The Punic Wars

The First Punic War (264-241 BCE) Since the beginning of time, man has waged war on his neighbors, his friends and his enemies. In many cases these wars were caused by power-hungry nations that were in the process of expanding their empire and ended up stepping on the toes of another superpower or ally of a superpower. In the case of the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Carthage was extending its empire and they stepped on Rome’s toes. During the course of this war the winner was unclear but at times victory seemed eminent for both sides until Rome finally won. The Romans had control in the first part of the war but this would not last.

The Siege of Lilybaeum was a battle in Sicily in which Rome attacked Lilybaeum. The siege failed though. “The last period saw the long and unsuccessful si... ... middle of paper ... ...he main thing Rome wanted in the first war was lands in Sicily, but they realized that Carthage was a force that they needed to defeat in order to stay one of the most powerful empires at the time. The two empires had no large problems before the dispute between Messina and Syracuse. After the wars Rome led a large campaign through Gaul and many lands expanding east.

After Carthage lost, Rome made this country pay heavy taxes and support little or no army. Soon the second Punic War began because Carthage was infuriated with their treatment and torments from the Empire of Rome. This war was even worse than the first and it shook Rome to its core. The first World War began with an accumulation of many causes, but one of the more influential problems was land hunger or imperialism. When Germany lost, it had the same treatment from the world that Carthage got from Rome.

Punic wars impact Over and over again, man has engaged in war with his neighbors, friends, and his enemies. In a good deal of these wars, it was caused by self-important nations that were in the action of making their empire larger and ended up aggravating another superpower or an ally of one. For some of fifteen years regarding the defeat of Rome the tides went back and forth between the two but ended up leading to the victory of the Romans. When the war was over with, Rome made some very unpleasant request and Carthage filled those requests even though some of them were very drastic. The first Punic War started with an offer by the locals in Messana for the Romans to benefit them in defeating the Carthaginians.

The first was the bitterness and anger of Hamilcar Barca at the end of the First Punic War when he was forced to surrender despite being undefeated in Sicily. The second factor, which Polybius tells us is the most important is the Roman seizure of Sardinia, while Carthage was still reeling form the result of the Mercenary Rebellion. The final reason that Polybius gives us is the fact that Carthaginian enterprise in to Spain was so successful. For these reasons Polybius tells us that Hamilcar Barca played an important role in bringing about the Second Punic War even though he died ten years before the actual war took place. What Polybius was saying was that the events of the First Punic War and the success in Spain distilled a hatred for Rome in the Carthaginian people but more importantly his son Hannibal.

He used a ship from the ancient Greeks. Hamilcar pushed his forces to mass-produce these large ships, which he would use as battering rams against the Roman navy. This was a great disadvantage to the Roman navy. Soon the Romans came upon a wrecked Carthaginian ship. The Romans used th... ... middle of paper ... ...counters: A Brief Global History.

Lilybaeum was c... ... middle of paper ... ... 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.

It did this by being one of the first ever civil wars, the first war where both generals took careful care that each respective one was ready for a lengthy war, and set the stage for the Roman Empire to begin. Without this key battle, Caesar never would have been dictator of Rome, Roman generals would still rush head on into wars without the proper supplies, and Rome may have stayed a Republic plagued by civil wars to come. Evidently, Pharsalus was a major victory for Caesar and put him in control of Rome. So the next time you use some Caesar dressing, remember who made the name famous at the battle of Pharsalus.

If a gifted commander was able to enrich his soldiers through plunder, and give them land to settle after the campaign, “the soldiers might feel a greater obligation to their commander than to the Senate (Meier, 29).” This circumstance is an essential ingredient for civil war, more so, possible, than any other. In 88 B.C., King Mithridates of Pontus invaded the Roman Province of Asia. Cornelius Sulla, one of the consuls, was chosen to lead the Roman legions against him by the Senate.... ... middle of paper ... ...ials and tribulations during the 51 years before Caesar’s revolt. Rome’s political systems were in such a degraded state that had Caesar been unsuccessful; someone else would have shortly followed. It was the actions of Marius and Sulla, not the ambitious dreams of a young man, which were ultimately responsible.

This desire manifested itself during The Second Punic War, which was the ultimate fight for supremacy in the Ancient World. The victor would have control over the entire Mediterranean Sea and all of the trade routes bringing land, pride, wealth, and dominance over the victors enemies. Hannibal took a 1,000 mile trek from New Carthage, Spain, through the Alps, Northern Italy, and finally to Carthage. Hannibal won most of his battles with Rome, but never got the reinforcement he needed to over take Rome. The men that he had with him at the time were renowned for their loyalty to Hannibal and unconventional fighting tactics.