by Frances Stanford

Created on: July 15, 2009   Last Updated: May 08, 2012

Wars have always been a part of history as strong countries tried to dominate others and add more lands to their empires. This is certainly true of ancient history. In the 3rd and 3nd centuries, B.C. a series of three wars between Rome and Carthage, which have been called the Punic Wars, helped to establish Rome's control over a vast territory. The object of these wars was to completely eliminate Carthage, which at the time was a powerful threat to the Roman Empire.

• The First Punic War

The first Punic War occurred in 264 B.C. as a result of a crisis that developed in what was then Messana, Sicily. At this time most of Sicily was part of the Roman Empire. Storms ravaged the power of the Roman navy, which led the Carthaginian troops to believe it could defeat this powerful foe and gain control of the region. Troops from Carthage invaded the territory, but suffered a sounding defeat at the hands of the Roman navy. The Roman navy was able to rebuild the fleet and time after time, it defeated the invaders. Finally in 241 B.C, Carthage admitted defeat and ceded the Lipari Islands and Punic Sicily to Rome. It also agreed to pay a large indemnity. In 228 B.C. a revolt by the mercenary soldiers who served in the Carthaginian army weakened the force and as a result Carthage gave up its claim to Sardinia and Corsica.

• The Second Punic War

After the first Punic War, Hamilcar Barca established a Punic base in Spain. His son, Hannibal, seized the city of what is now Sagunto in 218 B.C. Since this city was part of the Roman Empire, Rome declared war. The power of the Roman military lay in its navy and knowing this, Hannibal, decided to take an overland route. Using elephants, he crossed the Alps and surprised the Romans on the banks of the Trebia River because they were expecting an attack by sea.

In 217 B.C., he was once again victorious at Lake Trasimenus and in 216 B.C. he defeated a very large Roman army at Cannae. He was hampered by the difficulties of having to travel over land and by the divided counsel back in Carthage. His brother Hasdrubal was killed in a battle when he tried to invade Italy. This quashed Hannibal's hopes of taking Rome and he slowly retreated to southern Italy.

In 205 B.C. Spain was captured by Scipio the Elder, a feat which lasted five years. He landed in Africa in 204 B.C. and defeated the Punic navy. Hannibal was recalled to Carthage in 202 B.C. and in a battle at Jama, he too was defeated by Scipio. In the peace treaty that was signed in 201 B.C. Carthage was disarmed and forbidden to wage war in Africa. They also had to pay a large indemnity to Rome as they were forced to do at the end of the first Punic War.

• The Third Punic War

Even though it had been forbidden to wage war, over the next fifty years, Carthage managed to rebuild its military power. Although Rome did not take any military action, Cato the Elder was in favour of going to war against Carthage and urged an ally of Rome, Naumidia, to seize some of the Punic lands. This outraged Carthage and in 151 B.C. they violated the terms of the treaty and resisted this takeover. Roman troops blockaded Carthage and started a siege of the city in 149 B.C. Under the leadership of Scipio, they finally captured the city in 146 B.C. and the Carthaginians who were not killed in the battles were sold into slavery. The city was completely destroyed and salt was spread over the ruins so that it could not be rebuilt.

The result was that by 146 B.C. Rome had complete control over all the lands around the Mediterranean Sea.

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