The Punic Wars: Titanic Struggle in the Ancient Mediterranean

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Map of Hannibal's Invasion Route
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Part 1: A Clash of Influences

The Punic Wars were a series of struggles between Carthage and Rome for dominance during the 2nd and 1st Centuries B.C. With its final victory in 146 B.C., Rome lay claim to being master of the Mediterranean.

The Phoenician expansion into Crete and Cyprus conflicted with Greek ambitions in the central Mediterranean, and the two civilizations fought off and on for a number of years until the conflict widened into a pair of wars on and over Sicily. The Syracuse tyrant Gelo by 480 B.C. had laid claim to the whole of Sicily. Carthage had ruled over settlements on Sicily for quite awhile before this and wasn't about to hand them over. The general Hamilcar (not the famous father of Hannibal) led a large force from Carthage to Sicily, landing at Panormus. A combination of bad weather and poor tactics resulted in a Carthaginian defeat, at the Battle of Himera.

Carthage wasn't finished trying to rule Sicily, however, and another expedition landed there in 409. The result was a small victory, in that Carthaginian forces captured a couple of small cities. Four years later, Hannibal Mago again led more forces in pursuit of breaking Syracuse's hold on the island, but the result was again the same. Struggles continued between the two powers during the next couple of decades, with Carthaginian forces succumbing more than once to plagues as well as Syracusean battle dominance.

Nearly a century later, in 310, Carthaginian forces under Hamilcar, grandson of the famed Hanno the Navigator, struck tremendous success and ended up controlling most of Sicily, after a siege of Syracuse itself. In a feint that would not be the last of its kind, the Syracusean leader Agathocles did an end-around and invaded the area surrounding Carthage. Hanno and a large number of his forces hurried home and succeeded in saving their state, but the struggle went on for a few years and Carthage lost serious momentum in its drive to control Sicily. The result was yet another peace treaty between the two powers.

First Punic War map

Carthage found itself fighting another power in Sicily in 280. Pyrrhus of Epirus, who also took on the Roman Republic in southern Italy during this time, sent a large force to Sicily and reduced the Carthaginian presence considerably. In the aftermath, however, Pyrrhus left Sicily entirely to concentrate on his struggles against Rome.

A group of Italian mercenaries had, in the meantime, given themselves the name Mamertines ("sons of Mars") and seized control of the Sicilian city of Messana. A subsequent campaign to expand their influence on Sicily brought them into concurrent conflict with Rome, Syracuse, and Carthage. Hiero II, the new tyrant of Syracuse, fought back, forcing the Mamertines to divide into two groups, one asking for Roman help and the other asking for help from Carthage. The Carthaginian government responded by sending a few boatloads of forces to Messana. When Hiero threw in his lot with Carthage, an alarmed Roman Assembly authorized an attack on Carthaginian ships and soldiers, and the First Punic War was on.

Next page > The First and Second Punic Wars > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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