the great Roman Empire and the Roman aim
to establish the Mediterranean Sea as a Roman Lake.
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Roman Malta
1) Before the Romans came to Malta, it was a Carthaginian Colony and also part
closely connected to Sicily, which was also a Carthaginian Colony.
2) Since during the 1st Punic War the Romans conquered Sicily for its wheat, they
ended up also with Malta, since it depended on Sicily. So Malta became part of
the Roman Empire in 218 B.C.
3) At first, the Romans treated Malta as a conquered land and the Maltese as slaves,
with very harsh taxes. However, during the 2nd Punic War, the Romans realised
that Malta could be very important for them. This is because since Malta was in
the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, which they wanted to conquer in order to
make it a Roman Lake, they could use Malta as a trading port, commercial centre,
military depot and fortified post, in order to protect their trade routes.
4) So the Romans wanted the Maltese to be happy with Roman Rule, in order not to
rebel and side with Carthage. So in order to please the Maltese and Gozitans, the
Romans granted them self-government by making Malta and Gozo 2 Roman
Provinces (Municipalities or “Municipji” in Maltese), each having a Roman
Governor (Procurator or “Prokuratur”), helped by Maltese elected Councillors
(Decurians or “Dekurjuni”).
5) Malta became a Roman Province in 216 B.C. How do we know? The marble
pedestal, which can be found at the Roman Villa and which can be seen on the
handout “Melitae” (on p.64 {a}) is the evidence.
6) In Roman times, Malta was known as “Melitae” or “Melita” and Gozo as
“Gayliton” or “Gaulos”.
7) An important event, which took place in Roman Malta, was that of Kajjus Verres
which can be found on the 1st page of the simulated newspaper “It-Toga”. On the
same newspaper one can also read about commerce & fashion in Roman Malta.
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School
8) The MAJOR Roman Remains in Malta:(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
The Roman Villa (townhouse) in Rabat
St. Paul’s Catacombs
The Roman Baths at Ghajn Tuffieha
The Roman Villa at Ramla l-Hamra, Gozo.
The Roman Villa at ta’ Kaccatura, limits of Birzebbuga
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The typical Maltese or Gozitan Roman Province
The Senate & The Assembly in Rome
(Later, when Rome stopped being a Republic & became an Empire, an Emperor ruled
above the Senate & the Assembly. These took only an advisory role)
▼
The Municipality
(“Municipju” in Maltese)
The Roman Province
(like a Roman local council)
▼
Procurator
(“Prokuratur” in Maltese)
The Roman Governor chosen by the Emperor or the Senate to rule the Roman
Province (He was like the mayor or “sindku”)
▼
10 Decurians
(“Dekurjuni” in Maltese)
Councillors & representatives of the local People
▼



They Make Laws.
They defend the local Traditions.
They act as Magistrates.
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School
The Punic Wars & Roman Malta
Before doing this Worksheet, read carefully pgs. 55-64 of the Booklet. Then work
this worksheet on your History copybook.
SECTION A (5 MARKS EACH)
1) The legendry founder of the city of Rome was Ro____________. The last
Roman King was King Tar_________________.
2) A state without a king is called a ____________________. The words
S.P.Q.R., in Latin mean ___________________________________________
and in English ___________________________________________________
3) The Senate was made of Roman nobles called P________________, who had
the various duties of _____________________________________________;
While The Assembly is made up of common people called P______________
4) Malta was conquered by the Romans in _____B.C. but in _____B.C. the
Romans granted the Maltese people s______-g__________
5) During the Second Punic War, Malta became a Roman province or better a
M_____________ or “M______________’’ in Maltese.
6) The person responsible for the Roman province of Malta was the
P___________ or “P_____________’’ in Maltese.
7) This type of major (governor) who was directly answerable to the Roman
_________________ himself, was elected by ten D_________________ or
“D______________’’ in Maltese.
8) Roman Malta was known as M____________ and Roman Gozo as _________
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School
SECTION B (10 marks each)
Answers should be written in full & on your copybook
1. (a) Describe in detail the First Punic War.
(b) Describe in detail the Second Punic War.
2. (a) Explain in detail the causes of the First Punic War.
(b) Explain in detail the causes of the Second Punic War.
N.B. In both answers state which is the short-term cause and which is the
long-term cause.
3. (a) Explain in detail the causes of the Third Punic War.
(b) Explain in detail the consequences of the First Punic War.
4. (a) Explain in detail the consequences of the Second Punic War.
(b) Explain in detail the consequences of the Third Punic War.
5. (a) Explain in detail all you know about the Roman Villa. (Remember to mention
its wrong name, remain in the first floor, remains in the basement, fixed
remains, mobile remains, the Arab cemetery etc.)
(b) Explain in detail all you know about the Roman Baths. (Remember to mention
the reason for its location, private or public and how do we know, the dressing
rooms, the “frigidarium’’, the “tepidarium’’, the “calidarium’’, the “latrina’’
etc.)
6) (a) Describe the event of “Kajjus Verres’’ and commerce in Roman Malta.
(b) Describe the fashion in Roman Malta and the Roman Villa at the “Ramla
l-Hamra’’ in Gozo.
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Mr. Stephen Briffa B.Ed (Hons.) – San Andrea Senior School