Did fear over loss of power cause the Punic Wars?

Answer 1

Fear of loss of power was a contributory factor, but not a sufficient cause of the Punic Wars. Although the First Punic War developed into a struggle for the control over Sicily, this was not the original intention. It is not clear why Rome intervened in Sicily to support the Mamertine mercenaries who had seized the city of Messana (Messina) in eastern Sicily, and who were being attacked by the Greek city of Syracuse, also in eastern Sicily, which was the biggest power in the island. When Rome besieged Syracuse and forced her to become an ally, Carthage mobilised for war. Fears about trade were bigger than fear of loss of power as such. The Carthaginian possessions in western Sicily were fundamental for Carthage's trading network in the western Mediterranean as their loss would have seen as a serious blow for Carthage's trade. It is likely that the Romans did not know that they were letting themselves in for 23 years of war of predict the magnitude that it would reach.

The Second Punic War has been interpreted as having been started by Hannibal as a revenge for Rome fraudulently seizing the Carthaginian possessions in Sardinia and Corsica soon after the First Punic War by taking advantage of Carthage having to deal with a revolt of her mercenary soldiers. This is probably why he invaded Italy. Although victory would have ended Roman power and made Carthage the undisputed power in the western Mediterranean, it is unlikely that this would have been the primary consideration. Carthage had made up for the loss of the islands near Italy by conquering southern Spain. Spain had always been the kingpin of Carthaginian trade. Southern Spain was rich in minerals. For centuries Carthage had sold metals from Spain in the eastern Mediterranean (especially to the Greeks and Phoenicians) as used the proceeds to by quality manufactures in the eastern Mediterranean and sell them in the western Mediterranean. Now she had direct control of the silver mines of the Sierra Morena in southern Spain. Meanwhile Rome had been too concerned with conflicts with the Gauls of northern Italy and piracy in the Adriatic Sea to be concerned about Carthage's expansion into Spain. In the third Punic War Rome wanted to destroy Carthage.

One of the reasons were concerns about a possible military resurgence of Carthage. Therefore, fear of loss of power could well have been a factor. However, it must have been a relative one. Carthage had been greatly weakened by the previous two wars, especially with the loss of the possessions outside Africa, while Rome's power had greatly grown though her victories and the takeover of the islands near Italy after the first war and of southern Spain after the second war from Carthage. Carthage was no longer in a position to stand up to Rome. Hatred towards the Carthaginians after the devastation Hannibal caused in Italy in the second war must have been an important factor. Moreover, there was a political faction in Rome which did not want to destroy Carthage.