Introduction


Hannibal’s army crosses the Rhone River during the Second Punic War. (Library of Congress)
During the third century BC, the two expanding empires of Carthage and Rome collided in the Mediterranean Sea. The fierce conflicts became known as the three Punic Wars. Although Carthage bravely fought Rome and was led by great military generals such as Hannibal, victory was not to be theirs. The Third Punic War ended with Carthage totally destroyed. Her citizens were slaughtered or sold into slavery; her buildings and harbor were torn down; and her very earth was sowed with salt to make the whole area a deserted ruin. Rome, on the other hand, was catapulted by these wars into a dominant power, one that was poised to take over the known world.

Essential Facts

  1. The Punic Wars are so named because Carthage was founded by the ancient Phoenicians, also called the Punici.
  2. The First Punic War began in 264 BC when Rome began to feel threatened by the Carthaginian presence on the island of Sicily. The war was fought mostly on Sicily and pitted the strong Carthaginian navy against the growing strength of Rome. At the beginning of the war, Rome had no navy but soon constructed a fleet by copying captured Carthaginian ships. Rome then defeated Carthage in a decisive naval battle in 241 BC. Carthage could not afford to rebuild its destroyed ships and negotiated a settlement.
  3. The Second Punic War (218-201 BC) featured the brilliant general Hannibal Barca. Wanting to take Rome by surprise from Spain, Hannibal marched his entire army, including elephants, over the Italian Alps. Despite losing many men and most of his elephants, Hannibal exploded into Northern Italy, winning several battles against the Roman army.
  4. Rome never forgave Carthage or Hannibal for nearly defeating them. In 149 BC, Rome made an impossible demand of Carthage, telling them to abandon their city and move inland. Carthage refused and Rome attacked the city, destroying it.
  5. Fourteen years after the end of the Second Punic War, Rome demanded that Carthage hand over Hannibal. Carthage refused, and Hannibal went into voluntary exile. He was pursued by the Romans until he drank poison and died in 183 BC at the age of 64.