1st Punic War. Organization of the first provinces.

1. Chronology. 264-241.

2. Causes and reasons for war. The Mamertines are mercenaries of the Syracusan tyrant Agathocles. After his death, 289 remained idle and captured Messana, began to live there.

The Syracusan Hieron captured Messana, for which he was elected king of Syracuse Hieron II. The Mamertines called for help from the Carthaginians, for whom Messana was important as a) a trading post and b) a springboard for a possible throw into Italy. The Mamertines realized how screwed up they were, and 2 parties arose among them: one offered to recognize the dominance of Carthage, the other to call for the help of the Romans. The 2nd won and an embassy was sent to Rome with a corresponding proposal. Rome had to wait difficult decision, because a) they didn’t fight with Carthage before, they don’t know what it is capable of b) the war will certainly bring the young and active to power, which is bad for nobles c) Sicily is not only a geological continuation of Ann. peninsula, but also a logical continuation of the Roman policy of conquest; if Carthage takes Messana, Rome will not see Sicily. Decided to support Messana (264).

3. The course of the war.

264 - 241 - First Punic War (Rome - Carthage).

264 - the capture of Messana by the Romans; Appius Claudius left a garrison there and the campaign ended in 264.

263 - an alliance was concluded with Hieron (Syracuse); Carthage holds SW angle Sicily (Agrigent); troops are recruited.

262 - the capture of Agrigentum and the battle with the Carthaginian reinforcements; all killed and sold into slavery; the complete expulsion of the Puns from Sicily (excluding the city of Lilibea).

260 - Creation of the first Roman fleet; there are already few puns in Sicily => you need to move to the mainland, and for this you need a fleet; it is much worse than the Carthaginian, but the so-called. crow.

260 - Battle of the Lepar Islands (Pune - Rome); first Roman victory at sea.

260 - battle near the city of the Nile (Rome - Pune).

259 - Lucius Cornelius Scipio took Corsica (Aleria); there are still punas in the SW corner of Sicily, and it is not easy to get them out of there => a daring plan to strike Africa.

256 - Roman expedition to Africa (Mark Attilius Regulus)

256 - Battle of Cape Eknom (Rome - Pune); on the road to Africa; the Romans land in Africa; one of the consuls sails for Rome with the loot; in Africa there is one Regulus; approaching Carthage, he offers a humiliating peace for the Carthaginians; they reject him and invite the experienced Spartan commander Xanthippus.

255 - the destruction of the army and fleet of Regulus (Xanthippus); the Romans leave the Afican theater. Now the war is mostly in Sicily. Take Palermo. But the Romans are constantly caught in storms and run aground - inexperienced.

250 - the Carthaginians make an unsuccessful attempt to take Palermo; for the first time, the Romans defeat the elephants, and this is important.

250 - Roman siege of Lilibey and Drepan (long, tedious and ineffectual)

247 - Carthaginian troops in Sicily led by Hamilcar Barca; transition to active politics; while Hamilcar is deprived of the support of Carthage, which turned to wars with the peoples of Africa.

242 - creation of the second Roman fleet; this is a big surprise for puns; Catullus blocks Drepany and Lilibey from the sea, as a result of which the fortresses finally begin to die out from hunger.

241 - Battle of the Egama Islands (Rome - Pune); decisive; an untidy Punic fleet came to meet Catullus; broken.

241 - "peace" treaty with the Puns; Hamilcar and Catullus. Polybius (I, 62, 8 - 9): “On the following conditions, if they are pleasing to the Roman people, there should be friendship between the Carthaginians and the Romans: the Carthaginians are obliged to clear all of Sicily, not to fight with Hieron, not to go to war with the Syracusans, nor on their allies; the Carthaginians are obliged to hand over to the Romans all prisoners without ransom; The Carthaginians are obliged to pay the Romans for twenty years two thousand two hundred Euboean talents of silver. The treaty was not ratified immediately. The size of the indemnity was increased to 3200 talents, the period of its payment was reduced to 10 years, the Punas pledged to liberate the Lipari Islands.

4. Consequences of the war.

a. Carthage. Not catastrophic, because besides Sicily there is Spain and much more; indemnity is also not a problem, because a lot of money. The idea of ​​revenge.

b. Rome. The emergence of the provincial system. Checking the Roman-Italian Union (a more serious test will be in Pun 2).

5. Reasons for the victory of Rome.

a. Morality. Rome has citizens who are personally interested in victory, Carthage has an oligarchy that oppresses neighboring cities.

b. Army. Rome has legions improved after internal wars (321 Kavdinsky gorge), Carthage has mercenaries, weakening during a protracted war.

With. Union. Rome relies on the Roman-Italian alliance.

11. The 2nd Punic War and its significance for the creation of the Roman Mediterranean state.

1. Chronology. 218-201.

2.Prichiny and reasons for war. Spanish campaign of Hamilcar and Hasdrubal. Spain is regarded as a springboard for revenge. There are many minerals and potential mercenaries. 237 Gam&Gas set sail for Spain, and before leaving they forced 9-year-old Hannibal to swear eternal hatred for the Romans. 229 Hamilcar drowned in the river, and under his son-in-law, the possessions of Carthage in Spain expanded to the river. Ebro. Founded New Carthage. The Romans are very concerned about the success of Gus in Spain (231, 226 - two embassies with a note of protest), but they do not run into, because. a war with the Gauls is brewing. 221 Gus was killed and Hannibal Hamilkarovich Barkid became the ruler. 226 during the last embassy, ​​Rome made an alliance with Saguntum. 219 Gunn took it, and it was a casus belli.

3. Forces and plans of the parties. Hannibal was preparing a campaign through the Alps, for which he actively consulted with the Celts. They promised support and guides. The hike promised to be difficult, but it only decision. A certain Monomakh, according to Polybius, offered Hannibal to train his soldiers to eat human flesh. Hannibal counted on the fragility of the Roman-Italian alliance and was greatly mistaken. The Romans decided to hit both Spain and Africa at the same time (they apparently did not figure out Hannibal's plans).

4. The course of the war.

219 - the capture of Sagunt by the Puns; in the spring of 218 - a declaration of war.

218 - Hannibal's crossing of the Pyrenees and the Alps; his troops are battered (lost ½ troops); Hannibal is actively recruiting troops from the Gauls; before that - brief meetings with Scipio at Rodan, during which Scipio finally understood what the salt was. He sailed out to guard Hannibal at the exit of the passes; Tiberius hastily recalled from Africa to the aid of Scipio.

218 - Battle of Ticinus (Punes - Rome (Publius Cornelius Scipio)); Scipio understood the superiority of the Punic cavalry; departs deep into the peninsula, waiting for the help of Tiberius. The uprising of the Gauls is about to begin, you need to take your feet to Latium.

218 - Battle of Trebia (Poons - Rome (Titus Sempronius)); Sempronius came to the aid of Scipio; he is full of strength and determination, he wants to give the Poons a general battle; Scipio dissuades him, but he is sick and lies with his teeth against the wall; Hannibal meanwhile prepared the battle well: ambush, rest; Sempronius succumbed to the provocation and was beaten. All but 1, the elephants, died. Hannibal moves to Wed. Italy, Rome tries to stop him; It was decided to beat the Romans in parts.

217 - Battle of Lake Trasimene (Poons - Rome (Gaius Flaminius Nepos)). Hannibal again provoked the consul, made an ambush, and killed everyone. The captive Italians were released without ransom - an ideological war (he wanted to destroy the Roman-Italian Union). Then Hannibal goes south, devastating the war and resting his army. Panic in Rome => dictatorship of Quintus Fabius Maximus. He headed for a protracted war (and therefore the Kunktator), not going down to the plain, where he could be defeated by the strong Punic cavalry. The patience of the Romans snapped when the Cunktator missed Hannibal on the way out of Samnium. The head of the cavalry under the Cunctator, Minucius Rufus, is also endowed with a dictatorship => for the first time in Rome, 2 dictators.

216 - Battle of Cannae (Poons - Rome (Gaius Terence Varro)). See corresponding ticket; this is a turning point battle. Further, Hannibal directs all his forces to the destruction of the Roman-Italian alliance. 216 Capua fell away - the 2nd city in Italy after Rome. But central Italy is still under Rome. There is panic in Rome, 2 legions of slaves are recruited, oracles are asked, sacrifices are made. Spain is briefly under Rome, then moves back.

215 - Union of Carthage with Philip V of Macedon (Mac 1 215-205). Illyrian War. The Romans ceded minor territories. Alliance with the Achaean alliance against Philip and the world.

213 - expedition to Sicily (Mark Claudius Marcellus); after the death of Hieron, Syracuse falls away from Italy; war is needed. Long siege. Activities of Archimedes. Capture and sack of the city. by 210 all of Sicily is taken.

211 - the capture of Capua; The Romans besieged the city for a long time, Hannibal went to Rome to distract them (Hannibal ante portas), but this did not help. Fallen allies begin to go over to the side of Rome. Both sides are exhausted.

210 - expedition to Spain. Capture of New Carthage by Scipio. Hasdrubal makes a dash to Italy (again through the Alps) in order to help Hannibal, who is locked in Apulia. In the Battle of Metaurus, he is defeated and dies.

204 - expedition to Africa (Publius Cornelius Scipio). Battle on the Great Fields. Successful expedition.

202 - Battle of Zama (Rome - Poons); Features of the construction of the Roman army - in order to give passage to enemy elephants.

201 - "peace" treaty with the Puns. Carthage was to lose all non-African possessions. It remained an independent state, but was deprived of the right to wage war without the permission of the Roman people. Masinissa should be returned all the possessions of both the king himself and his ancestors "within the limits that will be indicated to him." The Carthaginians were obliged to compensate for all the damage caused during the violation of the truce of the previous year, to return all prisoners and defectors, to issue all warships, with the exception of 10 three-deck ships, as well as all elephants. In addition, Carthage pledged to keep the Roman troops in Africa for 3 months and pay an indemnity of 10 thousand talents for 50 years, contributing 200 talents annually. To secure the agreement, the Carthaginians were obliged to give 100 hostages at the direction of Scipio. Scipio was nicknamed "African".

5. The results of the war.

a. Rome. The first power in the Mediterranean. The country is devastated, but the Roman-Italian alliance is intensifying, because. the authority of Rome increased, besides, there were reasons to tighten the management of the union, which was done. The political weight of the nobles is growing and the democrats are falling. In war it is not profitable to have commanders replaced every year => there were precedents when the same person was consul several times. Weakening the principle of collegiality. The development of military art.

Against Carthage occupy a significant place in history ancient world. They influenced the further development of the Mediterranean and all of Europe. Second 218-201 BC e. - the brightest of the three occurring. It is also called the Hannibal War, or the war against Hannibal. In addition to Rome and Carthage, Numidia, Pergamum, the Aetolian League, Syracuse, the Achaean League and Macedonia took part in this confrontation.

background

In 242 BC. e. A peace treaty was signed that ended the First Punic War. As a result of this agreement, Carthage lost control of the income from the possession of Sicily, the almost monopoly trade of the Carthaginians in the Western Mediterranean was severely undermined by Rome. As a result, Carthage was in a difficult economic situation, and its ruling Barkid dynasty - at a disadvantage from the political side - the opposition intensified. Even then it was clear that the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage would soon take place in order to destroy one of them, since there was no place for two major powers in the Mediterranean.

Rivalry for Spain

Hamilcar, the commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army, undertook campaigns to conquer the territories of Spain. Firstly, it was very rich in natural resources, and secondly, it was possible to get to Italy quite quickly from Spain. Hamilcar, along with his son-in-law Hasdrubal, was active in expanding the borders of Carthage for almost 10 years, until he was killed during the siege of Helika. His colleague Hasdrubal fell victim to the Iberian barbarian in New Carthage, founded by him.

New Carthage instantly became the center of all western Mediterranean trade, as well as the administrative center of the Punic possessions. Thus, Carthage not only compensated for its losses following the First War with Rome, but also new markets appeared, and the silver mines of Spain enriched the Barcids and deprived their political opponents of any support. Second Punic War 218-201 BC e. was only a matter of time.

Rome's anxiety

Roman politicians and military figures were greatly concerned about the growing strength of Carthage. Rome understood that now it was not too late to stop the Puns, but after a while it would be difficult. Therefore, the Romans began to look for a reason to start a war. During the lifetime of Hannibal's father, Hamilcar, a border was drawn between Carthage and Rome in Spain along the Iber River.

Rome concludes an alliance with Sogunt. It was clearly directed against Carthage, and specifically to stop its advance further north. The beginning of the Second Punic War was approaching, Rome did not need such a strong neighbor, but it also could not openly act as an aggressor, therefore an alliance was concluded with Sogunt. It is clear that Rome did not intend to defend its ally, but the attack on him by Carthage provided a pretext for unleashing a war.

Hannibal of the Barkid dynasty

Hannibal was destined to become a symbol of the struggle against Roman rule in the Mediterranean basin, he succeeded in what no one before him dared to do. He was a talented commander and commander, the soldiers respected him not for his high origin, but for his personal merits and qualities of a leader.

From an early age, father Hamilcar took his son on campaigns. All his conscious life he was in military camps, where from childhood he looked death in the face. Dozens, hundreds, if not thousands of people were killed before his eyes. He's already used to it. Constant training turned Hannibal into a skilled fighter, and the study of military affairs into a brilliant commander. Meanwhile, Hamilcar did everything to get closer to the Hellenistic world, so he taught the Greek alphabet to his son and accustomed him to the culture of the Greeks. The father understood that Rome could not be dealt with without allies, and taught his sons to their culture, and also set them up for an alliance. Hannibal was to play an important role in this process. The Second Punic War was thought over by him for many years. And after the death of his father, he swore that he would destroy Rome.

Causes of the war

There are three main reasons that led to the outbreak of the second war between Rome and Carthage:

1. Humiliating consequences for Carthage under the terms of the peace treaty that ended the First Punic War.

2. The rapid growth of the territories of Carthage, as well as its enrichment due to the richest possessions in Spain, which resulted in the strengthening of its military power.

3. The siege and capture by Carthage of Sogunt, allied to Rome, which became the official reason for the outbreak of the Second Punic War. The reasons for it were more formal than real, and yet they led to one of the largest confrontations in the entire history of the Ancient World.

The beginning of the war

After the death of Hamilcar and the assassination of Hasdrubal, Hannibal was elected commander-in-chief. Then he was only 25 years old, he was full of strength and determination to destroy Rome. In addition, he had a fairly good set of knowledge from the field of military affairs and, of course, leadership qualities.

Hannibal did not hide from anyone that he wanted to attack Sogunt, whose ally was Rome, and thereby involve the latter in the war. However, Hannibal did not attack first. He made it so that Sogunt attacked the Iberian tribes that were under the rule of Carthage, and only after that he moved his forces to the "aggressor". Hannibal rightly counted on the fact that Rome would not bring military assistance to Sogunt, since he himself fought against the Gauls and Illyrian pirates. The siege of Sogunt lasted 7 months, after which the fortress was taken. Rome never provided military assistance to its ally. Already after the capture of Sogunt, Rome sent an embassy to Carthage, which declared war. The Second Punic War has begun!

Military actions

The war went on for over 15 years. During this time, fighting almost did not stop either between Rome and Carthage, or between their allies. Tens of thousands of people died. Over the years, the advantage passed from hand to hand: if in the initial period of the war luck was on the side of Hannibal, then after a while the Romans became more active, inflicting a number of major defeats on the Puns in Iberia and North Africa. At the same time, Hannibal remained in Italy. In Italy, Hannibal himself achieved high results, making the entire local population tremble before his name.

The Second Punic War showed that Hannibal had no equal in open battle. This is evidenced by the battles near the Ticin and Trebbia rivers, near Lake Trasimene and, of course, the legendary one, which are sewn into military history with a red thread.

fighting took place on several fronts: in Italy, Spain, Sicily, North Africa and Macedonia, but the "engine" of Carthage and its allies were the army of Hannibal and himself. Therefore, Rome set itself the goal of "bleeding" it, blocking the path of provisions, weapons and reinforcements for waging war in Italy. Rome succeeded when he realized that Hannibal must first be exhausted without pitched battles, and then finished off. This plan was successful, but before it Rome suffered one defeat after another, especially the battle of Cannae. In this battle, Carthage had 50,000 soldiers, Rome - 90,000. The advantage was almost doubled, but even with such a numerical superiority, Rome failed to win. During the battle, 70,000 Roman soldiers were killed, 16,000 were captured, while Hannibal lost only 6,000 people.

There are a number of reasons that led to the victory of Rome. Firstly, this is the fact that the army of Carthage consisted mainly of mercenaries, who did not care at all for whom they were fighting - they received payment for this. The mercenaries did not have any patriotic feelings, unlike the Romans, who defended their homeland.

Secondly, the Carthaginians themselves, located in Africa, often did not understand why they needed this war. Inside the country, the Barkids again formed a serious opposition that opposed the war with Rome. Even after the Battle of Cannae, the oligarchs of Carthage half-heartedly sent small reinforcements to Hannibal, although this help could have been much larger, and then the outcome of the war would have been very different. The thing is that they feared the strengthening of Hannibal's power and the establishment of a dictatorship, which would be followed by the destruction of the oligarchy as a social class.

Thirdly, the rebellions and betrayals that lay in wait for Carthage at every turn, and the lack of real help from an ally - Macedonia.

Fourthly, this, of course, is the genius of the Roman military school, which gained rich experience during the war. At the same time, for Rome, this war became a difficult test that brought to the brink of survival. The reasons for the defeat of Carthage in the Second Punic War can still be listed, but all of them will follow from these 4 main ones, which led to the defeat of one of the most powerful armies of the Ancient World.

The difference between the Second and the First Punic War

The two wars were completely different, although they have a similar name. The first was predatory on both sides, it unfolded as a result of the rivalry between Rome and Carthage for the possession of the rich island of Sicily. The second was aggressive only from the side of Carthage, but carried out a liberation mission.

The result in both the First and Second Wars is the victory of Rome, a huge indemnity imposed on Carthage, and the establishment of borders. After the Second Punic War ended, the causes, consequences and historical significance of which are difficult to overestimate, Carthage was generally forbidden to have a fleet. He lost all overseas possessions, he was taxed exorbitantly for 50 years. In addition, he could not unleash wars without the consent of Rome.

The Second Punic War could change the course of history if the commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian troops, Hannibal, had greater support within the country. He could have taken over Rome. Moreover, everything was heading towards this, as a result of the Battle of Cannae, Rome did not have a large army capable of resisting Carthage, but Hannibal, with the available forces, could not have captured well-fortified Rome. He was waiting for support from Africa and the uprising of the Italian cities against Rome, but he did not wait for either the first or the second ...

(264-241 BC)

In IV-III centuries BC. e. Rome gradually defeated all its political opponents in Italy. As a result of the Latin War, three wars with the Samnites and the conquest of the cities of Magna Graecia in southern Italy, the Roman Republic extended its influence to almost the entire Apennine Peninsula. Only the Gauls who lived in the Po Valley remained unconquered. Thus, Rome turned into a strong power and began to dream of new conquests.

The opposite was Carthage. In political, economic and military matters, he held a dominant position in the Western Mediterranean. The city of Carthage arose as a Phoenician colony in Africa at the end of the 9th century BC. e. Gradually it turned into a powerful state with vast possessions covering North Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, the west of Sicily, the Balearic Islands, the south of Iberia up to Cadiz (southwest of Spain).

We all know that two bears in one den do not get along. And Rome and Carthage just became these same bears, whose lair was the Western Mediterranean. And the most important strategic importance in it was the island of Sicily. Control over Sicily guaranteed dominance over the trade routes linking the western and eastern waters of the Mediterranean.

Carthage followed the growing power of Rome very closely. At first, these two states were even allies. But the Roman Republic became more and more powerful, and, in the end, the moment came when the allied treaty began to interfere with it. That is, Rome decided on a military conflict with Carthage in order to prove its superiority by force of arms.

The overdue confrontation resulted in the Punic Wars, and the First Punic War took place in 264-241 BC. e . This military conflict lasted 23 years without interruption. It must be said that the ancient historians called this war exactly "Punic", and not "Carthaginian" or "Roman-Carthaginian". The point here is that the Romans called the Carthaginians in their own way "Punians". And therefore, in ancient sources there is not a single record in which the Carthaginians would be mentioned; they were characterized as Punians.

Start of the First Punic War

Most of Sicily was under the control of Carthage. Only Syracuse had complete independence. After the death of Agatholk, the tyrant of Syracuse, in 289 B.C. e., political unrest and unrest began on the island. Their cause was the Mamertines (sons of Mars). This is what the mercenaries of Agafolk called themselves. After his death, they were sent home. But the mercenaries knew nothing but how to fight. They captured the city of Messina and proclaimed it their republic.

Messina has become a den of robbers. They began to raid the interior of the island and took control of the entire north-east of Sicily. In Syracuse, Hieron II was king. This man, depending on the political situation, sympathized with either Carthage or Rome. In 266 BC. e. he defeated the Mamertines and liberated from them all the lands except Messina.

The robbers panicked and turned to Rome for help. He decided to take the Mamertines under his protection, which caused dissatisfaction with Carthage. He sent his fleet under the command of Hanno to Messina. The soldiers of Hanno occupied the city fortress, and the Mamertines and Hieron II concluded a truce.

In the spring of 264 BC. e. Gaius Claudius, an envoy from the Roman Republic, arrived in Messina. However, the Mamertines declared that they no longer needed Rome's help. But the Romans, interested in the city, decided to turn the tide. Gaius Claudius gathered the inhabitants in the city square. Hanno also came to this meeting. The Romans treacherously seized him and under torture forced him to give the order to withdraw the Carthaginians from the city.

The Carthaginian garrison left Messina, and the Roman legionaries settled in and took control. It was these events that provoked the First Punic War, since Carthage did not want Rome to gain a foothold in Sicily.

A large Carthaginian army was sent to Messina, which, in alliance with Hieron II, began the siege of the city. The Romans also sent their army to the island. As a result of the fighting, the Punians lifted the siege of Messina and left. The Romans laid siege to Syracuse, but this siege ended unsuccessfully for them. The Roman army left Sicily, which did not mean the end of the war.

The course of hostilities

Sicily is a hilly island of volcanic origin with a complex topography. Therefore, large-scale battles were not fought on the island. Everything was limited to small battles and skirmishes. The siege of cities was mainly practiced, and seaports became the main targets. The belligerents considered them as bases on which troops could be landed and food delivered.

War in Sicily

In 263 BC. e. 4 Roman legions were transported to the island. Impressed by such power, Hieron II entered into an alliance with Rome and undertook to supply food to the legionnaires. The Romans captured several dozen cities in the eastern part of Sicily, but the invasion of the western part of the island ended in defeat.

At the same time, Carthage formed a large mercenary army of Ligurians, Celts and Iberians. It consisted of 50 thousand infantry, 6 thousand cavalry and 60 elephants. It was planned to throw this force against the Roman legionnaires, relying at the same time on well-fortified cities. Infantry, elephants, cavalry were concentrated in the city of Akragante in southwestern Sicily.

The Romans approached there and began a 6-month siege, as a result of which the city fell. For Carthage, this was a serious defeat. But he had a fleet that was vastly superior to that of the Romans. This prompted Rome to build its fleet as soon as possible. He began to successfully resist the Carthaginian squadron, thanks to boarding practice. Military operations on land continued with varying degrees of success.

In 260 BC. e. a naval battle took place, which went down in history as the Battle of Mily. In it, the Carthaginian fleet was defeated, and Rome after that became a real maritime power. After that, the Romans launched an offensive to the west of Sicily and advanced towards the city of Therma. However, they were defeated by the Carthaginians and driven back.

Only in 258 BC. e. The Romans managed to seize the initiative again. They captured several cities in the central regions of Sicily and reached Palermo, but could not take it. After that, the Romans came to the conclusion that the war in Sicily could drag on for a long time and not bring any results. Therefore, it was decided to start a military company in Africa.

Military company in Africa

For this, in 256 BC. e. The Roman Republic completed the fleet with 330 warships. This naval force met at Cape Ecnomus with a Carthaginian fleet of 350 ships. In a naval battle, the fleet of Carthage was defeated. After that, the Romans landed in Africa, and the First Punic War continued in the lands that belonged to the Phoenicians since ancient times.

The Romans were commanded by Mark Regulus. He devastated the lands of Carthage. The situation was aggravated by the uprising of the Libyans who supported the invaders. To save the situation, the Carthaginians transferred a strong contingent of troops from Sicily, consisting of infantry and cavalry. This military unit entered into battle with the Roman legions. It went down in history as the battle of Adis in 255 BC. e. Mark Regulus utterly defeated the enemy, and Carthage sued for peace.

Negotiations began, but Regulus, inspired by the victory, wanted too much. As a result, the negotiations ended in nothing, and hostilities continued. But this time, Carthage decided to use the services of mercenaries from Greece, commanded by the Spartan Xanthippus. He led the entire army of the Punians and in the battle near the city of Tunet in 255 BC. e. defeated the legions of Marcus Regulus. War elephants played a big role in the victory, crushing the ranks of the Roman infantry. Regulus himself and another 500 soldiers were captured.

To save the remnants of their military contingent in Africa, the Romans equipped a new fleet of 350 ships. They managed to defeat the Carthaginian fleet and save their defeated African units. But on the way back to Italy, a storm broke out, destroying almost the entire Roman fleet. And the Punians suppressed the uprising of the Libyans and burned the city of Acragas in Sicily, since they did not hope to keep it. Thus ended the African campaign of the Roman Republic. However, the First Punic War, in spite of everything, did not stop.

Further military action

We must pay tribute to the Roman Republic. She quickly regained her strength and created a new fleet of 140 ships. After this, the strategy of capturing the Carthaginian cities in Sicily continued.

The Romans tried to capture Marsala from the sea, which was the center of Carthaginian power on the island. An attempt was also made to re-land a military unit in Africa. But all these efforts ended in failure.

However, the Roman legions achieved success in northern Sicily. Their main goal was Palermo. In 251 BC. e. the city fell after fierce resistance from the Carthaginians. After that, many cities in western Sicily made peace with the Romans. Among them were Ietas, Solus, Tyndaris, Petra.

Encouraged by the victory, the Roman legions made an attempt to capture Marsala. They gathered a large army near the city and besieged it for a long time. But they couldn't take it. And in 249 BC. e. The naval battle of Drepane took place. In it, the Roman fleet was completely defeated, and Carthage regained dominance at sea.

After that, there was a decline in hostilities, as both warring parties were extremely exhausted. In 247, Hamilcar (father of Hannibal) became the commander-in-chief of the Carthaginians in Sicily. He skillfully repelled the attacks of the Romans and struck back. For his successful and swift attacks, he received the nickname Barca (lightning). But this commander failed to turn the tide of the war.

Rome by 242 built a new large fleet of lightweight ships. And in 241, this flotilla met with the naval forces of Carthage in the battle of the Aegates Islands. The Punic fleet was completely defeated, and Rome again began to dominate the sea. Thus, the army of Hamilcar Barca was cut off from Carthage. As a result, interruptions began in the supply and payment of salaries to mercenaries.

Rome and Carthage after the First Punic War on the map

In Carthage itself, meanwhile, landowners-aristocrats gained power. They opposed the continuation of the war and reduced the cost of the fleet. These men instructed Hamilcar Barca to begin peace negotiations with the Roman Republic.

They ended in 241 BC. e., and the First Punic War ended there. Rome won, but on fairly acceptable terms for Carthage. The latter lost Sicily and the Aegadian Islands, and had to pay a large indemnity for 10 years. He was forbidden to attack Syracuse and their allies. Both sides pledged not to fight each other in the future. At the same time, Corsica, Sardinia and North Africa remained under the complete control of Carthage.

Both powers after the 23-year war were extremely exhausted. During the hostilities, Rome lost 700 ships, and Carthage 500. As for the number of people, the losses were measured in tens of thousands on both sides, but there is no exact data. The Roman Republic became a great maritime power, but the war did not reconcile Carthage with Rome. Differences between states faded only for a while. And as you know, a smoldering spark can turn into a flame at any moment..

Causes of the war

Remark 1

The First Punic War was caused by controversy over the island of Sicily. The accepted agreement that Rome could not own lands in Sicily, and Carthage - in Italy, constantly sought to violate both sides. The entry of the Carthaginian military fleet into the harbor of Tarentum was the reason for the start of an armed clash.

The army of Rome by that time was larger in number and went through the schools of war with Pyrrhus. The advantage of the Carthaginian army was an experienced and combat-ready fleet, which Rome almost did not have.

Chronicle of war

264 BC - in the city of Messina, captured by the Carthaginians, the Roman fleet went to help. The first battle has taken place. The Carthaginian fleet won, some of the Roman ships were captured. The commander of the Punic garrison, invited to the city meeting, was captured. He was forced to give the order for the retreat of the army. The order was carried out by the garrison. After this incident, Carthage declared war on Rome, and the siege of Messina began. Rome won the first victory.

263 BC - The Romans increased the number of their troops to 4 legions and conquered 50 cities.

262 BC - The Carthaginians replenished their army in Sicily. The Romans laid siege to the stronghold of Carthaginian domination, the city of Akragas. After six months of siege, the city surrendered. Rome won, but a strong enemy fleet plundered cities in Italy.

260 BC - the first naval battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians. The Roman fleet used boarding tactics and achieved victory.

256 BC - the transfer of hostilities to Africa. The naval battle at Cape Eknom ended with the victory of the Romans. The land battle near the city of Klupei brought the destruction of 18 thousand Punians.

255 BC - Battle of Tunepa. The new commander Xanthippus applied a new tactic of battle with the Romans (he tried to fight on the plain) and won. The Roman fleet, which came to the rescue, defeated the Carthaginians at Cape Hermes. But on the way to Italy it was almost completely destroyed by a storm. The fighting was again transferred to Sicily.

251 BC - Battle of Panorma. The defeat of the Carthaginians, who lost about 20 thousand soldiers.

250 BC - the siege of the city of Lilibey, which ended unsuccessfully for the Romans: the city never surrendered.

249 BC - Battle of Drepan. The Roman fleet is destroyed. The time has come for the balance of the parties and a small respite in the war.

241 BC - Naval battle near the Aegates Islands. The fleet of Carthage was destroyed. There were no more forces and means to wage war. Carthage sued for peace.

Results of the First Punic War

The Carthaginian commander Hamilcar Barke received the authority to negotiate. They were successful and were not difficult. Carthage was obliged:

• leave Sicily;
• to pay 3,200 talents in the form of an indemnity over ten years;
• ransom their armies from Sicily for a purely nominal fee.

The main contradiction between Rome and Carthage was not resolved. It foreshadowed new war. Both sides were ready for it. The Roman militia gained experience, became combat-ready. One negative remained: the annual change of consuls. Acting as commander-in-chief of the army. The Carthaginian army of mercenaries showed the shortcomings of such an organization: lack of experience among commanders, unreliability, multilingualism. But the transformations that had continued since the pre-war period began to give results: professional generals, new ways of using infantry, cavalry and elephants.

Before you start talking about the causes of the Punic wars, you need to figure out how many of these wars there were, between whom they were fought and what their periodization was.
The Punic Wars are a series of major military conflicts between Ancient Rome and Carthage. In the whole history between them there were three big wars:
- 264-261 years. BC e.
- 218-201 BC e.
- 149-146 years. BC e.

Causes of the First Punic War
Before the outbreak of the first war between the Carthaginians and the Romans, these two peoples were staunch allies. However, Rome planned to expand its influence, and first of all, he began to conquer Italy, which did not suit Carthage at all. And when Rome captured Sicily, relations between the states finally deteriorated. Sicily is an important strategic point that gave control over mediterranean sea.
The war was difficult for both sides, but nevertheless the Roman Republic managed to win and the island of Sicily became its reward.

Causes of the Second Punic War
After the defeat in the first military conflict, Carthage forever lost the island of Sicily and the income from it, and also lost the monopoly on trade with the Mediterranean Sea, which seriously hit the power of Carthage.
But after the defeat, Carthage began to seize Spain and, with the help of its resources, was able to restore its power. Moreover, Spain is a rather advantageous springboard for an attack on Italy.
At this time, the Romans conclude an alliance with Sagunt and Spain, which was hostile to Carthage. Also, one cannot ignore the personality of Hannibal, who saw his destiny in the war against Rome, he fiercely sought to give revenge to Rome and defeat him.
Hannibal also saw that now the number of soldiers of Rome was not so large - a little more than 60 thousand. At the same time, this large army was divided into three smaller ones, controlled by consuls. At the time of the outbreak of the war, Hannibal had a little more than 50 thousand soldiers. He knew that to strike at Rome when her troops were scattered was now the easiest thing to do.
As for all the same main reason the beginning of the war is the establishment of dominion in the Mediterranean.
The Second Punic War without controversy proved to be the largest and most bloody. The remaining two wars were only "rehearsals". Both sides suffered huge losses. But, like last time, Rome won. However, there were moments when Rome almost fell into the hands of Hannibal and only a miracle helped Rome.
As a result of the war, Carthage lost almost its entire fleet and had to pay a huge indemnity for 50 years. And Rome became the strongest state in the Mediterranean.

Causes of the Third Punic War
Rome was afraid that Carthage would be able to restore its power, although it was severely undermined during the Second Punic War. Rome in this period was significantly strengthened, conquered Greece, Egypt.
Although Carthage lost its military power, it still remained a major trading center, which prevented the flourishing of Roman trade.
And Rome was not worried in vain, Carthage quickly began to accumulate its wealth again. The Roman politician Mark Porcius Cato said at one of the meetings of the Senate: "Carthage must be destroyed." And most of the senators adhered to his opinion.
This time, it was Rome that initiated the conflict, while the first two Punic Wars were initiated by Carthage.
As a result of the conflict, the city of Carthage was completely burned to the ground. It burned for several weeks. Although the Carthaginians defended themselves fiercely (for more than two years), they all fell under the onslaught of the Roman army. The Romans cursed this land forever.