The longest continuous war in history up to that time was fought on the island, at sea, and in north africa with both sides enjoying victories and suffering nearcatastrophic defeats. What territory did rome control before the first punic war. The seeds of the first punic war had been sown in the 280s bc when a small band of. The proximate cause of the first outbreak was a crisis in the city of messana. The first punic war dickinson college commentaries. The name punic comes from the word phoenician phoinix in the greek, poenus from punicus in latin as applied to the citizens of carthage, who were of phoenician ethnicity. Before carthage could think about rome, it first had to deal with the continued unrest closer to home.
The first punic war was fought between carthage and rome between 264 and 241 bce, largely over control of sicily. The punic wars by adrian goldsworthy, scipio africanus. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and greatest naval war of antiquity, the two powers struggled for supremacy, primarily on the mediterranean island of sicily and its surrounding waters, and also in north. The three punic wars between carthage and rome took place over nearly a. The punic wars by adrian goldsworthy, is a fantastic look at the punic wars three wars between the city states turned empires from the mid 200 bc to the mid 100s bc. The punic wars were a series of conflicts fought between the forces of ancient carthage and rome between 264 bce and 146 bce. In the century prior to the punic wars, boarding had become increasingly. The first punic war 264 to 241 bc was the first of three wars fought between carthage and rome, the two main powers of the western mediterranean in the early 3rd century bc.
We have published two books to mark the centenary of the first world war. History of the punic wars, including battles, prominent generals, and the outcome. Online books resources in your library resources in other libraries. It was the first town to surrender to the romans in the first punic war, and was. Indeed, rome had only a few years before executed a similar group who had occupied the italian town of rhegium. Accordingly, hamilcar barca was despatched in 237 bce to expand carthaginian territory, which. The first punic war 264 to 241 bc was the first of three wars fought between carthage and. Carthage greece italy spain see answers 2 ask for details. Unfortunately, the only fully extant account of the outbreak of the first punic war polybiuss histories, 1. This left the romans at a disadvantage until the construction of large fleets. There is currently a relatively large number of books on romes punic wars, although these generally deal with all of them in a single volume. First punic war, also called first carthaginian war, 264241 bce first of three wars between the roman republic and the carthaginian punic empire that resulted in the destruction of carthage.
Polybius, histories, book 1, end of the first punic war. The punic wars were a series of three wars fought between rome and carthage from 264 bc. This conflict was fought between the states of carthage and rome, two powerful states in this period. First punic war 264241 bce the proximate cause of the first outbreak was a crisis in the city of messana. Before their preparations were complete, hannibal began a series of. The first punic war 264241 bc was fought partly on land in sicily and. Land operations were largely confined to raids, sieges and interdiction. In 242 bce, after a period of stalemate and guerilla warfare, the romans mustered. The romans, with seemingly inexhaustible resources, adapted to the necessities of naval warfare and. Outlines of roman history, chapter 15 forum romanum. As the history of the conflict was written by roman authors, they labeled it the punic wars. They managed to ensure that carthage gave up its territory of sicily and the. It seems fairly clear, however, that when claudius and his forces were dispatched to the straits of messina, the romans did not. In 263 the romans advanced with a considerable force into hierons territory and.
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