Download The Punic Wars Rome

The Punic Wars
Rome
Introduction
• While the great civilization of Greece was
in decline, a new city in the west was
developing – Rome
• It grew from a small settlement to a
mightly civilization
• Rome would build one of the most
influencial empires in the world
The War…
• In 264 BCE, Rome went to war with
Carthage (a city on the North African
coast)
• Between 254 and 146 BCE, they fought a
series of 3 wars
• The first war was over control of Sicily –
Carthage lost – this battle lasted 23 years
• The second began in 218 BCE – the
mastermind behind this war was the
Carthaginian leader Hannibal
• Hannibal assembled an army of 50,000
infantry, 9000 cavalry, and 60 elephants
• He wanted to surprise Rome so he
entered Italy through the north across the
Alps
• He lost half of his men during the trek
• Despite this, he won many victories –
especially the one at Cannae in 216 BCE
• There, his army inflicted huge losses
• The Romans regrouped and prevented
Hannibal from capturing Rome
• Finally, the Romans united under a new
leader – Scipio
• He devised a plan to attack Carthage
• In 202 BCE, they defeated Hannibal
• In 146 BCE, Rome returned to destroy
Carthage once and for all… they set the
city on fire, sold its 50000 inhabitants into
slavery, and made the territory a Roman
province