War between Rome and Cartage was not inevitable. These two cites had treaties that existed for many years outlining their respective boundaries and trade routes. Both had equal access to Sicily, which proved as the trigger for the First Punic War. The First Punic War broke out in 264 B.C. when Rome interfered in a dispute on the Carthaginian-controlled island of Sicily (“Punic Wars”). Carthage, being considered the greater naval threat, decided to ally themselves with Hiero of Syracuse. Rome, on the other hand, did not possess their own navy so they instead relied on their allies’ navy. It was not until 260 BC that Rome decided to build its own navy that was based off of a rumored stolen Carthaginian war ship that had been abandoned by her crew during a storm. Despite all effort on land, it was the fighting at sea that decided the outcome of the First Punic War. Drepana being the only naval battle of the war won by the Carthaginians did support this fact (Rickard, J)
The battle at Drepana took place in 249 BCE between Rome and Carthage. Rome attacked Carthage outside of one of their last standing cities Drepana off the west Sicilian coastline. The battle was strategically mapped out by a Roman Commander, Consul Pulcher, who wanted to blockade the Carthaginian harbor in an effort to destroy their naval fleet. Carthage ultimately won this battle by placing their ships in a more strategic position than the Romans (Rickard, J). This Battle helped the Romans learn a valuable lesson about the consequences of overconfidence.
After the Roman defeat in Africa in 255 BC, the war in Sicily continued. After much fighting, by 249 BC the Romans had reduced the Carthaginian presence in Sicily to two cities, Lilybaeum and Drepana. Lilybaeum was c...
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... misjudged Adherbal's determination, and also approached too close to the shoreline. Another key factor that led to his downfall was General Adherbal’s quick and organized movement of his fleet out of the harbor, trapping the Romans (De Santis).
Back in Rome, Pulcher was blamed for the defeat at Drepana. He was tried, found guilty, and fined heavily by the Roman Senate, and barely escaped execution. General Adherbal on the other hand was celebrated as a hero in Carthage. Even with the major naval victory in the waters of Drepana, the Carthaginian could not overcome the Romans in the overall war between the two. The Carthaginians were eventually forced to sign a treaty that forced them to vacate from Sicily, pay a large fine, and not fight against Roman allies. Only 23 years later would they begin a new war against each other called the Second Punic War. (Rickard, J)
During his reign, Augustus made a number of changes how the Roman military operated. As Rome shifted from a Republic to Empire and the ideas of what Rome was to be was carefully being crafted by Augustus to fit his own narrative, the army went through a number of changes to support the new dynamic of Empire and Emperor. These changes to the army allowed the army to grow to fit its new role, and helped Rome to become a true military power.
The Second Punic war, beginning in 218 BC, was the second major war between the Roman Empire and the Carthage. Around the same time, the Roman Empire deployed troops to the Northeastern peninsula of Spain to keep reinforcements, from the Carthaginian South, from getting to Hannibal’s armies in Italy to assist them. In A Histor...
After the Costly victory of the Civil War, the Union need to reunite. The Union needed to readmit the rebellious southern states back into the country. Some Americans wanted to punish the south because of the war. They wanted to brutally reunify the country. Others, seeking a much more kinder approach, wanted to reunify the nation in a much more generous way. Both sides of the debate, wanted African Americans to have their freedom however. The problem for President Abraham Lincoln was difficult to answer, and had a detrimental impact on the United States that would last an eternity. Should the reconstruction plan be based on punishment or reunification? What are the civil liberties given to the newly emancipated African Americans? What should
T.J. Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC), London and New York: Routledge, 1995
In the year 31 B.C. Cleopatra and Antony combined their armies to defeat Octavian along Greek’s west coast. The damage would be so costly for the Egyptians that Antony and Cleopatra had to flee back to
As what happens so often, history is written by the side who wins and in the case of the Punic Wars and Carthage itself most of the information available today comes from Roman sources and authors whose knowledge has been passed down through the ages. According to legend Carthage was initially settled as a Phoenician trading colony (the word “Punic” is Latin for Phoenician) in 813 B.C by the Phoenician Queen Elissa (Mark). From Carthage’s prime location as a trade port its power and prestige grew rather quickly and its expansion brought the city into conflict with another growing ambitious city state called Rome.
Sparta was a key city state which was located on the Peloponnesian Peninsula in southern Greek, which today is referred to as Laconia. Sparta is historically known for their strong military training, warfare tactics, and numerous victories. This city state included full citizens known as the Spartans, the helots, and the Perioeci. The men of Sparta had a main obligation to become strong warriors, fight with their brothers, and protect against any invasions or attacks. The helots where owned by city state of Sparta. They came from Messenia and were forced into slavery after being invaded by the Spartans in c.735. The helot’s responsibilities included farming, being of help if needed during battles, used as nurses, and for any other task that need to be accomplished. Unlike many traditional slaves, the Messenia’s were given certain leeway. They had
Hannibal spent 16 years of his life in Spain training in military camps. Learning different types of war tactics and learning to become a sharp minded commander so he could eventually run the Carthage military. In 221 BCE the son in law of Hamilcar Barca; Hasdrubal was assassinated. At the age of 26 Hannibal was now the new commander of the Carthage military. Just 5 years before Hannibal had become commander the Ebro Treaty with Rome said that they could not cross Spain’s Ebro River with idea to conquer. There was a city south of the treaty line known as Saguntum who were allies with Rome. In 219 Hannibal decided to conquer Saguntum because they had supposedly been attacking local allied tribes of Carthage. It took Hannibal 8 months to seize the city of Saguntum. This was the start of the second Punic war.
The Battle of Antietam was significant because the Confederate Army had to retreat and it lead to Abraham Lincoln creating the Emancipation Proclamation, it was the bloodiest day of fighting and it motivated the Union that they could win the Civil War. According to the article, Battle of Antietam from the website Thoughtco, it states “The Battle of Antietam forced the Confederate Army to retreat back across the Potomac River. President Abraham Lincoln saw the significance of this and issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.” This shows that the Battle of Antietam was significant because the Union won the Battle and forced the Confederate Army to retreat back to where they had just came from. The Battle of Antietam also lead to Lincoln creating a document to try and outlaw slavery in the Confederate States. Unfortunately, since Lincoln had no control over what happened there the Proclamation could not be enforced, but it started to the decision about if slavery outlawed and showed the Confederate States that if they were going to join the Union again then slavery would not be allowed anymore. Also, according to the article, What is the Battle of Antietam from the website Study.com it says “The Battle of Antietam was one of the most important events of the American Civil War. Fought on September 17, 1862, Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with over 23,000 casualties (men listed as killed, wounded, captured or missing) in roughly 12 hours. The battle ended the Confederate invasion of Maryland in 1862 and resulted in a Union victory” This shows that the Battle of Antietam was very significant because many soldiers died on both sides about 23,000
...normous indemnity that was imposed, ten thousand talents spread over fifty years, made the Carthaginians practically tributaries to their Roman conquerors. Hannibal would later be exiled and Carthage would never regain its former power. Hopelessly, the Carthaginians tried to stand up to Rome one last time in 151. The city was destroyed and its entire population sold as slaves.
Even before the war started, Hannibal knew what he was going to do. Since Carthage had no navy, there was no hope of going directly from Carthage to Italy over the Mediterranean Sea. Hannibal thought up a dangerous but ingenious plan. In order to get to Italy over land, Hannibal and his army would have to travel from Carthage-controlled Spain across the Alps and into the heart of the enemy. Hannibal left in the cold winter of 218 B.C. with 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. While crossing the Alps, “Hannibal’s force suffered greatly from the elements and the hostility of the local tribesmen” (Beshara, 3). By the time they reached Italy, after only fourteen days, over 9,000 men had perished along with most of the elephants, but this number was soon replenished after 14,000 northern Gaul rebels joined Hannibal’s army. This group of 60,000 men proved superior to the Roman forces, and after at least three recorded major victories, the Roman senate was exasperated. An army of 80,000 Roman soldiers was sent to stop Hannibal’s army of now 50,000 once and for all. In July of 216 B.C., the Romans engaged the Carthaginians in “the neighborhood of Cannae on the Italian east coast” (Lendering, 2). Greatly outnumbered, Hannibal realized that he would have to win by strategy, and that is exactly what he did. As the two lines met, Hannibal’s cavalry gained the flanks and, moving up the sides, attacked the rear of the Roman line.
In this essay, I am going to anaylise the Peloponnesian War. I will look at what appears to have caused the war, how it developed, and what the outcome of it was. As Thucydides is virtually the only surviving primary source of this event, I will also discuss the man and his method.
The Carthaginians and Romans fought in three different wars over the course of 118 years. Romans fought the Carthaginians to ruin their hold on a chain of islands that would let them control the Western Mediterranean. The Romans wanted to have control. They then fought over land in Italy, particularly Sicily. In the third conflict, Carthaginians tried to save their city and land from being taken over completely by Romans. In these wars, they mainly fought over trade routes in the Mediterranean. Each wanted power and more territorial possession.
One of Caesar’s greatest victories in battle was just after he had gained control over the lands of Bituriges, Vercingetorix. He started to lead his army to the Boii oppidum of Gorgobina, another city under his control. On the way, he stopped his troops at Vellaundunum, oppidum of the Senones, and set up siege. He did not want to leave any enemies behind him who might get in the way of the grain deliveries and supply. The Carnutes, one of Rome’s enemies, had just heard of the siege at Vellaundunum. They gathered troops to Garrison Cenabum, the Carnutes stronghold. Caesar’s army camped out right in front of the fort.
Carthage was founded about 100years earlier than Rome and had very fertile lands and an excellent harbor. It grew economically and politically through trading Gold from Spain, Ivory, Linen, precious stones, and other valuable minerals from different states. They had a very large number of trading vessels to load these products and carry them from pot to pot. They also had a powerful navy of warships. Like the Roman empire the Carthagean empire acquired dominion over the native races of Africa, the Lydians and the Numidians. These two great states had controls over the small states they made their allies, or members of their confederations. They were almost equal in many ways, and even their economies