Punic+Wars

__**Punic Wars**__ The Punic Wars were a series of three wars between Rome and Carthage from 264 BCE to 146 BCE.

__First Punic War__
 * 246-241 BCE
 * Started when Carthage captured Messana in Sicily in 264 BCE
 * The locals requested Rome's aid
 * Mostly naval battles
 * Carthage stronger at first
 * Rome started a large scale construction of a naval fleet
 * Rome got the upper hand
 * Roman beseige Carthage in 256 BCE but were defeated there
 * Hamilcar led Carthage - succesful
 * Battle at Aegates Islands in 241 BCE - Carthage was beaten very badly and requested peace
 * Rome got Sicily

__Second Punic War__ __Third Punic War__
 * 218-201 BCE
 * Most important
 * 273-219 BCE: Hannibal (Hamilcar's son) conquered parts of Spain - made an agreement in 226 BCE with Rome that neither side would cross the Ebro River
 * Rome crosses Ebro River
 * War declared again
 * Hannibal takes troops up and over the Alps to attack Italy
 * Hannibal recruites troops, especially from the Gauls
 * Rome used delaying tactics
 * In 209 BCE, Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal brought reinforcements over the Alps but was defeated by the Romans in 207 BCE at the Metaurus River
 * Hannibal forced to return to Africa
 * Romans under Scipio invade and defeat Hannibal at Zama in 202 BCE
 * Peace agreement in 201 BCE, Carthage loses all of Spain
 * 149-146 BCE
 * Carthage built back up
 * Rome wanted to completely defeat Carthage
 * Rome got, Masinissa, its ally (and the ruler of Numidia) to provoke Carthage
 * Carthage attacked Masinissa in 149 BCE
 * Rome "came to its ally's aid" and declared war on Carthage
 * Three year siege of Carthage
 * Rome burned Carthage, killed/enslaved population, and sowed salt in the fields (make crops unable to grow)

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 * Kjeilen, Tore. "Punic Wars." __LookLexEncyclopedia__. 2008. 24 Sept. 2008 .
 * "Carthage: Punic Wars." __Britannica__. 24 Sept. 2008 http://www.britannica.com/ebchecked/topic-art/507905/1820/the-western-mediterranean-during-the-punic-wars#tab=active~checked%2citems~checked.

Created by Hampton Webb on September 23, 2008