Download Punic Wars - Johnson Graphic Design

Carthage v. Rome
264 – 146 BC
Roman Military
 All citizens required to serve
 Roman citizens usually made good soldiers


valued loyalty, courage, respect for authority.
Courage in the field = Loyalty to Rome
2
keys to Military success
 Organization & fighting skill
ordered troops fight more effectively
 most troops rushed wildly at the enemy, relying on
numbers, better soldiers, or luck
 Can’t always rely on these factors, Romans turned to
strategy.
 Each situation was handled differently, taking into
account terrain, strengths of enemy, strengths of
Roman troops.


The Roman Legion- military unit of 5,000 infantry (foot
soldiers) supported by cavalry (horseback)
Roman Military
 Weaponry
shields to both repel and break through enemy lines
 short swords (Gladius) superior in close quarters

 Formations
 The Tortoise- repel missiles
 Wedge- break through enemy lines
 Repel Cavalry- wall of shields and spears
 The Orb- Defensive, used in dire situations
 Tactics

Use cavalry on outside


Avoid getting outflanked
Press forward when enemy retreats
 Terrain
Higher ground
 Sun and Wind behind soldiers



Blind & disorient enemy
aid missiles
 If
a unit fled during battle 1 out of 10
soldiers in the legion were put to death.
 Roman Decimation


10 soldiers draw lots, loser is killed by other 9
Remaining 9 forced to eat barley and camp
outside of fortifications for a few days
Roman Expansion
 Treatment
of Conquered:
forge alliances
 offer citizenship
 granted privileges
 keep customs, money, and local governments
 had to pay taxes
 loyal to Rome
 supplied Roman army with troops.
 Roman soldiers stationed throughout the land
 Roads built to link territories to Rome.
 Latin emerges as the spoken language

 By
265 BC Rome controls Italian peninsula
Carthage
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
Result was the three
Punic Wars
264-146 BC
The Punic Wars
264-146 BC
Carthage
Northern Coast of Africa, Republic
 Trading Empire, Naval Power
 Growing power in the Mediterranean
 Key Military Figure: Hamilcar Barca (275-228 BC)

Sicily
Partially controlled by Carthage
 Independent Greek City-State of Syracuse
 Rome enters conflict to stop Carthaginian growth
 Syracuse becomes Roman ally
 Carthage sends land force to face Romans

First Punic War (Land power v.s. Sea power)

Primarily Naval Battle
 Carthage Large Navy, experienced
 Quinquereme- 5 sets of rower (300), 420 total crew
 Romans reverse-engineered them from scrap
 Routinely beat smaller, inexperienced Roman Navy
 Tactics-
Out maneuver, ram, and sink enemy ships
 Bay of Salimas, Greeks v. Persians
Corvus
 Roman ships would pull up beside enemy ships
 Drop bridge with spike & soldiers board and attack
 Some debate if this actually existed
 Romans made tactical adjustment- fought to strength
 Naval battles turned into mini-land battles

Outcomes
Both sides win battles
 Rome keeps rebuilding forces, spending money
 Carthage Loses
 sues for peace
 loses control of various Islands, including Sicily

returns all POWs, had to pay for theirs
 Naval dominance gone


Rome Wins
 First major expansion beyond Peninsula
 Demonstrated their ability to beat main rival
 Improved Naval force
Second Punic War- Hannibalic War
Hannibal Barca 247-181/83 BC

Son of Hamilcar

leading commander in First Punic War
Hannibal groomed to lead Military
 took oath to always fight Rome
 Raised in Spain, left Carthage at age 9
 Father killed/ dies in battle
 Eventually assumes control of army
 Compared to Alexander the Great, Julius
Caesar, & Scipio Africanus as greatest
military generals of all time

Second Punic War- Hannibalic War
 Hannibal attempts to provoke
Rome in Saguntum (Spain)
 Crosses the Rhone River
 Plans to enter Rome from North
through the Alps to catch them off
guard.
 faces Terrain, Weather, Tribes
 roughly 16 days to cross
 46 000 soldiers enter, 26 000
survive, but battled tested
 37 War Elephants, few survived
Hannibal moves into Po River Valley, North Italy
 Battle of Trebia
 1st major battle in Italy
 Roman forces routed, mass casualties
 Provoke Romans, Draw them across Trebia River
 Force Roman cavalry
from the field
 Spring ambush with
hidden force sweeping
behind them
 Encircle and slaughter
 Gauls hate Rome,
switch sides

Second Punic War- Hannibalic War

Battle of Cannae

Battle of Cannae
 Hannibal defeating Romans throughout Peninsula
 Fabian Strategy- Rome avoids direct battle









Not Popular, many felt it was delaying the real battle
Return to more aggressive approach
Hannibal wants to cut off supply to city
Rome calls largest force ever assembled- 100 000
Rome Legions are
encircled & slaughtered
50-70 000 dead
Entire family lines lost
City of Rome terrified
Allies switching sides

Battle of Cannae
 City of Rome waiting for attack, weakened
 Hannibal decides against siege
 Forces improved by defection
 doesn’t think he has the numbers (3 to 1)
 Hannibal wants to make a deal, sends envoy to Rome
 Rome fears peace terms would show weakness
 Rome says NO- Victory or Destruction
 Despite Victories, Hannibal is not accomplishing goals



Unable to break Rome, gain allies & territories
Carthage Government unwilling to send reinforcements
Hannibal is left isolated in Italy
Scipio Africanus 236-183 BC
Son of Roman General
 Considered great Military commander
 Survived Cannae
 Named General in mid-20’s
 Roman forces rebuilt



All allies want to fight back
Offer citizenship to slaves, non-citizens
that join military, boys trained
Scipio takes the fight to Carthage- Spain & North Africa
 Wins multiple battles, Carthage to sue for peace
 Instead recall Hannibal from Italy
 Oath to protect Carthage/ defeat Rome- he comes home

Second Punic War- Hannibalic War

Battle of Zama
 Hannibal returns, Carthage preps for War
 Hannibal’s forces spent, not what they use to be








Reinforcements from home, including 80 War Elephants
Planned to have elephant charge break Legions, then
attack with cavalry and infantry
Scipio formed soldiers into columns, uses trumpets to
disoriented elephants
Elephants either stampede own forces or move down
“isles” between soldiers- damage own Cavalry
Romans spread out to match length of Hannibal’s forces
Bloody battle, no real winner until…
Roman cavalry return to field and encircle foe
Called “Roman Cannae”

Outcome
 Hannibal survives, convinces Carthage to ask for peace
 Government agrees
 Rome takes control of Spain and North Africa
 Hannibal continues to fight, supports whoever rallies
against Rome


Constantly on the run




Mercenary/ Military mind for hire
Rome wants to capture their greatest enemy.
"Hannibal ante portas" ("Hannibal is at the gates!")
Home in Spain gone, Carthage Government willing to turn
him over
Roman forces closing in, Hannibal poisons himself to avoid
humiliation/capture

Carthage finished after Second Punic War
 economy shattered
 lost all territory to Rome
 Romans feared revival
 used break in treaty to attack Carthage
 Rome wins easily




Carthage population sold into slavery- 50 000
City burned
site sown with salt so that nothing would ever grow there
again
Carthage completely disappeared
 Not
normal approach for defeated enemies
Why?

Rome now the dominant power in Mediterranean