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The punic war research paper
The punic war research paper
The punic war research paper
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Week 5 Written Assignment:
Trace how Carthage became almost the equal of Rome. Be sure to show the strength of both and how this
conflict led to Rome becoming a naval power.
Title:
Rome and Carthage Conflicts
Introduction:
Carthage and Rome, the two cities that evolve into great capitals. Both were very influential, and
both are headstrong with their conquest. Here is my research on how Carthage became an equal to Rome.
Main Body:
Let us talk first about Carthage, in reference to Joshua J. Mark’s Definition “Carthage,” he says
that according to legends Carthage was started by the Phoenician Queen Elissa (better known as Dido) at
about 813 BCE. It was initially identified as Kart-Hadasht to distinguish it from the old Phoenician city.
Then the
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Greeks started to call it Karchedon and when it came to the Romans they called it into Carthago. In the beginning, it began as a small port on the coast, established only as a stop for Phoenician traders to re-supply or patch-up their ships.
Nevertheless, Carthage grew to become the most powerful city in the
Mediterranean before the rise of the Roman empire. (Joshua, 2011)
During the time when the great Phoenician city of Tyre fell to the hands of Alexander the Great in
332 BCE, the Tyrians were able to escape, and they fled to Carthage with whatever wealth they have.
Many of them who got spared was rich people who had enough to buy their lives, they landed in the city
and established Carthage, and it became the new center of Phoenician trade. From a small town, the
people were able to make it into a big city; it grew in extent and splendor with vast estates covering miles
of land. The harbor they built was immense with 220 docks, polished pillars that rose around in a half
circle and ornamented with Greek sculpture. The Carthaginian trading ships navigated daily to harbors all
around Meditteranean Sea though their navy, best in the area, kept them safe and also the reason that for
them opened new territories for trade and resource through their conquest. (Joshua, 2011)
Now we come and acknowledge the Romans, Ancient Rome by History.com say’s that,
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Rome grew from a small city on Italy’s Tiber River into this kingdom that incorporated furthermost of central Europe, Britain, most of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Rome’s era as a monarchy ended in 509 B.C.
with the overthrow of its seventh king. Whatever the cause though, Rome
turned from a monarchy into a republic, a word which meaning “res publica” or “property of the people.”
Rome’s military conquests led directly to its social growth as a society, as the Romans benefited greatly
from their contacts with such advanced cultures as the Greeks. (Staff)
Rome and Carthage fought a total of three “Punic Wars” which led to the latter’s destruction and
re-founding. Historians still debate what the cause of the wars was, but what they know is that the spark
that lit it happened in Sicily. In 265 B.C. the Mamertines a group of former mercenaries based in
Messina, Sicily asked for the help of both Carthage and Rome against Syracuse. Carthage sent their force
to Messina to help but then suddenly got ejected by a larger Roman force. This situation escalated into an
open war between the two great powers. The first Punic War would last for 20yrs and ended in Carthage
accepting an embarrassing peace treaty which relinquishes Sicily along with much of their Mediterranean
holdings to Rome. (Jarus, 2012)
Morey says in his Outlines of Roman History that learning from the first Punic Wars; the
Romans knew that to defeat Carthage, they have to meet them on the sea, as well as on land. The Romans would either give up the war or else build a fleet equal to that of the Carthaginians. Which they did they used a model of a Carthaginian vessel to build a hundred ships in sixty days and had their army trained to be a sailor. One thing that the Romans knew is that they are a better hand on hand fighter that the Carthaginians, to maintain this advantage they built their ships with a drawbridge that could be used to board the enemy’s vessels. Thus equipped with the fleet Rome rivaled with the Carthaginian in naval power. (Morey, 1901) Conclusion: Basing on my conclusion I wold like to quote Morey again on his Outlines of Roman History, he had said that in comparing these two great rivals of the West, we could say that they were almost equal in strength and resources. Carthage has greater wealth while Rome has a better organization. Carthage has a more powerful navy, but then Rome has a more efficient army. Carthage had more brilliant leaders, while Rome has a stable form of citizens. The primary asset of Carthage is its treasure and productive resources while Rome also depended on the characters of her people and her well-organized political system. The greatness of the Carthaginians was shown in their success, while the greatness of Romans greatness reveals in the dark hours of disaster and trial. (Morey, 1901) Both cities have been great, both boasting in their wealth, intelligence and prosperity on their conquest. In the end though only one, and that we know is Rome who was succesful onm its conquest and became a great empire. References Jarus, O. (2012, October 24). Carthage: Ancient Phoenician City-State. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/24246-ancient-carthage.html Joshua, M. J. (2011, April 28). Carthage. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.ancient.eu/carthage/ Morey, W. C. (1901). Outlines of Roman History. Retrieved from http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey05.html Staff, H. (n.d.). Ancient Rome. History.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-rome
In 360 B.C., a group of colonists from Thasos led by Callistratus, an exiled Athenian, founded the first city called Krenides, which means, ?little springs.? ?The small town b...
The earliest example of conflict was the Punic Wars. In the year 264 B.C is when the first Punic War began. This battle was clashed between Rome and Carthage. The Punic Wars originally started
The Carthaginians and Romans fought in three different wars over the course of 118 years. Romans fought the Carthaginians to ruin their hold on a chain of islands that would let them control the Western Mediterranean. The Romans wanted to have control. They then fought over land in Italy, particularly Sicily. In the third conflict, Carthaginians tried to save their city and land from being taken over completely by Romans. In these wars, they mainly fought over trade routes in the Mediterranean. Each wanted power and more territorial possession.
The port-city of Caesarea Maritima and the harbor were built by Herod the Great between 25 and 13 BCE. This new city was built upon an already existing city named Strato’s Tower. Caesarea was the largest of King Herod’s building ventures and was named in honor of his patron, Caesar Augustus. The harbor itself was named Sebastos. Herod had hoped the city would became a center for trade in the Judea province. The new city had many public structures including a vast harbor. Some of these structures included temples to Caesar and Roma, an aqueduct, an amphitheater and forum. Herod paid homage to not only Rome but to his Jewish heritage by being able to merge both cultures in this one city. The ancient city sits between the current cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv in northern Israel. Caesarea’s harbor was the largest harbor constructed of its time and many new technologies were used in its construction. Caesarea Maritima has now become a national park where visitors can walk the runs as well as view the ruins of the harbor which lie in the shallow seas.
... just material wealth; it gave Rome a status of a dominating figure. It also instilled fear in neighbouring Empires, forcing them to strongly consider an alliance with Rome. Their success was greatly due to the fact that they never underestimated the strength of the enemy, and this helped them gain the land they fought for. All of the conquered land not only served its purpose for the citizens but also was seen as a war trophy for Rome. These are just some of the very many assumptions of why Rome grew and spread so quickly but no matter the nation, location or empire the necessity of having authority over others remains the reason for all expansion.
Since the beginning of time, man has waged war on his neighbors, his friends and his enemies. In many cases these wars were caused by power-hungry nations that were in the process of expanding their empire and ended up stepping on the toes of another superpower or ally of a superpower. In the case of the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Carthage was extending its empire and they stepped on Rome’s toes. During the course of this war the winner was unclear but at times victory seemed eminent for both sides until Rome finally won. The Romans had control in the first part of the war but this would not last. After the Romans first win they decided that they needed a victory over the city of Carthage but this would turn the tides in favor of the Carthaginians. For some 15 years after this defeat of Rome the tides went back and forth between the two but would eventually lead to the Romans victory. After the victory, Rome made some very harsh demands and Carthage filled those demands even though some of them were very extreme.
The Roman Empire began as a small colony, in the city of Rome, and eventually, became one of the largest empires that the world has ever known before its ultimate demise. Because of the vast size of their territory, and the number of cultures they consumed throughout their existence, the Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks and other Hellenistic civilizations. Two different groups of professors argue this point. Professors Matthews, Platt, and Noble argue this influence is reflected by Roman music, philosophy, literature, architecture, art, culture/government, and technology and science; and Professor Weber argues this is reflected in the areas of government/law, the influence and effects of conquests, culture, religion, architecture and art, and philosophy. Both parties make compelling arguments as to why the Romans were heirs to Greek and Hellenistic civilization however, it will be demonstrated that Matthews et al. provide a more thorough argument than Weber.
Wars between the Jews and the Romans. Livius, n.d. -.
So, in 264 B.C. the assembly voted to send a force to expel the Carthage (or Punic)
The Second Punic war, beginning in 218 BC, was the second major war between the Roman Empire and the Carthage. Around the same time, the Roman Empire deployed troops to the Northeastern peninsula of Spain to keep reinforcements, from the Carthaginian South, from getting to Hannibal’s armies in Italy to assist them. In A Histor...
Even before the war started, Hannibal knew what he was going to do. Since Carthage had no navy, there was no hope of going directly from Carthage to Italy over the Mediterranean Sea. Hannibal thought up a dangerous but ingenious plan. In order to get to Italy over land, Hannibal and his army would have to travel from Carthage-controlled Spain across the Alps and into the heart of the enemy. Hannibal left in the cold winter of 218 B.C. with 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. While crossing the Alps, “Hannibal’s force suffered greatly from the elements and the hostility of the local tribesmen” (Beshara, 3). By the time they reached Italy, after only fourteen days, over 9,000 men had perished along with most of the elephants, but this number was soon replenished after 14,000 northern Gaul rebels joined Hannibal’s army. This group of 60,000 men proved superior to the Roman forces, and after at least three recorded major victories, the Roman senate was exasperated. An army of 80,000 Roman soldiers was sent to stop Hannibal’s army of now 50,000 once and for all. In July of 216 B.C., the Romans engaged the Carthaginians in “the neighborhood of Cannae on the Italian east coast” (Lendering, 2). Greatly outnumbered, Hannibal realized that he would have to win by strategy, and that is exactly what he did. As the two lines met, Hannibal’s cavalry gained the flanks and, moving up the sides, attacked the rear of the Roman line.
In the first Punic War the fight between the Romans and Carthaginians took place at Sicily Island, this war took place because both groups wanted to have control over Sicily Island. The fight on for long time, neither the Romans nor the Carthaginians was willing to give up. The Romans won the war, because they changed a sea battle into a land battle. (Pg. 137).
...s the collision on Carthage from which Rome emerged ruler of the western Mediterranean. Then there is the third the subjection of the Hellenistic states that gravitated Romans in close contact with the Greek civilization.
Carthage was the top trading and naval power in the Mediterranean (Hamric). The first war began as a result of trade disputes. Fought mostly at sea, the first war was dominated by Carthage in the early stages. However, the persistence of Rome helped them recover. After Rome built its navy, it was able to defeat Carthage in the first war, gaining control over all of Carthage’s “...Sicilian lands…” (Book, 114). The Second Punic War lasted from 218 to 202 B.C., beginning after Carthage attempted to expand into Spain. Rome received this as a threat and declared war. Carthaginian commander Hannibal raised an army in Spain and marched into Italy. The struggle between Rome and Hannibal ended when a Roman general, Publius Cornelius Scipio, met and defeated Hannibal near Carthage in Africa (Book, 114). In the aftermath of the second war, Carthage abandoned all but the city and was forced to pay steep reparations. When Rome demanded that the Carthaginians leave the city and settle near the sea, Carthage refused, beginning the third and final Punic War. The Romans quickly took the city of Carthage, killing or enslaving all the inhabitants (Book, 114). After the Punic Wars, “…Carthage ceases to exist…” (Hamric). Roman also gained many new provinces which did not have independence, such as its allies, and improved the Roman economy. The victories in the Punic Wars assisted Rome in its domination of the Mediterranean world and would serve as “…a warning to Rome’s other potential enemies.” (Book,
Their major cities were Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Arwad. All four cities were fiercely independent rival cities. Unlike the neighboring inland states, the Phoenicians represented a confederation of maritime traders rather than a defined country (Metropolitan Museum of Art 2000 – 2015). In addition, the National Museum of Art reported that it is unknown what the Phoenicians actually called themselves. However, the word Phoenician may have been from the ancient term Canaanite.