Definition of Punic Wars

In the lll century a. C the city of Carthage, which had been founded by the Phoenicians in the lX century BC. C, was a power military and commercial that dominated the main cities and routes of the Mediterranean Sea. At that time the rulers of Rome were watching with concern the power of Carthage, a city located in present-day Tunis to the north of Africa.

The Punic Wars pitted Rome and Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean

The first War Punic took place between 264 and 241 BC. C. The Romans had the support for of the peoples of the Italian peninsula, while Carthage had as allies the peoples of the south of the Iberian peninsula and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. The conflict It began when Sicily fell under the power of the Romans and this circumstance provoked the reaction of the Carthaginians. After several battles in successive years, in 241 the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily were subdued by the Romans.

The second Punic War took place between 218 and 201 BC. C.

The reason What triggered the conflict was the Carthaginian expansion in the territories of the Iberian Peninsula, especially when Sagunto (a city allied to Rome) was attacked by Carthage. The Carthaginian general Hannibal defeated the Romans in several cities on the Italian peninsula, but the Roman general Publio Cornelius Scipio defeated the Carthaginians in Hispania. These confrontations ended with the victory of the Romans, who became the dominators of the entire Mediterranean.

The Romans destroyed the city of Carthage in the third Punic War

In the years after the Second Punic War, Rome devoted itself to the conquest of the territories of the Eastern Mediterranean and Carthage was stripped of its dominions beyond the African coasts.

As a consequence of the treaties of peace Carthage was forced by Rome to renounce its armed fleet and this caused that the Numidians, neighbors of Carthage, were militarily occupying part of their territories. Despite this, the city of Carthage maintained a strong activity commercial and this generated again the misgivings of the Romans.

The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal decided to attack the Numidian invaders and this caused the Roman troops to confront Hasdrubal's army, but the Carthaginian general managed to escape. This circumstance caused the Roman Senate to declare the third and last Punic War (149 to 146 BC. C). For three years the city of Carthage was besieged by the Romans, who finally obtained victory due to their obvious military superiority.

Photos: Fotolia - Erica Guilane-Nachez