The Main Causes Of The First Punic War

The first major conflict was the conquest of Southern Italy that took place during the 327-304 B.C. The Romans had won their independence from Etruscans in 510-509 B.C. Rome had taken control of the majority of Northern Italy. And won direct control of much of Northern Italy and gained over neighboring polities just to the north. Even if the Romans gained control of Northern Italy, southern Italy was a still independent state from Rome. During this war, Rome was able to gain power over the southern half of the peninsula and also cut ties with it’s with neighbors. The Romans extremely agitated the Punics’, who saw the Romans as colonizers. The Romans for their part did nothing to allay the Punics’ nervousness, and in their agitated state, Rome forced the Punics’ into the war knows as the First Punic War.

Rome gained the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica, and had made alliances with another near by citiies. The Romans constantly provided the stimulating factor that caused the coming war. Main cause was in the treaty signed by both parties, and looked like a fair concession to the Punics. The city of Saguntum on the Iberian Peninsula was awarded to Carthage’s control. Saguntum was formerly independent. When the Punics were given control of it, they had no idea that had a partnership with them, a fact which kept Carthage’s in perpetual anxiety over the city’s real loyalties. It became the starting point in which the Romans needed to need to have a second war with the Punics. In 219 BC, many questions were circling the Saguntum’s government for their supporters because many were assassinated by citzens of Rome. Carthage sent General Hannibal Barca to occupy the city, which unleashed the second Punic War in 218