The Punic Wars comprise a series of three armed conflicts, fought by the Romans and the Carthaginians, between 264 and 146 BC. C.  These wars Punic are called because the Romans used the term to refer to the Carthaginians, referring to their offspring Phenicia .

During these wars two powers of the moment faced each other :

• Rome: it sought to expand territorially and have access to control over the Mediterranean Sea.
• Carthage: powerful due to its huge naval fleet and its experience in navigation, but with few land military forces.

These armed conflicts are unleashed when both powers begin to dispute the territory of Sicily , then in the hands of the Carthaginians. This territory was fundamental for Roman commercial, territorial and political expansion . In turn, there was a rivalry between the two powers due to the constant struggle to gain control over the entire Mediterranean Sea .

After this series of wars, the Roman Empire manages to eliminate an entire civilization , which could have been a potential rival throughout the world. Likewise, it manages to obtain access to the sea and a large naval and military fleet , which further strengthens its power.

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What were the Punic Wars?

In total, the Punic Wars were three. They began in the year 264 a. C. and ended in 146 a. C.

First Punic War (264 to 241 BC)

At first, the first war was a land conflict originating in Sicily , but as it progressed it quickly transformed into a naval war in which both nations paid a high cost, and whose victory was Rome .

The defeat destabilized Carthage , so much that it lost much of its territory, which passed into the hands of the Romans.

Second Punic War (218-202 BC)

This second war is the best known of the three Punic wars, since during it the expedition of the Carthaginian general Hannibal took place. Originally from Carthage, this general crossed the Alps with a military troop in the direction of Rome, invaded the peninsula and defeated the Roman troops who came to defend it.

Despite all his achievements, Hannibal did not manage to invade the Roman city due to the lack of troops, since during the crossing through the Alps he lost a large number of men, cavalry and elephants.

Third Punic War (149-146 BC)

The third Punic War includes the warlike confrontation that caused the complete destruction of the city of Carthage , which completely eliminated its civilization and culture.

This originated mainly because of the hatred that the Romans and Carthaginians had and, in addition, due to the increasing resurgence of the Carthaginian army. The third war was shorter than the previous ones, since it simply consisted of the siege of the Carthaginians , the murder, capture of its inhabitants and the destruction of everything that was in the way.

You are reading the summary of Punic wars.

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Causes and consequences of the Punic wars

Causes

The main causes of the Punic Wars are as follows:

• The ambition of both sides to control the Mediterranean Sea.
• Hatred on the part of the Carthaginians towards the Romans.
• The interest of the Romans in dominating Sicily , which at that time was owned by the Carthaginians.
• The invasion of the Italian peninsula by the Carthaginian Hannibal.

Consequences

The Punic Wars generated many consequences, mainly in the Carthage region:

• Complete loss of the Carthaginian population and culture .
• Elimination of the Carthage domination for that territory, which happened to be called Africa.
• Almost total forgetfulness of this civilization. At present, very little is known of the Carthaginians, despite the fact that the Greeks and Romans recorded the grandeur of that ancient power in their records.

We hope that you have learned the summary of Punic wars.