Rome against Carthage: the bitterly fought Punic WarsThe Punic Wars were the consequences of the expansion of Roman rule towards the south; Bitter rivals with conflicting interests, Rome and Carthage pitted their military powers against each other. The strength of the Romans (which was their army) matched the strength of the Carthaginians (which was their navy) in ingenuity and strategy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The First Punic War (264-241 BC) was caused by the debate over which of the two powers would control Sicily. The matter would be resolved with bloodshed. Roman cavalry managed to capture the eastern half of Sicily, but the western part remained under Carthaginian control thanks to the efforts of its powerful navy. However, the situation changed in 260 BC, when Rome mobilized its own fleet and, after blockading enemy ports in Sicily, quickly defeated Carthage in a major battle. The war continued until the year 241 when Rome fought and defeated another Carthaginian fleet. Rome took almost 100,000 prisoners. Carthage ceded all remaining control of Sicily to the Romans and even agreed to pay them a large indemnity. A treaty was reached between the empires to never go to war with each other again. In 238 BC that treaty was violated when Rome seized the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, and then demanded Carthage pay them a further indemnity. It was during this period that Carthage had initiated measures to extend its empire into northern Spain and improve its military power and presence there as well. The command of the Carthaginian army passed into the hands of Hannibal; a respected leader with strong military ties through his lineage. With Hannibal leading the Carthaginian army moving north into Spain, Rome perceived him as a threat and immediately declared war. Thus was born the Second Punic War which continued from 218 to 201 BC. This time, however, the Romans did not fare so well in their imperial endeavors. Under the command of the brilliant Hannibal, some 40,000 Carthaginian troops swarmed across Spain and France, invaded Italy, and soundly defeated the poorly prepared Roman armies. The worst defeat in the history of Rome's battles occurred in 216 BC when Hannibal's troops killed an entire army of 80,000 Roman men at Cannae. Hannibal would continue to occupy most of Italy for fifteen years, but with his supply lines running out he was unable to overrun all of Italy's cities. In 204 BC the Romans established a strategy on how to exploit Hannibal's excessive supplies as a weakness. and reconquer Italy. The culmination of their plots and planning was the launch of a direct attack on Carthage. A Roman army (led by general Scipio Africanus) entered Africa just south of Carthage and waged war against the city. Rome conquered Carthage in 202 and all its overseas dominions, such as Spain. At first Rome was very divided about what to do with Carthage. They decided that they would take total control of all Carthaginian territory, but would allow the people within the city-state to continue their trade. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This decision worked comfortably for Rome until they began to see signs of recovery in Carthage's economy. The Third Punic War (149-146 BC) was the final battle between Rome and Carthage. The Roman soldiers invaded the city destroying everything and everyone on the..