Background and the 1st Punic War
Around 814 BCE settlers of Phoenicians from the Mediterranean port of Tyre (Lebanon today) and created Carthage on Africa's north coast (Tunis today). Carthage in 265 BCE was the most advanced and wealthiest nation in its region along with its naval militant power. In that time Rome and Carthage were countries weren't allies and not entirely friends but tolerated each other. This tolerance ended in 264 BCE when Rome decided to interfere with a western coast dispute on the island of Sicily (a part of Carthage) between Syracuse and Messina. Rome supported Messina while Carthage supported Syracuse. The conflict between Syracuse and Messina soon became the conflict Rome and Carthage with a risk of losing Sicily, which became the main reason how the first Punic war started in 264 BCE and ended in 241 BCE. In the end, Rome beat the Carthaginians and gained control of Sicily, their first overseas territory.
Fun Fact:
Fun Fact:
- The word "Punic" which became the names of the three wars, came from the latin word for "Phoenician".
The 2nd Punic War
In the 2nd Punic War, Carthage was lead by general Hannibal and had a 90,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry, and a number of elephants. The Carthaginians marched from the already conquered Spain, to the Alps, and down into Italy to attack Rome. After many successful battles, Hannibal's invasion peaked at Cannae in 216 BC when he surrounded a Roman army twice his size. Romans, however, rebounded and defeated the Carthaginians. Carthage's Empire in the western Mediterranean was then lost to the Romans so their only territory was only in Northern Africa.
The 3rd Punic War
In the 3rd Punic War, Rome's leader was Scipio Africanus, later known as Scipio the Younger. The war began in 149 BC when Carthage broke a treaty with Rome by declaring war against the state of Numidia. In the Roman's point of view Carthage was weak due to loosing the first and second Punic Wars, but was still a major threat to Roman power so must be destroyed. In 146 BC, the Romans invaded Carthage and burned every building to the ground. After seven days of brutal fighting, Hannibal died and Carthage surrendered and the 50,000 remaining citizens were sold into slavery.