Context
The Punic Wars were a total of three battles fought between Rome and the Carthage. These battles took place in between 264 & 126 BCE. The Carthage was a powerful city-state in North Africa (Mediterranean Region) prior to the Punic Wars. With a strong navy and army, and lots of wealth through tariffs and trade Carthage had the largest maritime control in the world. Meanwhile, Rome continued to be the city of trade and was greatly dominated by Carthage, before the wars.
The First Punic War
The first battle of the Punic Wars started over seeking the full control of the island Sicily, which before the wars was divided and was partly under Roman control and partly on Carthage control. When two other cities Syracuse and Messina went into battle, the Romans sided with Messina and the Carthage supported Syracuse. In 264 BCE Carthage and Rome declared war on one another. In 249 BCE the Carthaginians were ahead in the battle at Drepana, before they had to retreat due to the lessening of power and supplies. In the following years after their loss, the Carthaginians rested and did nothing to improve their tactics and fleet, while the Romans who had no naval past experience (unlike the Carthaginians who had both a strong navy and army) kept developing their naval team. After about 20 years of no fighting, the Romans won multiple victories, such as the battle of Mylae and Ecnomus, at sea over Carthage. However, although the Romans lost a battle to the Carthaginians while invading North Africa, they were determined not to give up. Finally Carthage called for peace in 241 BCE, after a bad loss to the Romans at sea.
The Second Punic War
In 219 BCE the strong Carthaginian general Hannibal seized and gained control of the city Saguntum. The Romans were furious and wanted Carthage to give Hannibal to Rome. Since the Carthaginian senate would not give Hannibal up, the Second Punic War began. The first battle of the Second Punic War began when Hannibal took his troops across the Alps and towards Northern Italy. With Hannibal as leader, the Carthaginians were victorious every time they came into contact with Rome, specifically at Ticinus, Trebia, and Trasimene. This led the Carthaginians to conquering northern Italy and receiving more allies, who were once Roman supporters but switched sides. Hannibal's most glorious victory was the Battle of Cannae in 216 BCE. He used men on elephants to surround and crush the Romans. The death toll for the Romans at the Battle of Cannae reached 44,000 soldiers and for Hannibal's forces only 6,000 were killed. However not too long after the Romans brutal defeat, Scipio Africanus (a new Roman general) won a series of victories against the Carthaginian troops in Spain, against Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal. Scipio, then took a fleet and traveled to North Africa where he took over the Carthaginian city, Utica. Carthage then took Hannibal out of Italy where he was positioned before, but to Northern Africa, since he was their strongest leader. When he arrived to Northern Africa, he sent a pack of elephants charging to the Romans. However, Scipio was aware of Hannibal's plan and easily was able to deflect the raid. The Romans were then able to surround and defeat the Carthaginians. Hannibal immediately went back to Carthage and surrendered. Scipio's intelligence and ability to know Hannibal's strategies ultimately was the reason for the Romans victory in the Second Punic War.
After Carthage's defeat they were able to keep their African colonies, but had to abandon their navy. Another punishment for them was that they were absolutely forbidden to go into war with anyone, without Rome's approval. Also they were to annually pay the Romans a war debt of silver for fifty years.
After Carthage's defeat they were able to keep their African colonies, but had to abandon their navy. Another punishment for them was that they were absolutely forbidden to go into war with anyone, without Rome's approval. Also they were to annually pay the Romans a war debt of silver for fifty years.
The Third Punic War
The Carthaginians finished paying their war debt to Rome after fifty years, and when the fifty years had passed they assumed the treaty with Rome had ended. As a result, they went to war with Numidia and once again lost. In response the Romans sent troops to North Africa, since they saw Carthage as a "threat to the peace," and the Third Punic War officially began in 149 BCE, according to history.com. The Romans leader now was Scipio Aemilianus, whom is different from the previous Scipio Africanus. Scipio Aemilianus was able to siege Carthage for around three years, until the Carthaginians surrendered after the Romans had destroyed and set fire to most of Carthage.