Summary: The First Punic War

The first Punic war was fought to settle control over the critical islands of Sicily and Corsica. In 264 BCE, the Carthaginians interfered in a feud between Messana and Syracuse, the two main cities on Sicilian west coast, and settled a companionship on the island. Acknowledging this challenge, Rome, invaded Messana and made the Carthaginian depart. In 260 BCE, a fleet of the Romans declined to achieve complete control of Sicily, but opened the way to Corsica, the Carthaginians were evacuated. In 256 BCE, the second Roman fleet came in and settled a beachhead in the African continent. Carthage were ready to give up, but the terms provided by Rome were too serious, and 255 BCE, Carthage attacked with a new army made around elephants and cavalry

Hasdrubal marched down the peninsula to join Hannibal for an assault on Rome. Rome, tired by war, still raised and dismissed an army to check Hasdrubal. Gaius Nero slipped away north as well and beat Hasdrubal on the banks of the Metaurus River. Hannibal maintained his position in southern Italy until 203 BCE, when he was ordered to return to Africa. Italy was free of enemy troops for the first time in 15 years. When the long mainland campaign, fighting had continued as well on Sardinia and Sicily, which had become Rome’s chief sources of food. Aided by internal upheaval in Syracuse, Carthage reestablished its presence on the island in 215 and maintained it until 210. Meanwhile, in Spain, Roman forces maintained pressure on Carthaginian strongholds. The Roman general Publius Scipio won a decisive battle at Ilipa in 206 and forced the Carthaginians out of

Still, its trade enterprises widened fastely in the second century BCE, exciting the envy of Rome’s growing economic community. When the Carthaginians in 150 BCE, refused Masinissa onslaught by force of arms, this properly breaking the treaty with Rome, a Roman army was shipped to Africa. Even though the Carthaginians approved to make apology by giving 300 hostages and giving up their armies, they were provoked into revolt by the further stipulation that they must emigrate to some inland site at least 10 miles from the sea, making it impossible, the commerce by sea that drove the city’s economy. Carthage resisted the Roman siege for two years. In 147, however, the command was given to Scipio. Scipio made the blockade stringent by walling off the isthmus on which the town lay and by cutting off its sources of supplies from overseas. His main attack was delivered on the harbour side, where he effected an entrance in the face of a determined and ingenious resistance. House by house he captured the streets that led up to the citadel. Of a city population that may have exceeded a quarter of a million, only 50,000 remained at the final surrender. The survivors were sold into slavery, the city was razed, and the territory was made a Roman province under the name of