Download Punic Wars

Mr. Marsh
Columbus North High School
The Roman Army

All citizens were required to
serve

Army was powerful:
 Organization & fighting skill

Legion- military unit of
5,000 infantry (foot
soldiers) supported by
cavalry (horseback)
Rome Spreads its Power

Romans defeat
Etruscans in north
and Greek citystates in south

Treatment of
Conquered:
 Forge alliances
 Offer citizenship

By 265 B.C., Rome
controls Italian
peninsula
Ensuring Success
Roman citizens usually
made good soldiers
because they were
brought up to value
loyalty, courage, and
respect for authority.
 If a soldier showed
courage he usually was
praised and promoted.
 If a unit fled during battle
1 out of 10 soldiers in
the legion were put to
death.

Conquered Lands


Conquered lands were
usually granted a great
deal of privileges.
Could keep their customs,
money, and local
governments as long as
they paid taxes, were loyal
to Rome and supplied the
Roman army with troops.
Protection and Unification
To protect its conquests,
Roman soldiers were stationed
throughout the land.
 Roads were built to link distant
territories to Rome.
 Latin language emerged as the
spoken language

Driving Question

What impact did the wars with Carthage
have in shaping Rome
Lesson Goals

Students will be able to identify the
causes of the Punic Wars

Students will be able to describe the
effects of each of the three Punic Wars
Carthage
Result was the three
Punic Wars
264-146 BC
Carthage
had been
founded as
Phoenician
colony 500
years earlier
Dispute over control
of Sicily and trade
routes in the western
Mediterranean
brought Rome into
conflict with the
powerful North
African city-state of
Carthage
FIRST PUNIC WAR

Primarily a naval war
○ Carthage had a great
navy
○ Rome had small navy
and little experience in
naval warfare
 Defeated time and
time again by larger
and more
experienced
Carthaginian navy
ROME WINS THE FIRST ONE

Rome would not surrender
 Finally turned the tables on
Carthage by changing rules
of naval warfare
○ Equipped ships with huge
hooks and stationed
soldiers on ships
 Would hook enemy ship,
pull it nearby, and board
it with soldiers
 Converted naval warfare into
mini-land battles
○ Something Rome was very
good at
○ Won First Punic War as a
result
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)

2nd Punic WarCarthaginian General
Hannibal’s “surprise”
attack through Spain &
France
 60,000 soldiers and 60
The destruction of Carthage during the Punic Wars.
New York Public Library Picture Collection
elephants
 Romans experience severe
losses, but eventually ward
off attacks & invade North
Africa
SECOND PUNIC WAR

Carthagian general Hannibal
surprises Romans, leads army
from Spain, through southern
France and the Alps, and
invades Italy from the north
 Defeats Roman armies sent
to stop him several times
but hesitates to attack
Rome itself
○ Too well fortified
○ Settles instead on war of
attrition in hope of
destroying Roman
economic base
ROME WINS THIS ONE TOO

Hannibal
Unable to defeat Hannibal in
Italy, a Roman army sailed
across the Mediterranean,
landed in North Africa, and
headed for Carthage
 Led by patrician general
Scipio Aemilius Africanus
 Hannibal forced to leave Italy
to protect Carthage
○ Defeated at the Battle of
Zama, fought outside the
walls of Carthage
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)

3rd Punic War- Rome
seizes Carthage
 Scipio- Roman Strategist
 Conquered people sold into
slavery
The destruction of Carthage during the Punic Wars.
New York Public Library Picture Collection
THIRD PUNIC WAR

Carthage finished after Second
Punic War
 Hannibal committed suicide
 Economy shattered
 Lost all territory to Rome
 But some Romans feared it
might revive someday and
challenge Rome again
○ Notably Cato the Elder
 Pushed for another war that
would wipe Carthage off the
face of the map
Cato the Elder
ROME WINS A THIRD TIME

Due to Cato’s persistent efforts,
Rome declares war against
defenseless Carthage
 Wins easily
 Entire population of city sold
into slavery
 Everything of value carried
back to Rome
 Everything else burned and
dumped into the sea
 Site sown with salt so that
nothing would ever grow
there again
 Carthage completely
disappeared
What did we learn about the
Punic Wars?