PUNIC WARS

Punic Wars

Punic War

Punic War

The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage between the III and II century BC , which were resolved with the total supremacy of Rome on the Mediterranean Sea ; supremacy in the western and direct control by means of limited sovereignty reigns in ' Aegean and Black Sea . They are known as the Punic what the Romans called the Carthaginians. In turn, the term is a corruption of the Phoenician Punic, as it is a corruption of Phoenician Carthage Karth Hadash (New City).

First Punic War

The First Punic War (264 BC - 241 BC) was primarily a naval war. Requests for assistance from Mamertines against Syracuse reached Rome and Carthage. Rome, engaged in the pacification of the territory Sunni and initiation of expansion in the Po Valley was reluctant to engage in Sicily. Carthage immediately sent a naval squadron. The conquest of Messina threw positive signals in the secular struggle with Syracuse; Carthage finally put a foothold in the eastern sector of the island. Carthage probably sees a few miles from the coast of Bruttium just conquered had to create some apprehension in the Senate who agreed to send relief in Messina. This went against the treaty of 200 BC which prohibited intervention of Rome in Sicily. Carthage declared war. Given the danger, he allied himself with its historic enemy, Syracuse, Rome and against the Mamertines.

Second Punic War

The Second Punic War (218 BC - 202 BC) consisted essentially of a series of land battles. Stand the figures of Hannibal and Publius Cornelius Scipio had said after the victories in Africa, "the African". The cases belly chosen by Hannibal was the unfortunate Sagunto. Allied to Rome but to the south of the ' Ebro, i.e. within the "boundaries" Punic, the city was attacked, besieged and destroyed (The city of Saguntum had sought the intervention of Rome but the Senate was divided so that intervention is remained famous the phrase "While in Rome discussing Sagunto falls"). Rome churches in Carthage Hannibal to disavow. Carthage refused, and accepted the declaration of war. Hannibal started from Spain with an army of 50,000 men, 6,000 cavalry and 37 elephants.

Third Punic War

As soon as it became known that the Romans had left with an army of 80,000 men and 4,000 horsemen Carthage capitulated, sending 300 hostages from among teenagers in the Punic nobles. The Roman army ...