Carthaginian Wars Essay, Research Paper

The ancient Romans were really different from the ancient Greeks. The ancient Romans were earthy realists, non dreamers. You can see this in their statues. The Greeks made statues of perfect people. The Romans created existent life statues. A statue of one of the Roman emperors is a good illustration. The Romans were ferocious soldiers and fantastic builders. They built roads all over the imperium, and all roads led to Rome. The ancient Greeks had roads, but they were non built about every bit good, and the Greek & # 8217 ; s roads did non link in any peculiar order. Connect to what? Each Grecian city state was its ain unit. In ancient Rome, Rome was the bosom of the imperium! One of the stepping rocks for the Romans were the events between Carthage and its results. Rome proved to be one of the Carthaginian most unsafe and obstinate enemies in the three Punic Wars.

Sicily had been a of import naval base for many old ages. Located between Italian Peninsula and mid-North African seashore, it was an attractive topographic point for both Rome and Carthage. At first, Sicily was independent from both Rome and Carthage until problem started in the land of Messina where a civil war broke out. Messina asked for aid from the Romans and Carthaginians. Rome accepted the petition for aid and despatch their military personnels. The Romans viewed this as a great chance to derive Sicily over Carthage but at that same clip, Carthage besides sent their military personnels to Sicily with the same purpose as the Romans. But when the Carthage arrived, Messina was already under Romans regulation and the Carthaginians blamed Rome and declared war against them.

The Rome? s strength laid in its mighty ground forces, while Carthage had a virtually unsinkable naval forces, it was a clear mismatch from an anywhere expression at it. So so Rome decided to put to a great extent in the building of new naval forcess. In 261 they started constructing fleets of 20 triremes and 100 quinqueremes, in which each oar was pulled by five work forces. Crews were trained in ships on land. The Romans besides devised a secret arm called the? crow? ( 1 ) or Corvus. This was a board with a hook, which was held unsloped, until a Roman ship was following to its enemy, whereupon it was all of a sudden lowered. The Romans, now with naval conflict experience, challenged the Carthaginians. So, instead than blowing clip on a hard besieging they decided to strike straight at Carthage.

A Roman general named Marcus Regulus invented a program to occupy Carthage by traveling around their naval forces. The invasion worked good and the metropolis of Carthage was surrounded by Romans military personnels. The Carthaginians held up until Greek general, Xanthippus, came to deliverance. He was regarded as the best soldier of fortune of the clip and slaughtered the Roman ground forces. To do things worse, a storm marched through the Mediterranean and drowned those who survived the conflict. Romans suffered 100,000 casualties and came near to devastation. However, they focused on constructing back their fleet and arms. In twelvemonth 241BC, the Roman navy celebrated over the Punic naval forces and forced Carthage into a peace pact. In return the Romans Made Carthage pay 3,200 endowments in war wages from destructing their 200 ships. The first Punic War, which began in 264BC, ended with resignation by Carthage after 23 old ages of battle.

The peace pact after the first war penalized the Carthaginians both militarily and financially. As a consequence, the Carthaginians could no longer afford to pay for their soldier of fortunes and unhappy, rebelled against Carthage. Finally, they were driven out of Carthage and setup their base at an island called Sardina. Sardina used to be Punic district, but became a impersonal district harmonizing to the new peace pact between Rome and Carthage. Since it was a impersonal district the Carthaginians were non allowed to direct their military force to the island. Finally running out of forbearance, the Carthaginians sent military personnels to set an terminal to the war. This encouraged Roman reaction. Romans blamed the Carthaginians for perturbation of peace. The Romans forced Carthaginians into another peace pact which had the Carthaginians paying 1,200 endowments. This pact planted a score in the Black Marias of many Carthaginians but particularly General Hamicar Barca and his boy Hannibal.

After Hannibal? s male parent Hamilcar? s died, he became the leader of T

he Punic ground forces. Under his leading Carthage replaced most of the wealth and military power they lost in the first war, but a new job occurred when Carthage was spread outing their district. Hannibal attacked Saguntum and the Roman ground forces was unable to trail Hannibal out and was forced to withdraw but merely for a piece. Hannibal instantly took the chance and began what would be the most celebrated March in the history of world. Nevertheless, the Romans realized that they were in a despairing place so they delayed Hannibal until they could garner adequate military personnels to get the better of him. In 216BC, the Roman ground forces went caput to caput with Hannibal? s. At the terminal Hannibal? s elephant stomped over the Roman ground forces and Romans suffered over 80,000 casualties. With Hannibal being so near around cardinal Italy the Romans and other towns around Italy, combined and promised to contend against Hannibal.

While all this was traveling on a immature general named Cornellus Scipio made a program to assail Carthage. Fearing that their capitol would be destroyed the Carthaginians told Hannibal and remainder of his ground forces to come back to North Africa, It was here Hannibal and Scipio faced each other. In 204 Scipio landed in Africa and after some success presented Carthage with an offer, of which was to evacuate Hannibal from Italy. After 15 old ages of combat, the Punic ground forces could non get the better of the Romans and suffered another loss. Carthage surrendered in the twelvemonth 201BC and that was the terminal of an 18-year long 2nd Punic war.

After the 2nd war Carthage found themselves in another peace pact. They lost all their district in Spain every bit good as owing Rome 10,000 endowments. After the pact the Romans turned their attending to the Macedonians, who turned on them during the 2nd Punic War. When the Romans defeated Macedonia, Carthage once more tried to retrieve. Feeling leery about the Carthaginians the Romans decided to acquire rid of them.

First, the Romans forced Numidia, to assail Carthage. Fully cognizant of Roman? s secret plan, Carthage developed an anti-Roman attitude and attacked Numidia at one time. Then Romans declared war against Carthage in 149BC. When the Roman force arrived they asked Carthaginians to give up their arms in exchange for peace. Many of Carthaginians were afraid of another war so they gave up their arms merely to happen out that Scipio was traveling to destruct Carthage irrespective. After three old ages of battle, Carthage fell into the custodies of the Romans and the metropolis was wholly destroyed. As the fire burned through the metropolis wall, the yearss of Carthage and Hannibal disappeared in fume. The Romans salted the Land so that they could ne’er reconstruct once more. The devastation of Carthage in 146BC concluded the 100-year old Punic Wars. The Roman now have six states: Sicily ; Sardinia ( with Corsica ) ; two states in Spain named Nearer and Farther, as measured from Rome ; Macedonian ; and Africa. ( 2 )

There were three distinguishable struggles between Carthage and Rome during the Punic wars. When it began, Rome had about conquered Italy, while Carthage controlled North West Africa, and the islands of the West Mediterranean. The first war had Rome contending to interrupt the Punic clasp on the islands of the Mediterranean which enabled them to command it. The 2nd war, had Carthage loose all of its settlements and maintain merely the city state, and the 3rd and concluding war had Carthage destroyed, with its walls being torn down and the evidences salted. This showed how Rome proved to be Carthage? s most unsafe and obstinate enemies in the three Punic wars.

Bibliography

1.M. L. Clarke, The Roman Mind ( 2nd edition ) Cambridge, University Press, 1960 ) .

2.Starr, Chester G. A History Of The Ancient World. New York, New York. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1991

3.T.A. Dorey and D.R. Dudley, Rome against Carthage and Her Remains 1985

4.Trueman, John H. The Enduring Past. Toronto, ON. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 1982.

5.http: //www.infoplease.com/ce5/CE042638.html

Plants Cited

1.Starr, Chester G. A History Of The Ancient World. New York, New York. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1991 Pg. 481

2.Starr, Chester G. A History Of The Ancient World. New York, New York. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1991 Pg. 494.