Why did Rome engage Carthage in the Punic war in 264 bce?

Answer 1

The Middle East D: The Middle East The destruction of Carthage and Corinth in 146 BC is regarded as the year in which the Roman Republic began to die, thus paving the way for the Roman Empire. Carthage was Rome's main rival, and the Romans found themselves with more land than a republic could rule. Corinth was their exposure to Greek culture which they transferred to those conquered lands, including those once owned by Carthage. The Carthaginians had their own culture, and Greek culture would not have supplanted it without the defeat of Carthage by Rome.
Rome fought three wars with Carthage. After the first war Rome gained control of Sicily. After the second war Rome gained control of Spain and Southern Gaul. After the third war Rome gained control of North Africa except for Egypt.

Rome was still a republic at that time, not an empire.

Answer 2

The first Punic War was mainly a naval war. Rome did not have a navy to speak of and built her first large navy. Her inexperienced sailors were not a match for the highly skilled ones of Carthage. Thus, the Romans equipped their ships with the corvus, a boarding bridge with a heavy spike at the bottom, to make up for her disadvantage. Instead of the complicated manoeuvre of heading the front of the ship towards the enemy ships to ram it, the Romans could flank it, pin it to the corvus and board it, which was easier. This proved successful and the Romans won most naval battles.

In the second Punic war Hannibal invaded Italy from Spain, but could not attack Rome because he lost his siege machines while crossing the Alps. Instead he went to southern Italy. He routed the Roman armies three times. After this many of Rome's allies in the south went over to him. However, he failed to make this gain decisive. He established his base at Italy's second largest city, Capua (near Naples) which went over to him. However, he failed to seize or retain two key strategic towns, armies bringing reinforcements form further south were routed twice, and the Romans besieged Capua. Hannibal had to leave the area and move further south. Meanwhile, three Roman armies headed south to retake it and Hannibal was not able to stop them.

Hannibal needed reinforcements. His tactics had turned more defensive as he had lost many of his best infantry and half of his cavalry. His brother Hasdrubal brought reinforcements and siege machines from Spain. However, he was intercepted and routed in central Italy. Hannibal's campaign came to a dead end.

Part of the success of the Romans in this war was due to weaknesses in Hannibal's strategy. His smallish invading force needed support from Rome's allies in Italy, but when this happened in the south it was insufficient to break the Romans. With his gamble to cross the Alps in the winter he lost his siege machines. Part of it was due to the great superiority in manpower that her italian allies in gave her (her allies in central Italy remained loyal) and her ability to deploy armies on several fronts. She fought further south and in Sicily while fighting near Capua, she co-ordinated three armies on three fronts to retake the south. She fought Hasdrubal in central Italy while having deployments in the south. She also fought campaigns in Spain and Greece. The Romans also adopted a strategy of attrition when Hannibal's army was superior: they avoided open battle and harassed him with guerrilla tactics to wear him down.

In the Third Punic War Carthage was much weaker. She had lost her territories in Spain and the Numidians of Algeria had switched their alliance form Carthage to Rome. She was confined to her original and smallish territory in Tunisia.

Answer 3

The peace terms were:

Carthage evacuates Sicily and the small islands west of it.

Carthage returns their prisoners of war without ransom, while paying a heavy ransom on their own.

Carthage refrains from attacking Syracuse and her allies.

Carthage transfers a group of small islands north of Sicily to Rome.

Carthage evacuates all of the small islands between Sicily and Africa.

Carthage pays a 2,200 talent (66 tonnes) of silver) indemnity in ten annual instalments, plus an additional indemnity of 1,000 talents immediately.

Answer 4

Rome's victories in the Punic Wars against Carthage were important for several reasons. A short list of the value of its successes are:* Carthage was removed as any possible threat to the security of Rome. Carthage was literally destroyed;

* Spain and areas in North Africa were then "occupied" by Rome. Spain was rich in precesses

metals, iron ore and timber;

* Based on its conflict with Carthage, Rome's war fleet was a power to be reckoned with;

* Rome's capacity to rebound from terrible defeats at the hands of Hannibal were clearly enforced. This included the historical defeat of Rome at the Battle of Cannae;

* All of Rome's allies and satellite cities remained in Rome's sphere of influence; and

* Historians cite the demise of Carthage and the rise of the Roman Republic to empire status as the linchpin for further expansion. Rome now controlled the vast expanse of the western Mediterranean Sea.

Answer 5

It was a struggle for control of the Western Mediterranean.

Answer 6

The Carthaginian defeat left Rome as the strongest power in the western Mediterranean . Rome could then go on and pursue it's commercial interests and it's policy of expansion .

Answer 7

The Punic wars were important to Rome because by defeating Carthage, Rome became the dominant force in the western Mediterranean area.

Answer 8

Carthage was a very resilient and successful competitor for control of the Western Mediterranean.

Answer 9

Carthage was its competitor for dominance of the Western Mediterranean.

Answer 10

It was the beginning of a long struggle for dominance of the Western Mediterranean.