The Punic WarsRome

vs

Carthage

Essential Question:Why was Rome able to conquer

Carthage and then go on to extend its influence across the entire Mediterranean basin and

much of Western Europe?

Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean Sea

• The Roman Army was different than other armies because it was separated into small sections called legions. Legions could move around easily. Soldiers in the Roman Army were called legionnaires. They built roads for soldiers and trade, which unified the Roman people.

Roman Expansion (con’t.)

• Farmers and soldiers received conquered lands.

• Spread Roman culture and Latin language.

Roman Army• One of best armies of all time

– Victorious against many formidable opponents• Army was a both a duty & distinguishing mark of Roman citizenship • Army changed drastically over time

– Originally only citizens that could afford equipment– Fought in phalanx during monarchy

• Republican Legions - units– Equites (cavalry) – Velites (light infantry)– Heavy infantry– Auxilia (auxiliary troops and specialist)

• Brutal discipline• Reforms

– End of the 2nd century BCE– Created professional standing armies– Employed poorer classes– Loyalty of the soldiers in the hands of their general

Factors in Legion’s Success

• Military organization was more flexible than those of many opponents • Roman discipline, organization & systemization sustained combat

effectiveness over a longer period • Roman military and civic culture gave the military consistent

motivation and cohesion • Romans were more persistent and more willing to absorb and replace

losses over time than their opponents • Roman Engineering skills were second to none

– Offensive and defensive siege warfare– Construction and investiture of fortifications

• Roman military equipment – Soldiers equipped with heavy shields, helmets and highly effective

body armor

The Punic Wars (Rome vs. Carthage)• Carthage was a city-state on

the northern coast of Africa. Carthage was a huge trading empire.

• Rome was gaining power in the Mediterranean. Carthage was also gaining power in the Mediterranean. Rome did not want Carthage to control trade. Rome fought three wars with Carthage called the Punic Wars.

The 1st Punic War (264-241 B.C.E.)

• Carthage was seeking to expand into Sicily where the Romans were already dominant

• Both fought for control of the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding land.

• Carthage had a strong navy, while Roman had a strong army – (doesn’t this sound familiar? What other war have we

talked about where the rivals also had these differences?)

• Persian War, Peloponnesian Wars• Outcome? • Rome built a strong navy.

The 2nd Punic War (218-201 B.C.E)Hannibal from Carthage…

• Wanted to defeat Rome for the death of his father

• Fought on Roman land, but…– (he crossed over the

Alps using war elephants)

• Was too weak to take over Rome

The 2nd Punic War (con’t.)

• Tide turned Rome’s favor when brilliant general, Publius Cornelius Scipio when he invaded North Africa.

• This forced Hannibal to come back and defend Carthage

• Outcome? Hannibal was defeated and surrendered Spain to Rome.

• Hannibal returned to Africa, and the treaty required Carthage to disband their Army or face total annihilation by Rome.

The 3rd Punic War (146-149 B.C.E.)

The Romans…• Carthage was attacked by an African kingdom and they

raised an army to defend themselves; is there a problem with them doing this?

• The treaty with Rome stated Carthage could not have an army. Rome used this as an excuse to attack Carthage one more time.

• Burned Carthage to the ground, and razed the city over• Plowed salt into Carthage’s farms so that they would not

grow crops anymore• Massacred Carthaginian people or sold them into slavery.• Sent message to others: DON’T MESS WITH ROME!• Outcome? Carthage became a Roman province.

End of 3rd Punic War

After the Punic Wars…• Rome was able , over the next 100 years, to

dominate the Mediterranean basin, leading to much cultural diffusion of Roman culture.

• Roman culture will spread around the Mediterranean Basin (Africa, Asia, Europe, including the Hellenistic world of Eastern Mediterranean) and Western Europe (Gaul, Spain, the British Isles – present day England and Ireland)

Effects of Expansion• After the Punic Wars, Roman territory extended from Spain to

Greece

– Conquerors brought back wealth, slaves

• Bought large estates

• Many small farmers couldn’t compete

– Lost their farms

– Poverty and unemployment increased

• Roman Magistrates became corrupt

– Used their legions to conquer and pillage other countries

– Accepted bribes and demanded tributes from citizens

• Gap increased between rich and poor

– Anger and tension grew between classes

From Republic to Empire

The Roman Empire

• Military commanders recruited landless farmers for an army and initiated a civil war.

• General Gaius Marius marched on Rome, placed the city under military occupation and hunted down political enemies.

• When Marius died, Sulla seized Rome in 83 B.C.E. and murdered some ten thousand individuals.

The Roman Empire

• By the time Sulla died in 78 B.C.E., he had imposed policies that weakened the influence of the lower classes and strengthened the wealthy in Roman politics.

• Poverty in the cities increased, while the price of grain rose.

• Social outbreaks were common.• The urban poor joined the personal armies of

ambitious generals.

The Roman Empire is Firmly Established

• Gaius Marius’s nephew, Julius Caesar, favored liberal policies.

• He was popular with Romans because he spent sums of money sponsoring battles between gladiators and wild animals.

• This kept him in the public eye and helped to publicize his interests in social reform.

• He led an army to Gaul, which he conquered and brought it into the Roman Empire.

• In 49 B.C.E., he named himself dictator of Rome.

The Roman Empire is Firmly Established• Caesar made much needed

reforms.

• He relieved debt.

• He used his wealth to promote building and entertainment in Rome which pacified his subjects.

• He confiscated land from his opponents and redistributed among his army’s veterans.

• He extended Roman citizenship to people in the conquered provinces.

• In 44 BCE Caesar was assassinated (stabbed to death) in the Roman forum.

• Civil War went on for the next 13 years.

Finally Peace and Prosperity in the Roman Empire

• Caesar’s nephew, Octavian (AKA Augustus) built a monarchy disguised as a republic.

• Augustus initiated the Pax Romana which lasted more than 200 years.

• This was a period of domestic peace and foreign expansion.

The Roman Empire (117 C.E.)