“The Second Punic war started due to the growing rivalry between two great powers that were now struggling for supremacy in the western Mediterranean.” (Morey, 2010, chapter XV) Those two great powers being Spain and Rome. As the Carthaginian dominion grew in Spain, Rome became worried as the territory of her rival was expanding North. Basically, Rome tried to bargain with Carthage (which was in Spain) and the Greek city of Saguntum. When Hamilcar died, his son Hannibal took over and expressed his hostility to Rome, which he’s had since boy hood. (Morey, 2010, chapter XV) After Rome sent an embassy to Carthage to demand the surrender of Hannibal, the chief Roman offered Hannibal peace or war and he chose war. The war began and Rome found herself …show more content…
The fortunes of war began to turn in favor of the Romans and Hannibal gave up. This left the city of Capua open for the Roman’s taking. They took over the city, executed the chief citizens for treason and enslaved some of the citizens. Hasdrubal came to the rescue to help his brother in Italy, however, the Roman’s knew that they must eliminate Hasdrubal before Hannibal found out he was there. The Roman army marched to Umbria to take Hasdrubal out. “The battle which took place at the Metaurus was decisive; and really determined the issue of the second Punic war.” (Morey, 2010, Chapter XV) The march to Umbria resulted in the death of Hasdrubal and the message was relayed to Hannibal with the Roman’s throwing his dead brother’s head into Hannibal’s Carthaginian camp. Hannibal then retired giving Rome its first victory since the beginning of the war. Publius Cornelius Scipio was able to defeat his enemy’s armies, regain the entire peninsula bring Spain under the power of Rome. Hannibal ended up retreating to Africa and Rome was no longer threatened by her enemy whom brought her close to complete ruin. Scipio went face to face with Hannibal in Africa. Hannibal was defeated, the Carthaginian army was
The year is 476 A.D. and the Roman Empire has collapsed after being overthrown by barbarians. Looking back, the causes of Rome’s decline can be separated into four categories, social, economic, military, and political. The social aspects of Rome’s fall are the rise of christianity and civil wars. The rise of christianity displaced Rome’s polytheistic roots which viewed the emperor as having a godly status. Pope and church leaders took an increased role in political affairs which further complicated governance. Civil wars also deteriorated the empire. More than 20 men took the throne in only 75 years and the empire was thrust into chaos. The economic aspects of Rome’s fall were high taxes from the government and labor deficit. The roman empire
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...
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. In the same case, the Second World War began because of the humiliation given to Germany with the peace treaty.
They decide to march, giving up the advantage of the hills. he said to cassius: “Our legions are brimful, our cause is ripe: The enemy increaseth every day; We, at the height, are ready to decline. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.” his decision cause his soldier have not enough rest, defeated at philippi by antony and octavian's armies. because he dream caesar’s ghost, he change his decision, that is a mistake of a general. He seems to be the kind of introverted, solitary man who is highly intelligent and learned but lacks common sense. but at this important time, he decide without intelligent, but mood. it also shows that he do not have the steady principle, those kind of people can’t be a good
The war started because of conflicting interests between the two, especially the expanding Roman Republic. At the end of the war, thousands of lives were lost, Rome ascended into power, conquering Carthage and becoming the most powerful state in the Mediterranean. During one point of the Second War, or the Hannibalic War, Carthage nearly brought Rome to her knees. With reinforcement from their Gallic allies, Carthage defeated the Roman army in the Battles of Trebia, Trasimene, and Cannae. Had Rome not defeated Carthage, the history Western civilization would be drastically altered, shaping a very different world than the one we live in today. It is said “All roads lead to Rome”. There is a lot of truth to this quote because Rome, with all its power and glory, paved the road for our modern society; it allowed Christianity to spread and flourish, the basis for democracy, and served as melting pot of cultures and customs.Rome can be considered one of the greatest influences on Western civilization, leaving us with priceless gifts that we will always
Rome 's action towards Carthage throughout the Punic Wars cannot be considered defensive imperialism, due to the strong military culture, expansionist aims and profit based attitudes of Roman society. Rome demonstrated traditional imperialism by extending their power and influence through means of colonisation and military force. Rome 's objective in the Punic Wars was to strategically subordinate Carthage, to increase their level of influence and improve their position on the world stage. The economic and material gain of war during the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, was a motivating incentive for warfare for the aristocracy. This eagerness was further propelled by the desire
The first Punic War started with a request by the locals in Messana for the Romans to aid them in defeating the Carthaginians. Messana was at the southern tip of Italy and would be a great asset to the already superior naval fleet of Carthage. Rome saw this to be a good opportunity to halt the expansion of the Carthaginian Empire and to stop the possible attack on Italy (which was controlled by Rome). Despite this fact the Roman council debated on whether to attack on these premises or not, but eventually it was decided that they would wage war on the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were then told that they must halt their invasion or war would be waged. They did not stop and Rome declared war.
There are many different beliefs on how and why the Roman Empire ended. It was strong for a time. It was founded on geography, military strength, and wise leadership. Throughout Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa, the Roman Empire spread. There were multiple causes to the fall of Rome including economic reasons, political reasons, military reasons invasions and threats by both internal and external forces 476 a.d was the ending year for most of the Empire, but the Eastern Empire grew and contributed to society for another thousand years.
Carthage suffered a great defeat during the Battle of Metaurus which became the turning point of the war. Hasdrubal tried to risk taking the same route as his brother through the alps. His goal was to join forces and take all of Italy together. Disaster struck when he was attacked by some a roman army waiting for him. Hasdrubal and his forces were slaughtered. Hannibal was distracted by another Roman army who was giving him trouble, so he had not heard of his brother’s demise. The news finally came when his brother’s severed head was thrown into Hannibal’s camp. “Hannibal saw that the death of his brother was the doom of Carthage; and he sadly exclaimed,”O Carthage, I see thy fate!””(Add Source Here) This great victory put the reigns of the
The Civil War in the eyes of most people is not glorious, but rather one of the worst crimes you could possibly commit when the state is all-important. Only under the most extreme circumstances should one be allowed to (in the eyes of the people that is) begin a Civil War with just cause. Caesar took this into consideration, but too many things were going wrong in Rome for him not to begin the war.
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.
Gaius Julius Caesar, born 100 B.C.E. in Rome to the impoverished patrician Julian Clan, knew controversy at an early age. Nephew to Populare Gaius Marius, he was earmarked by the Optimate dictator Sulla for prosciption after his refusal to divorce his Populare wife, Cinna. Fleeing Rome, and not returning until after Sulla’s resignation in 78 B.C.E, upon his return he gained a position as a pontificate, an important Roman priesthood. Slowly but surely throughout his lifetime he worked his way up the political ladder, eventually becoming Consul, and finally Dictator Perpeteus – Dictator for life. One of the most influential political and military leaders of all time, Caesar was also a highly intelligent man and an exceptional orator. However, acquiring this absolute power was no mean feat, and Caesar had well equipped himself through previous expeditions with all the resources necessary to gain power in Ancient Rome.
Polybius gives us three events that led to the Second Punic War, and none of these events actually involved Hannibal himself. Polybius tells us that the real reason that there was a renewal of activity between Carthage and Rome boiled down to these three factors. 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 from the result of the Mercenary Rebellion. The final reason that Polybius gives us is the fact that the Carthaginian enterprise in Spain was so successful.
Hannibal's first battle took place when he was only nine. He went on an expedition with his father, Hamilcar Barca, to conquer Spain. From the beginning Carthage’s push into Spain, Hannibal vowed eternal hatred for Rome; Hannibal became Commander in Chief of Carthage’s army when he was 26 after his father was assassinated. His conquest of the Roman town of Sagunto in Spain led to a new declaration of war by Rome; which started the second Punic War and Hannibal’s promise to visit Roman injustice back on Rome a hundred fold. For Carthage to take the town of Sagunto was completely within the rights of the Carthage and the treaty but Rome at the time was getting too big and becoming very imperialistic. All Rome could see was that they had to have all of the Mediterranean and the only thing that stood in their way was a single General and his men. The way in which the Romans were unconsciously straying from "mos maiorum" to manipulate the course of events was disturbing. Though these actions were not entirely the "evil" work of Rome. Hannibal from his earliest memories could recall nothing but hatred for Rome. Hannibal’s Father had instilled a horrifically self-destructive desire within Hannibal to see the fall of Rome.
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