Download The Punic Wars Rome vs. Carthage

The Punic Wars
Rome
Carthage
vs
Essential Question:
Why was Rome able to conquer Carthage and then go
on to extend its influence across the entire
Mediterranean basin and much of Western Europe?
Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean Sea
• 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.
Roman Expansion (con’t.)
• Farmers and
soldiers received
conquered lands.
• Spread Roman
culture and Latin
language.
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Roman Army
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
Factors in Legion’s Success
• 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 and investiture of fortifications
• Roman military equipment
– Soldiers equipped with heavy shields, helmets and highly effective
body armor
The Punic Wars
(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.
The
st
1
Punic War (264-241 B.C.E.)
• Carthage was seeking to expand into Sicily where the
Romans were already dominant
• Both fought for control of the Mediterranean Sea and the
surrounding land.
• Carthage had a strong navy, while Roman had a strong army
– (doesn’t this sound familiar? What other war have we
talked about where the rivals also had these differences?)
• Persian War, Peloponnesian Wars
• Outcome?
• Rome built a strong navy.
The 2nd Punic War (218-201 B.C.E)
Hannibal from Carthage…
• Wanted to defeat Rome
for the death of his
father
• Fought on Roman land,
but…
– (he crossed over the
Alps using war
elephants)
• Was too weak to take
over Rome
The
nd
2
Punic War (con’t.)
• Tide turned Rome’s favor
when brilliant general,
Publius Cornelius Scipio
when he invaded North
Africa.
• This forced Hannibal to
come back and defend
Carthage
• Outcome? Hannibal was
defeated and surrendered
Spain to Rome.
• Hannibal returned to
Africa, and the treaty
required Carthage to
disband their Army or face
total annihilation by Rome.
The 3rd Punic War (146-149 B.C.E.)
The Romans…
• Carthage was attacked by an African kingdom and they
raised an army to defend themselves; is there a problem
with them doing this?
• The treaty with Rome stated Carthage could not have an
army. Rome used this as an excuse to attack Carthage one
more time.
• Burned Carthage to the ground, and razed the city over
• Plowed salt into Carthage’s farms so that they would not
grow crops anymore
• Massacred Carthaginian people or sold them into slavery.
• Sent message to others: DON’T MESS WITH ROME!
• Outcome? Carthage became a Roman province.
End of 3rd Punic War
After the Punic Wars…
• Rome was able , over the next 100 years,
to dominate the Mediterranean basin,
leading to much cultural diffusion of
Roman culture.
• Roman culture will spread around the
Mediterranean Basin (Africa, Asia,
Europe, including the Hellenistic world
of Eastern Mediterranean) and Western
Europe (Gaul, Spain, the British Isles –
present day England and Ireland)
Effects of Expansion
• After the Punic Wars, Roman territory extended from Spain to
Greece
– Conquerors brought back wealth, slaves
• Bought large estates
• Many small farmers couldn’t compete
– Lost their farms
– Poverty and unemployment increased
• Roman Magistrates became corrupt
– Used their legions to conquer and pillage other countries
– Accepted bribes and demanded tributes from citizens
• Gap increased between rich and poor
– Anger and tension grew between classes
From Republic to Empire
The Roman Empire
• Military commanders
recruited landless farmers
for an army and initiated
a civil war.
• General Gaius Marius
marched on Rome,
placed the city under
military occupation and
hunted down political
enemies.
• When Marius died, Sulla
seized Rome in 83 B.C.E.
and murdered some ten
thousand individuals.
The Roman Empire
• By the time Sulla died in 78 B.C.E., he had
imposed policies that weakened the influence
of the lower classes and strengthened the
wealthy in Roman politics.
• Poverty in the cities increased, while the price
of grain rose.
• Social outbreaks were common.
• The urban poor joined the personal armies of
ambitious generals.
The Roman Empire is Firmly Established
•
Gaius Marius’s nephew, Julius
Caesar, favored liberal policies.
•
He was popular with Romans
because he spent sums of money
sponsoring battles between
gladiators and wild animals.
•
This kept him in the public eye
and helped to publicize his
interests in social reform.
•
He led an army to Gaul, which he
conquered and brought it into the
Roman Empire.
•
In 49 B.C.E., he named himself
dictator of Rome.
The Roman Empire is Firmly Established
•
Caesar made much needed
reforms.
•
He relieved debt.
•
He used his wealth to promote
building and entertainment in
Rome which pacified his subjects.
•
He confiscated land from his
opponents and redistributed
among his army’s veterans.
•
He extended Roman citizenship to
people in the conquered
provinces.
•
In 44 BCE Caesar was
assassinated (stabbed to death) in
the Roman forum.
•
Civil War went on for the next 13
years.
Finally Peace and Prosperity
in the Roman Empire
• Caesar’s nephew,
Octavian (AKA Augustus)
built a monarchy
disguised as a republic.
• Augustus initiated the
Pax Romana which
lasted more than 200
years.
• This was a period of
domestic peace and
foreign expansion.
The Roman Empire (117 C.E.)