The Punic Wars (continued)

At the end of the first Punic War, Carthage faced more problems. Its mercenary (hired foreign) soldiers rebelled in 238 B.C. Rome took advantage of the confusion and seized (took) the island of Corsica. (The Romans wanted to push the Carthaginians back further from their territory.)

The Carthaginians were furious. They began to build up their power in Europe. Their generals made allies among the native people of Spain, and their power and influence crept up the Spanish peninsula.

Not all the people of Spain wanted the Carthaginians as their rulers, however. The people of one small city asked Rome for Roman friendship and alliance. The Romans were happy to have a friendly ally right in the heart of the Carthaginian empire in Spain! It looked like another war was coming.

The Second Punic War: 218-202 B.C.

In 221 BC, a young man, only twenty-five years old, took command over Carthaginian Spain. His name was Hannibal. At first, Hannibal tried to get the people in Spain to reject Rome as their ally. It was no use. So Hannibal attacked the city and easily conquered it. This made the Romans angry and war was inevitable (sure to happen).

The second Punic War began in 218 BC. Rome, however, was facing a formidable (very great) opponent. In the years following the first Punic War, Carthage had created a powerful empire in Spain with a very large army. Hannibal marched that army out of Spain and across Europe. In September of 218, Hannibal crossed the Alps with his army and entered Italy. (He even brought war elephants as part of his army!)

1. Crossing the Alps (from: Langley, Andrew & Philip De Souza The Romans News [Camdridge; Candlewick Press, 1996] p. 4)

2. Crossing the River Rhöme (Burrell, Roy.The Romans [Oxford; Oxford University Press, 1991] p. 29)

Hannibal smashed the Roman armies he encountered (came across; fought with) in northern Italy. Within two months, he had conquered all of northern Italy except for only two cities. These spectacular (great) victories brought more of Rome's enemies into the war. Fifty thousand Gauls from the north to help Hannibal. They, too, hated Rome and wanted to be on the side of the winner.

The Romans were divided as to whether they could beat Hannibal in open warfare. The Romans, desperate because of their losses, asked Fabius to become absolute dictator (complete ruler) of Rome. Fabius avoided open warfare with Hannibal and harassed the Carthaginian army until they were weaker. Fabius was hated for this policy! The Romans called him "The Delayer" and eventually removed him from power. But then Hannibal marched into southern Italy and started destroying the countryside in 216 BC.

The two new Roman generals sent an army of eighty thousand soldiers against Hannibal. This Roman army vastly (greatly) outnumbered the Carthaginian army, but it was completely wiped out by Hannibal. This was the largest defeat Rome had ever suffered. The battle proved that Fabius was right all along to avoid direct battles, so the Romans went back to his strategy of waiting out Hannibal.

Roman allies in the south of Italy ran to Hannibal's side. All of Sicily allied itself with the Carthaginians. In addition, the king of Greece allied himself with Hannibal and began his own war against Roman possessions in 215 BC. Rome was in serious trouble on all sides!

The situation looked bad for the Romans. Hannibal's army moved around the Italian countryside absolutely unopposed (no one would fight against him). Hannibal, however, was weak in numbers and in equipment. He didn't have enough soldiers to take large cities such as Rome. He didn't have the men or equipment to attack those cities by force. All he could do was roam (wander around) the countryside and lay waste to (destroy) it. In 211, he marched right up the walls of Rome, but he never attacked it. The Romans were confident that Hannibal could do nothing to their city.

The Romans decided to fight the war by cutting off the supplies and men Hannibal needed. A young Roman general named Scipio Africanus (237-183 BC) conquered all of Spain. He converted (changed) Spain into two Roman territories. Hannibal was now left without his supplies or more soldiers in Italy.

Scipio then crossed into Africa in 204 BC and attacked the walls of Carthage itself. This forced the Carthaginians to sue for peace (beg for peace) with Rome. Rome demanded that Hannibal leave the Italian peninsula. Hannibal was one of the great strategic generals in history. All during his war with Rome he never once lost a major battle. Now, however, he was forced to retreat (go back; give up) by his own people. Despite winning every battle, he lost the war.

When Hannibal returned to Carthage, the Carthaginians took heart (were encouraged) and rose up against Rome one last time in 202 BC. In northern Africa, Hannibal fought against Scipio and his army. Here he met his first defeat (loss).

Bust of Hannibal

Rome reduced Carthage to a powerless state. Rome took all of Carthaginian territories in Europe and in northern Africa. Now Rome controlled the whole of the western Mediterranean. They were rich in territory, slaves, booty (goods that were taken from the conquered people, and power!

And what happened to Hannibal? After the conclusion of peace in 201 B.C., Hannibal became the chief leader of Carthage. He reformed (changed) the government and reorganized the tax revenues (income, money) in order to pay the heavy tribute (money or tax) demanded by Rome. He fled (ran away) to Syria where he took a small part in a war against Rome, and after the Syrian defeat he fled again. About to be captured and taken to the Romans, he poisoned himself.

 

Learn more about it: Why Did They Do That? Takes on the Punic Wars by David E Woody - a role playing simulation in which you can take the part of Hannibal or the Romans.

From: Burell, Roy. The Romans(Oxford; Oxford University Press, 1991) p. 24-25.

Harbor of Carthage