The Punic Wars
{"blocks":[{"key":"3h0eg","text":"The Carthaginians, also called Punics by the Romans, were a seafaring people originally from the region of today's Lebanon. In the 3rd century BC, they controlled large parts of the western Mediterranean. Their city Carthage, located in present-day Tunisia, was originally a colony of the Phoenician city of Tyre. As Tyre lost influence to powerful empires like the Assyrians and Persians, Carthage became the most important city of the Phoenician colonies in the West in the 6th century BC.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ec0ae","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"aprmm","text":"The Carthaginians early on controlled areas such as the west of Sicily but never conquered the entire island due to resistance from the Greek cities there.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9cfus","text":"By the mid-3rd century BC, Rome and Carthage had a peaceful relationship and formed several alliances. During the Pyrrhic War (280–275 BC), they even fought together.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":114,"length":11,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"dik39","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"42eiu","text":"After this war, the Romans extended their power over southern Italy. When Rome attempted to gain a foothold in Sicily in 264 BC, Carthage opposed them to defend its territories. This conflict led to the Punic Wars, which lasted over 40 years and were fought for dominance in the western Mediterranean.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":108,"length":9,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"1aprs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9efi0","text":"In the First Punic War (264–60248 BC), the Romans won and forced Carthage to give up Sicily. In 60245 BC, Rome exploited Carthaginian problems in North Africa and also occupied Sardinia and Corsica. Subsequently, the Carthaginians under the Barcid family conquered large parts of the Iberian Peninsula.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":7,"length":15,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":7,"length":15,"key":2}],"data":{}},{"key":"3mu3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4bkcf","text":"The Second Punic War began in 218 BC. The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal led his army over the Alps into Italy, where he inflicted several defeats on Rome. Despite initial successes, Carthage lost this war. The decisive Roman victory in the Battle of Zama in 202 BC made Carthage a vassal state of Rome.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":4,"length":16,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":4,"length":16,"key":3},{"offset":71,"length":31,"key":4}],"data":{}},{"key":"a5q4i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a3h03","text":"In the Third Punic War, the Romans completely destroyed Carthage in 146 BC and established the Roman province of Africa. Later, in the 1st century BC, Julius Caesar had the city rebuilt. It once again became an important metropolis of the Roman Empire, whose flourishing lasted until the end of antiquity. The language and culture of the Punics survived for a long time and only disappeared in the 10th century.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":7,"length":15,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":7,"length":15,"key":5}],"data":{}},{"key":"73kn5","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60268},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60251},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}},"2":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60252},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60247},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}},"4":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60269},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}},"5":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"clickObject":{"type":"LINKTYPE_EVENT","eventid":60248},"linkType":"LINKTYPE_EVENT"}}}}
Naval Battle of the Aegates Islands
The fleet of the Roman Republic under Gaius Lutatius Catulus sinks the Carthaginian fleet under Hanno the Great, thus ending the First Punic War.
Carthage relinquishes its Sicilian possessions and pays a high war indemnity. Sicily (excluding Syracuse) becomes the first Roman province
Second Punic War
Third Punic War
Construction of a Roman fleet
A Roman attack on Carthage fails
The Romans conquer almost all of Sicily
First Punic War
Carthage is allied with Rome
Carthage is the most important Phoenician city
Carthage until its destruction
The Third Punic War ends with the conquest of Carthage by the Roman troops
Rome turns the hinterland of the destroyed Carthage into the new Roman province of Africa
Hannibal
Carthaginian general
Peace treaty
Cession of Spain, delivery of the fleet except for 10 ships, warfare only with Roman approval. Tribute payments Carthage has to admit defeat.
Hannibal wins at Croton in Southern Italy
Battle of Lake Trasimene: Hannibal defeats two Roman battle groups
Battle of the Trebia: Carthaginians under Hannibal defeat the Roman army led by Tiberius Sempronius Longus
Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder
He is said to have ended each of his speeches in the Senate with the words ***Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam***, in English: Furthermore, I am of the opinion that Carthage must be destroyed
Battle of Cannae: Hannibal defeats the Roman army under Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro
P. Cornelius Scipio captures New Carthage in Spain
Battle of Zama: decisive victory of the Romans over Hannibal
near Carthage; victory of the Romans under Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus over the Carthaginians under Hannibal
Founding of Rome according to legend
**Mnemonic:** 7 - 5 - 3 - Rome hatches from the egg
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
Pyrrhic War
Autumn 218 BC Hannibal crosses the Alps