CLA-2123 Lecture 2: The Punic Wars
Document Summary
Carthaginian power: good navy, territory (north africa, sicily, southern spain, mediterranean islands) Punic wars (264 bce-146 bce: poeni ( phoenicians) Why sicily: can grow stuff (agriculture, strategic location, excuse to get involved with carthage. Fighting in the punic war: army vs. navy. War drags on: carthaginian mercenaries, hamilcar: has to ask for peace. Outcomes: rome gets sicily (and corisca, and sardinia, carthage pays reparations. Son: hannibal: ebro river: carthaginians, saguntum: rome has treaty with them (below ebro river) Hannibal decides to invade italy: lake trasimene and cannae, romans defeated and embarrassed. Delay hannibal; don"t go head on: use of roman allies. Publius cornelius scipio: decides to go fight in spain, 206 bce: spain vs. rome, zama battle: scipio vs. hannibal. Outcomes: 14347$ war declarations, rome keeps all of spain, carthage has to get rid of its fleet, scipio africanus. Cato the elder: politician, censor, older, carthage must be destroyed. Numidians: roman allies, carthaginian protaganists, siege of carthage.
