Punic War

After gaining control of the Italian peninsula, the Romans looked to stretch their empire to other areas of the Mediterranean. Their most powerful enemy in this region was the city-state of Carthage. It was located on the North African coast and became the center of the trade.

Rome and Carthage had a good relationship in earlier times. But, due to the conflict on the dominance over the Greek cities on the island of Sicily, a series of three wars between Rome and Carthage broke out. It started in 264 B.C. and lasted over 100 years to 146 B.C.

Rome won the first war. So, Carthage conquered the region of Spain and planned for a revenge. There was a great general named Hannibal. He spent his whole life preparing a battle against the Romans. He trained the military and set strategies for the second war.

His strategy was unexpected to the Romans. Rather than fighting the Romans in the sea, he decided to attack them from the upper part of the Rome. From Spain, he took about 60 elephants and climbed across the Pyrenees Mountains and over the Alps. Romans were terrified of sudden attack.

Hannibal fought the Romans for almost 20 years, but he could not break down the city of Rome. And his power grew weaker. A young Roman general Scipio who was an admirer of Hannibal, thought of a brilliant idea. Rather than fighting the Carthage army in Rome, he decided to cross the Mediterranean Sea to attack the city of Carthage.

Many Romans were fearful of the occupation of Rome by Hannibal, but Scipio firmly implemented his decision. Hannibal had to come back to Carthage but it was too late. Carthage had surrendered to Scipio and the Romans in 202 B.C. These two sides later fought the Third Punic War. Finally, in 146 B.C., Rome conquered Carthage.