Carthage was first founded as a trading post in the year of 814 BC.
Carthage was founded by the Phoenician Princess Elyssa-Dido on a peninsula from Africa which extends into the Mediterranean Sea. According to legend
Elyssa_Dido fled from her brother Pygmalion, the king of Tyre, after he killed her husband. The post benefited from the vast market for the goods that it traded and grew in importance quickly. It first had warehouses in which raw metals and finished metal products which the Phoenicians used and had made were stored. Carthage then started making metal products for Spain. These products were cheap due to they traded these cheap goods to Spain for the raw metals. Carthage soon became a huge trading empire, containing much of north Africa, Sicily, and Spain. In the fifth century BC, Carthage was the largest of all existing Mediterranean ports. Carthage soon minted its own coins. The Carthaginians soon developed high skills in the building of ships. They used this to dominate the seas for centuries. Their most important trading goods were silver, lead, ivory, gold, beds, bedding, pottery, jewelry, glassware, wild animals from Africa, fruit, and nuts.
Carthage had two first class ports. One was a trading port which was rectangular and the other was a man-made military port which was circular.
These two ports were connected by a canal. The Carthaginians also had great communication since they controlled the sea, the fastest way of communication at that time.
The Carthaginians began a 240 year long struggle for survival with the
Greeks then the Romans in the year 410 BC. It all started when the Sicily city of Segesta asked for help against its mortal Greek enemy of Selinius. Carthage, in a lightening fast campaign sacked both Selinius, and the large Greek city of
Agrigento. The Carthaginians failed in their attempt to siege Syracusa. After the siege upon Syracusa, the Syracusians built many weapons of war, including the catapult. They then sacked the important Carthaginian city of Moyta. For over the next one hundred years the Carthaginians battled the Syracusians. Rome and Carthage allied and eventually defeated the Syracusians’ army at that time ran by Phyrrus of Epirus.
Rome had signed three peace treaties with Carthage, however in 246 BC
Rome decided t...
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...nbsp; The Third Punic War was the shortest war of the three which only lasted from 149 BC to 146 BC. It was controled totally by the Romans. After the
Second Punic War, Carthage managed once again to return to much of its former glory. The economy began to prosper, and the fleet was rebuilt. The Romans remembered the previous wars very well, many of which hated Carthage, they wanted Carthage dead. Rome used their ally, Masinissa, to bring forward an excuse to go to war with Carthage. In 149 Carthage attacked Masinissa and
Rome came to aid for their ally and declaring war on Carthage. Rome had an advantage with their military force being stronger than ever. A few battles were fought to decide who was strongest. At first a peace treaty was agreed upon, but then the Romans increased their demands, wanting a total abandonment of Carthage. Facing these claims, Carthage renewed fighting, and soon entered a three year long siege. When the Romans finally breached the walls, one week of fighting occurred inside the walls of Carthage. Carthage was burned to the ground, the ground was sprinkled with salt so that nothing would grow, and the people were either killed or sold into slavery.
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.
...n alliance, they would have sent aid. Another explanation is requisite, that Rome was eager for war with Carthage and was using the Saguntum incident as pretext for going to war, making it seem like they were fighting a just war for the sake of appearances.
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.
Rome, what used to be a tiny city-state, became the dominate power in the Mediterranean. Rome did leave a lasting legacy, and because Rome saved and added on to Greek culture, we can still identify with it in today’s world. (Williams) This turning point for Rome left them supreme over an empire stretching from the Atlantic coast of Spain to the border between Greece and Asia Minor. It was also a turning point for the flow of Roman History. (Schaefer, 1) Rome would not have been so heavily known if they did not win the Punic Wars. I think it would be highly unlikely that Rome could of have been defeated by the Carthegians, but if they were defeated and Carthage had won, Rome would not be such a powerful empire. Leaving Rome with the image of being weak their empire just weak. Carthage will gain territory and assure their dominance over the Western Mediterranean. Again, leaving Rome weak. Rome would not be the Rome we all know today at all. Also Greek culture would not have been saved, so therefore, our world would not know of the Greek culture, including: democracy, philosophy, architecture,
During the First Punic War Rome, Rome successfully defeated the Carthage. The conflict was chiefly due to who would control the important trade waterways of the Mediterranean Sea.
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.
By the time the first war broke out, Rome had established themselves as the dominant power over the Italian peninsula. Carthage was a very powerful city-state in northern Africa and had made a name for themselves as the leading maritime leader in the world. Maritime means they are located near the sea and have many things to do involving the ocean. The first war broke out when Rome interfered with a dispute on the Carthaginian controlled island of Sicily. The war ended with Rome controlling Corsica and Sicily. The second war started when Hannibal invaded Italy and had two signature victories at Lake Trasimene and Cannae but was eventually defeated by Roman general Scipio Aemilianus which left Rome in much control of the Mediterranean Sea and a big section of Spain. The third war ended with Rome invading and capturing carthage in 146 B.C. led by Scipio which turned yet another big country into a Roman empire.
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
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. After the Romans first win they decided that they needed a victory over the city of Carthage but this would turn the tides in favor of the Carthaginians. For some 15 years after this defeat of Rome the tides went back and forth between the two but would eventually lead to the Romans victory. After the victory, Rome made some very harsh demands and Carthage filled those demands even though some of them were very extreme.
According to Polybius Hannibal Inherited the Second Punic War from his father in much the same was as Alexander the Great inherited his expedition from his father Philip II. What this means is that the events that led to the war were actually the result of the dealings with Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar Barca, and the Romans. 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 activates 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 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.
Even in the century before the official replacement of the Roman republic by the empire, Rome expanded immensely as a result of the Punic wars. Rome fought the Punic Wars between 264 and 146 BCE against the nearby trade empire Carthage over the nearby island of Sicily, a cultural crossroads that greatly benefited Rome’s already rich culture. During these years, Rome also gained control of the nearby islands Corsica and Sardina, also surrounding the Italian peninsula and occupying a prime location for trade in the Mediterranean sea. When the Third Punic war ended in 146 BCE, the city of Carthage was burnt, the citizens enslaved, and the land salted to leave it permanently infertile. This demonstrated the new, brutal Roman attitude toward conquered people, who now seen as threatening after the century of fighting required for victory, which cost many Roman lives and much tax money. Additionally, the power vacuum left by Carthage’s trading empire, the remnants of the ancient Phoenician trade empire, allowed Rome to dominate the Mediterranean, gaining control through commerce between Europe, Asia, and Africa, all of the known world of Greco-Roman civilization. Goods flowing into the empire also enriched the culture, a blend of Hellenistic civilization and Etruscan influenc...
So, in 264 B.C. the assembly voted to send a force to expel the Carthage (or Punic)
Phoenicians were known as the most distinguished seafaring traders and merchants of the ancient world. In fact, they called themselves Kena'ani (or Canaanites), which is Hebrew for "Merchant". They established trading colonies all over the Mediterranean Sea, including Carthage, Simyra, Zarephath, Byblos, and Tyre (Sur). Maritime trading also reached into the Atlantic Ocean to England. Some of the goods traded included glass, color dyes, metals, horses, ebony and ivory, linen, coral, honey, spices, oil and precious stones.
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...
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