Download The Punic Wars

Roman Expansion and The
Punic Wars
The Roman Army
• The Roman Army was different than other
armies because it was separated into small
sections called legions. Legions could move
around easily. Soldiers in the Roman Army
were called legionnaires. They built roads for
soldiers and trade, which unified the Roman
people.
The Roman Army
• Farmers and soldiers
received conquered
lands.
• Spread Roman culture
and Latin language.
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One of best armies of all time
– Victorious against many
formidable opponents
Army was a both a duty &
distinguishing mark of Roman
citizenship
Army changed drastically over time
– Originally only citizens that could
afford equipment
– Fought in phalanx during
monarchy
Republican Legions - units
– Equites (cavalry)
– Velites (light infantry)
– Heavy infantry
– Auxilia (auxiliary troops and
specialist)
Brutal discipline
Reforms
– End of the 2nd century BCE
– Created professional standing
armies
– Employed poorer classes
– Loyalty of the soldiers in the
hands of their general
The Roman Army
The Roman Army
• Military organization was more flexible than those of many
opponents
• Roman discipline, organization & systemization sustained
combat effectiveness over a longer period
• Roman military and civic culture gave the military consistent
motivation and cohesion
• Romans were more persistent and more willing to absorb and
replace losses over time than their opponents
• Roman Engineering skills were second to none
– Offensive and defensive siege warfare
– Construction of fortifications
• Roman military equipment
– Soldiers equipped with heavy shields, helmets and highly
effective body armor
Rome vs. Carthage
• Carthage was a city-state
on the northern coast of
Africa. Carthage was a
huge trading empire.
• Rome was gaining power
in the Mediterranean.
Carthage was also gaining
power in the
Mediterranean. Rome did
not want Carthage to
control trade. Rome
fought three wars with
Carthage called the Punic
Wars.
• By 264 B.C. Rome had
conquered some Greek
city-states in southern
Italy.
• This brought them in
contact with the
Phoenician city of
Carthage.
• Carthage controlled most
of North and West Africa,
most of what is now
Spain, and some islands
off the coast of Italy.
• Romans felt threatened
by Carthage being that
close-and they wanted
Sicily’s granaries.
The Cause……
The First Punic
War
• 246 B.C. the first war broke
out that would last for 23
years.
• To assemble a navy Rome
modeled it ships after a
Carthaginian warship they
found abandoned on a
beach.
• They added a corvus, or
kind of moveable ladder, to
the front of each ship.
• The corvus allowed the
Romans to board enemy
ships and find hand to
hand. (essentially changing
a sea war into a land war)
• After 20 years of fighting, all
they had accomplished was
to kill a lot of people and to
cause a lot of hatred.
The First Punic
War
• To end the fighting, Carthage offered
Rome a deal.
• Carthage said: “If you’ll go away and
leave us alone, we’ll give you the
island of Sicily.”
• Rome took the deal. They also took
Sardinia and Corsica, the other two
islands off the coast of Italy.
• Carthage was furious. But they were
tired of fighting Rome.
• Carthage decided to fight Spain
instead, and make up the land they
had lost there.
• The general took his army and his
nine-year-old son, Hannibal, and left
for Spain.
• Before he left home, he made his son
swear that as soon as he was old
enough, Hannibal would fight the
Romans and make them pay for all
the lives they had cost. Hannibal
promised.
• That was the beginning of the legend
of Hannibal, military genius.
The Second Punic War
• In 218 B.C. General
Hannibal Barca attacked
the Roman army by land
from the north.
• Hannibal surprised the
Roman army by marchig
from Spain through
southern Gaul, and the
crossing the Alps into
Italy.
• They brought elephants
to help break through
the Roman lines.
The Second Punic
War
• Winning victory after
victory Hannibal’s army
fought its way to the gates
of Rome.
• However, they did not have
the heavy equipment
needed to batter the city’s
walls.
• They couldn’t get more
supplies because Rome
controlled the seas.
• Unable to capture Rome
Hannibal and his troops
roamed the countryside for
15 years.
• Instead of marching on
Rome, he drove Rome crazy
by attacking smaller
outposts and stealing food
and weapons, food
intended for Rome.
The Second Punic
War
• In 203 BCE, Rome had
had it with Hannibal.
They couldn’t catch him,
so they attacked
Carthage instead.
• Carthage, in a panic,
called Hannibal home.
Before Hannibal could
arrive, Carthage had
agreed to peace terms
with Rome. Terms:
• Carthage would leave
Spain, Gaul, and Italy
• Carthage would reduce
their navy to 20 warships
• Carthage had to pay 5000
talents (the money of the
time) in war damages
The Third Punic
War
• Following the second war
there was peace for 50
years.
• Then Carthage began to
show signs of regaining
power.
• To prevent this Rome
attacked in 149 B.C.
• They burned Carthage
and plowed salt into its
fields so nothing would
grow.
Rome Victorious
• That same year, the
Greek city-state of
Corinth and some of its
allies refused to obey a
Roman order.
• The Romans attacked
Corinth and burned it to
the ground. Rome
already controlled
Macedonia and Syria.
• Now it added Greece to
the areas under its rule.
• Rome became the
leading power in the
Mediterranean world.
Hannibal?
• Hannibal spent the rest of
his life fighting the growing
power of ancient Rome.
• The Romans never stopped
looking for him. In spite of
all their best efforts, the
Romans did not catch up
with Hannibal until he was
64 years old!
• Even then, they didn’t get
him. He chose to die by
swallowing the poison he
kept in his ring.
• Hannibal still ranks as one
of the most magnificent
military minds in history
and one of the world’s
greatest generals.