by Rodney Crutchfield

Created on: March 25, 2009

On the way to becoming a major power in the ancient world, Rome found itself in a struggle for superiority with Carthage, a city located in what is present day Tunisia in the northern part of Africa.

Carthage was a former colony of Phoenecia, founded around 800 B.C., and it and Rome were destined to fight three wars of survival. These were called the Punic Wars, as Punicus is Latin for Phoenecia.

By the third century B.C., Carthage had become a major power in the western Mediterranean area, and had founded an empire based upon trade. This empire included the northern coast on Africa, southern Spain, the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, and the western part of Sicily. This empire had made Carthage the richest state in the area.

Rome had recently conquered Italy, and was setting her sights on conquests beyond Italy. The Carthaginian presence in Sicily made Rome fearful, and the Romans also coveted this area.

The First Punic War ( 264 241 B.C.) began when Rome sent troops to Sicily to protect their interests. Carthage, already having a settlement on the island, considered Sicily as part of her empire, and the Roman landing an act of war. Both sides decided to conquer the whole of Sicily, and the First Punic War was started. This war was fought mainly at sea, with the powerful Carthaginian navy seemingly having the advantage. This theory proved true at first, and in 260 B.C., the Roman navy was destroyed at the Battle of the Lipani Islands.

This defeat did not deter the Romans for long. Within a matter of months, the Romans quickly built a fleet of 100 new warships. This time, the ships included a new weapon, the assault bridge, which, when plunged onto the deck of the enemy ship, allowed soldiers to board, making it much like a land battle in which the Romans were superior.

The Roman navy was victorious in almost every battle from that point on. This, combined with a revolt of unpaid mercenary troops caused Carthage to sue for peace in 241 B.C. Carthage gave up all claims to Sicily and had to pay a fine.

The Carthaginians vowed revenge, and to make up for the loss of Sicily, added new lands in Spain to their territory. It was here that Carthage's most famous general grew up. Hannibal Barca was taught at the age of nine by his father, Hamilcar, to hate Rome and swear to avenge the defeat of the First PunicWar. Hannibal never forgot this pledge, and in 218 B.C. he had the opportunity to honor it.

The Romans encouraged one of Carthage's Spanish allies to revolt, and Hannibal,

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