From the earliest days of the Republic, Rome had been on friendly
terms with Carthage, a city-state in northern Africa. Since Rome was
largely agricultural and interested mainly in Italy, it had no reason to
bother with Carthage, which was largely a sea power. As late as 279
BC the two cities had signed a treaty against Pyrrhus, king of Epirus,
who posed a threat to both. However, a breakdown in treaties and
alliances led to tensions between the two friends. Eventually these
tensions led to war.
The three Punic Wars encompassed incredible battles led by some of
the greatest commanders ever. The challenge of these conflicts
Epirus a region in
promoted ingenuity and creativity in producing new weapons and
Greece
battle techniques. All these factors combined to create one of the pivotal
points in history, when the balance of power shifted from Carthage to Rome.
The First Punic War
(264-241 BC)
Carthage occupied the Sicilian town of Messina in 264 BC, after the
Mamertines, a group of mercenaries, appealed to Carthage for help
against the king of Syracuse (a Sicilian city-state). This concerned
Rome, since Messina is in the northeast corner of Sicily, very near the
Greek towns of Italy, which fell under Roman protection. Once the
problem with king of Syracuse was solved, the Mamertines appealed to
Rome for aid in fighting off the Carthaginians. Although the Senate was
reluctant to oppose Carthage, the people pressed for action. So, when
Appius Clodius Caudex, a Roman consul, crossed over into Sicily in 264,
the First Punic War began. (Miss Weaver fun fact: Interestingly enough
his name "Caudex" means "blockhead" or "idiot" in Latin.)
Both Rome and Carthage had a desire to hold Messina; for Carthage, it
would be an ideal port in their continuing dominance of the
Mediterranean. For Rome, it would be an outpost in a strengthening defense of the Italian
peninsula. Although the two powers had no quarrel before, they also had no shared racial or
cultural heritage. Also, it would be inevitable that one nation would dominate.
In the first part of the war, Rome won the alliance of the town Hieron in northeast Sicily. This
offensive began in 263 BC, with the Romans winning further in 262 BC with the towns of
Segesta and Agrigentum. Agrigentum was won after a long and costly siege. Since the
Carthaginians fought fiercely at every stop, Rome decided that victory could only be achieved
by controlling all of Sicily.
In order to control Sicily, Rome would have to win battles at
sea; up to this point, Rome had no working navy.
Unfortunately for Rome, the Carthaginians were descendants
of the Phoenicians, who were masters of the seas. Rome
nonetheless built 160 ships equipped with land bridges
(corvi) that dropped onto enemy
Corvi
ships. This helped thwart naval skill
of the enemy, and allowed Rome to
use soldiers in a land battle on a ship. Rome managed to win
supremacy of the seas, despite having many of their ships destroyed
by storms- Rome had yet to figure out where to harbor ships. The
Carthaginian leader, Hamilcar Barca, was cornered in Sicily, and
surrendered in 241 BC. Before the next outbreak of war between the
two states, Rome became involved with the Gauls in northern Italy,
and Hamilcar Barca and Carthage had to quell a revolt of their own
mercenaries.
The Second Punic War
(218-201 BC)
As mentioned before, Carthage had difficulties with its mercenary population within the
military after the First Punic War. Hamilcar Barca withdrew his forces from the island of
Sardinia to help quiet a rebellion. Rome took advantage of this, and invaded Sardinia. Needless
to say, this did not make the Carthaginians happy. Hamilcar Barca then decided to move his
forces west, into Spain, in order to set new footholds in commerce and military might. With him
he took his son, Hannibal. After Carthage sieged and captured the Mediterranean town of
Saguntum, a Roman ally, Rome declared war.
After the death of Hamilcar Barca, his
son Hannibal became leader of the
Carthaginian army in Spain. It is an
understatement to say he was a
military genius not seen since
Alexander. Hannibal decided to mount
the most ambitious invasion plan of
history-invade Rome through the
Pyrenees, the Rhone Valley, and the
Alps. This journey has gained further
recognition because of his use of
elephants on the trek and in battle.
Along the way, he met many Roman
armies, and defeated them all soundly.
Rome sent an army to Spain, and defeated the Carthaginian army there; that, coupled with
naval victories over Carthage in 211, cut off Hannibal's supply lines. This was not before Rome
suffered the two worst military defeats of its history. Meanwhile, Hannibal was thwarted in his
attempts to invade Rome. He tried to incite revolt among the tribes of Italy, but most feared
Rome's wrath should Carthage lose, and they remained with Rome for the most part. After the
disastrous battle of Cannae, Rome figured it was best not to engage Hannibal. In 206 the Roman
General Scipio drove the Carthaginians out of Spain, and his troops invaded Africa. His troops
sweep through northern Africa, forcing Hannibal to go home and defend Carthage. In 202,
Scipio finally defeated Hannibal, at the Battle of Zama. In 201, a treaty was signed, which was
very punishing. Carthage had to surrender her navy, all territorial claims in Spain, and had to
pay reparations in the amount of 10,000 talents over 50 years.
The Third Punic War
(149-146 BC)
By the time the Second Punic War had ended, Carthage was a mere shadow of its former power.
However, Hannibal proved to be as good a "sufes" (chief magistrate) as he was as a general, and
soon Carthage recovered. However, Masinissa, the governor of Numidia and a strong ally of the
Romans, was able to provoke Carthage again and again until Carthage attacked Numidia in 150
BC, breaking the treaty that ended the Second Punic War. Rome did little to stop the Numidians.
Whenever Carthage complained to Rome about his actions, Rome sent a tribunal to them, and
then decided in the Numidian’s favor. Basically Carthage was pushed into fighting again. Rome
declared war on Carthage in 149 BC, and an army landed in Africa after a long blockade.
Carthage surrendered, as they could not take the onslaught of Roman might. The Roman terms
were bitterly opposed by Carthage, as they called for the physical destruction of the city. This
was in no small part due to the constant calls of Cato the Elder, who ended each speech he made
in the Senate with "Carthago delenda est!" (Carthage must be destroyed). Carthage managed to
withstand a siege for 3 years before yielding. In 146, Rome stormed and sacked Carthage. It is
alleged that the Roman army then turned up stones, plowed the land over, and salted it. By
salting it, they guaranteed that Carthage could never rise up from the ruins of the old city. This
tale has been told for many years; however, there is debate as to whether the Romans did
indeed salt the earth. The territory was made into the Roman province of Africa.