Rome versus Carthage: the hard-fought Punic WarsThe Punic Wars were the consequences of the expansion of Roman rule southward; Bitter rivals with divergent interests, Rome and Carthage pitted their military powers against each other. The strength of the Romans (which was their army) was matched by their intelligence and strategies against the strength of the Carthaginians (which was their navy). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The First Punic War (264-241 BCE) was sparked by the debate over which of the two powers would control Sicily. It would be settled by a bloodbath. The Roman cavalry succeeded in capturing the eastern half of Sicily, but the western part remained under Carthaginian control thanks to the efforts of its powerful navy. However, this changed in 260 BCE, when Rome mobilized its own navy and, after blockading enemy ports in Sicily, quickly defeated Carthage in a great battle. The war continued until 241, when Rome fought and defeated another Carthaginian fleet. Nearly 100,000 prisoners were taken by Rome. Carthage ceded all remaining control of Sicily to the Romans and even agreed to pay them a large indemnity. A treaty was made between the empires never again to engage in war between them. In 238 BCE, this treaty was violated when Rome seized the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, then demanded that Carthage pay them additional compensation. It was at this time that Carthage had begun to take steps to expand its empire into northern Spain and improve its military power and presence there. The command of the Carthaginian army passed into the hands of Hannibal; a respected leader with strong military ties throughout his lineage. As Hannibal led the charge of the Carthage army moving into northern Spain, Rome perceived this as a threat and immediately declared war. Thus, the Second Punic War arose and continued from 218 to 201 BCE. This time however, the Romans were not so successful in their imperial efforts. Under the command of the brilliant Hannibal, around 40,000 Carthaginian soldiers invaded Spain and France, invaded Italy and soundly defeated the poorly prepared Roman armies. The worst defeat in Rome's battle history occurred in 216 BCE when Hannibal's troops killed an entire army of 80,000 Roman men at Cannae. Hannibal would occupy most of Italy for fifteen years, but his supply lines were thin and he would not be able to conquer every Italian city. In 204 BCE, the Romans strategized how they would exploit Hannibal's overstretched supplies as a weakness. and reconquer Italy. The culmination of their intrigues and planning was the launch of a direct attack on Carthage. A Roman army (led by General Scipio Africanus) entered Africa just south of Carthage and waged war on the city. Rome conquered Carthage in 202 and all its overseas domains, such as Spain. At first, Rome was very divided on what to do with Carthage. They decided that they would take full control of all Carthaginian territory, but would allow the residents of the city-state to continue trading. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This decision worked comfortably for Rome until they began to..