Punic Wars Roman Military Legion Roman military unit

Punic Wars

Roman Military • Legion: Roman military unit • Both patricians and plebeians were required to perform military service • Romans had extremely strong discipline

Carthage • Carthage was the strongest naval power at the time with a huge reserve of warships

Punic? • The Punic Wars were named because of the Roman name for Carthaginians: Punici, or Poenici.

Causes of the War • Started as an internal dispute between two kingdoms on the island of Sicily • One of the side (Messina) asked Rome for help, the other (Syracuse) asked Carthage for help • Developed into a full-blown war for the control of Sicily

Map Before the War

Engineering an Empire • 1 st Punic War: 15: 30 -25: 02 • 2 nd Punic War: 25: 02 -36: 17 • 3 rd Punic War: 36: 18 -end

First Punic War (264 -241 BCE) • Carthage was a naval power • Rome was a land power • Rome knew that it could not compete in naval battles with Carthage using the ramand-sink technique (remember this from Ancient Greece? ? ? ) because Carthaginian ships were so fast and maneuverable • Solutions? – Brainstorm with your group and give your best military advice for Rome

Corvus

Result • Rome won a large string of victories and eventually wins the war! • Peace Agreement – Carthage has to leave Sicily – Carthage has to pay Rome a large war reparation (payment) that will cripple their economy for years

Hamilcar Barca • Famous Carthaginian general • Carthage is having trouble paying its debts so it tries to invade Spain for its riches • Carthage tells Rome that they are only invading Spain to pay Rome back

Map Before the Second Punic War

Hannibal’s Pledge • Hamilar Barca had a son named Hannibal • As a child, he forces his son to swear an oath that he will hate Rome for what they have done to Carthage • When Hamilcar dies in Spain, Hannibal becomes a Carthaginian general to carry on his father’s mission

2 nd Punic War (218 -201 BCE) • Starts over a dispute in the Spanish city of Saguntum • Hannibal leads his troops to take the city and wins but suffers major losses • Solution: If you are Hannibal, what would you do next?

Hannibal’s Surprise Invasion • Hannibal crosses the Alps with his army and his elephants • Rome did not expect the naval power to travel overland!!!

Hannibal’s Strategy • Hannibal tried to recruit Roman allies along the Italian Peninsula to enlarge his army • Hannibal does not punish towns if they don’t join, so many stay loyal to Rome • The people of Gaul, to the north of Rome, do join him • More towns join as he becomes more successful in battle • Must try to trade for or find food as the army marches

Battle of Lake Trasimane (217 BCE) • Hannibal is known as one of the best war strategists in history • Hannibal’s army meets the Romans near a lake and the • Romans set up camp on one side of a narrow pass along the lake and the Carthaginians are on the other • To their other side of the lake is a hilly, forest region • Hannibal lights fires up on the hills to make the Romans think that they have move their camp uphill • Romans attack up the hill • Carthaginians are actually waiting much closer to the lake and ambush the Romans, winning the battle

Battle of Lake Trasimane (217 BCE)

Battle of Ager Falernus (217 BCE) • This time the Romans have been able to trap the Carthaginians in a valley surrounded by mountains and a river • Romans block the mountain passes and the river • Solution: What should. I’m. Hannibal do? between a rock and a hard place!

Volturnus River

Hannibal’s Solution • Hannibal tied burning stick to the horns of 2000 heads of cattle • At night, he had some soldiers cause a stampede and drive the cattle towards on one the mountain passes guarded by the Romans • Romans thought they were being attacked by the Carthaginians and all gathered to defend the pass • The rest of the Carthaginian army slipped out past an unguarded pass

Volturnus River

Battle of Cannae 216 BCE • Hannibal wins the Double Envelopment strategy

Fabius the Conctactor • Fabius was a patrician and one of Rome’s best generals • He was tired of losing to Hannibal and so he came up with a new strategy • Solution: What would you do to stop Hannibal? ? ? • Fabian Strategy: Delay! You can’t lost to Hannibal if you don’t fight Hannibal! Just let Hannibal use up resources and lose allies until he goes away! Cunctator: Delayer

Scipio Takes Command • Scipio, a Roman General, is tired of waiting for Hannibal to burn out in Italy • Instead, they came up with a way to force Hannibal and his army out of Italy • Solution: What should Scipio do? ? ?

Battle of Zama (202 BCE) • Scipio takes the Roman army to attack Carthage • This forces Hannibal to return to Carthage to defend the city • Scipio blew out horns to scare Hannibal's elephants and they broke formation • Scipio wins the battle and the 2 nd war is over!

Third Punic War (149 -146 BCE) • Roman want to destroy Carthage once and for all with a siege • Carthage loses and Rome sacks Carthage and sows the ground with salt so that nothing can ever grow there again