The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome from 264 BC to 146 BC. Carthage was a powerful Phoenician city-state located in North Africa, while Rome was a rising power in the Italian Peninsula.
First Punic War (264-241 BC)
- Carthagenians dominated trade in the Mediterranean Sea, Rome wanted access to these trade routes.
- Fought primarily over control of Sicily.
- Rome emerged victorious and gained control of Sicily.
Second Punic War (218-202 BC)
- Hannibal Barca led a Carthaginian army across the Alps and into Italy, inflicting several defeats on the Romans.
- Battle of Zama (202 BC): Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal, turning the tide of the war in Rome's favor.
- Rome won and imposed harsh peace terms on Carthage, requiring them to pay a large indemnity, surrender most of their territories, and limit their military power.
Third Punic War (149-146 BC)
- Fought over Carthage's resurgence as a regional power.
- Rome laid siege to Carthage for three years.
- Carthage was eventually destroyed and its territories annexed by Rome.
Winner:
Rome was the ultimate winner of the Punic Wars. By the end of the Third Punic War, Carthage was completely destroyed, and Rome emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Sea and beyond.