How Did Carthage Become The Equal Of Rome?
Carthage became almost the equal of Rome in not a few ways.
Carthage, the North African city-state founded by the Phoenicians had become a strong sea power. It controlled large areas in the western Mediterranean, including parts of Spain, North Africa, and many islands. Rome, on the other hand, became a military power. Its excellent soldiers were farmer themselves who were loyal and strong enough to march thirty miles a day carrying sixty pounds of armour, weapons and supplies. Rome considered Carthage a threat to its allies in southern Italy and to the supply of grain in the island of Sicily. The series of wars that Rome fought with Carthage were called the Punic Wars. (Punic Wars, n.d.)
Rome began the war with a stronger army for it could …show more content…
Thus, the loss at the first war notwithstanding, the Carthaginians continued to expand in Spain. Rome planned to attack the Carthaginians there.
The Carthaginians had a charismatic leader, by the name of Hannibal, a brilliant military strategist. His victories in the battlefields only emboldened him and his soldiers to occupy helpless states. Hannibal attacked Rome by invading Italy from the north. This marked the start of the 2nd Punic War. With entire army and a number of war elephants, Hannibal travelled northeast through Spain. They struggled across the steep and icy mountain passes into Italy. The Gauls who lived there joined the Carthaginians against Rome, and even some Roman allies helped the invaders. Punic War II – Hannibal’s War, n.d.).
As war raged on, both camps committed atrocities. Decapitating was resorted to in scaring the wits out of their enemies. The Carthaginian, led by Hannibal outflanked and routed the soldiers of the inexperienced Roman leader Flaminius whose head was cut off and was thrown at the Roman troops to sow demoralization. Tit for tat, the Romans inflicted the same fate to captured Carthaginians, military deserters, and those men who sided with the enemy. It was also a scorched earth policy. Italian and Sicilian farms feeding the armies of Hannibal were burned to the ground. (Punic War II – Hannibal’s War,
Carthage, the North African city-state founded by the Phoenicians had become a strong sea power. It controlled large areas in the western Mediterranean, including parts of Spain, North Africa, and many islands. Rome, on the other hand, became a military power. Its excellent soldiers were farmer themselves who were loyal and strong enough to march thirty miles a day carrying sixty pounds of armour, weapons and supplies. Rome considered Carthage a threat to its allies in southern Italy and to the supply of grain in the island of Sicily. The series of wars that Rome fought with Carthage were called the Punic Wars. (Punic Wars, n.d.)
Rome began the war with a stronger army for it could …show more content…
Thus, the loss at the first war notwithstanding, the Carthaginians continued to expand in Spain. Rome planned to attack the Carthaginians there.
The Carthaginians had a charismatic leader, by the name of Hannibal, a brilliant military strategist. His victories in the battlefields only emboldened him and his soldiers to occupy helpless states. Hannibal attacked Rome by invading Italy from the north. This marked the start of the 2nd Punic War. With entire army and a number of war elephants, Hannibal travelled northeast through Spain. They struggled across the steep and icy mountain passes into Italy. The Gauls who lived there joined the Carthaginians against Rome, and even some Roman allies helped the invaders. Punic War II – Hannibal’s War, n.d.).
As war raged on, both camps committed atrocities. Decapitating was resorted to in scaring the wits out of their enemies. The Carthaginian, led by Hannibal outflanked and routed the soldiers of the inexperienced Roman leader Flaminius whose head was cut off and was thrown at the Roman troops to sow demoralization. Tit for tat, the Romans inflicted the same fate to captured Carthaginians, military deserters, and those men who sided with the enemy. It was also a scorched earth policy. Italian and Sicilian farms feeding the armies of Hannibal were burned to the ground. (Punic War II – Hannibal’s War,