How Did Carthage Became Almost The Equal Of Rome

Writing Assignment 5
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.
Carthage and Rome rose to prominence in the Mediterranean in the third Century BCE, as the Carthaginians broke away from the Phoenicians and developed a formidable sea and trading power in what is now modern day Tunisia. As the two powers grew, it was inevitable that conflict would emerge as they battled for supremacy of the central Mediterranean. The fundamental key to the growth of Carthage lay in its societal structures. These fundamental strengths and differences tended to drive both the nature of the growth of Carthage, as well as the downfall.
Superficially, the two governments
looked very similar at the start of the First Punic War. They both had a pair of primary rulers - the consuls in Rome and the suffetes in Carthage. Carthage also had a senior assembly, referred to as "the hundred", which bore some resemblance to the Roman Senate, as well as a lower assembly, similar to the Roman comitia.
However, the Carthaginian approach relied very much on a limited aristocracy for their governance.
The strength of the Carthaginians was in the exceptional leadership provided by this privileged few rather than the Roman approach of more inclusive and less elite citizen governance.
Over time, this resulted in the Roman's having a much deeper talent pool and engaged citizenry when faced with adversity or losses - while in good times, the Carthaginians could rely on their ruling elite to manage exceptionally well - but the lack of depth of talent began to impact the nation when the best soldiers and citizens were not able to govern or when faced with many challenges at once.
Carthage’s legacy having stemmed from Phoenicia led it to be a major naval and trading power. This naval excellence is what eventually drove the conflict with Rome. Between the boot of Ital, which had been subjugated by Rome and Carthage lay the independent island of Sicily. Strategically located in the central Mediterranean, it controlled the sea lanes east to west. Carthage had come to control the western end of the island, while the independent Kingdom of Syracuse was on the East. When war broke out on the island between Syracuse and a group of breakaway soldiers, Rome and Carthage began to take up sides. Rome, fearing additional Carthaginian expansion in their back yard, and Carthage to protect and expand their control on Sicily. It was this conflict that led to the first Punic War
(264-241BCE).
The result of the First Punic War was the defeat of Carthage by Rome, and the Roman dominance of Sicily. However, another element emerged – that of Rome as a naval power – which set the stage for centuries of Roman dominance in the Mediterranean. Rome was initially mauled by the Carthaginean navy in the early stages of the First Punic War. Within a few months, the Romans built and launched “a hundred vessels in sixty days” (Morey), while training their land soldiers to become sailors by simulating the new ships on land.
Because of the initial positioning and methods of growth, Carthage was a stronger naval power, and Rome the stronger land power. However, the war would bring these two elements back into balance – so that by the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE) the Carthagineans had built up a formidable army under Hannibal, and the Romans were ready to counter with a powerful navy which could land soldiers anywhere in the Mediterranean. The Second Punic War would determine the future of these two superpowers and the future of the Mediterranean for the next 6 centuries.