What Were The Motives Of The Punic Wars

The Roman Empire reached its potential height in the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD, but it was not an easy path to get there. Centuries before Rome became the economic center of the world, it had a lot of land to gain and a lot of wars to fight. The largest, and probably most important wars, was called the Punic Wars, which was fought between Rome and Carthage. There was a series of three wars, lasting between 264 BCE until 146 BCE. The motives of these wars are complex, but essentially each city-state was determined to conquer the other in an attempt to gain territory for trade and economic expansion. Prior to the first war, Rome and Carthage signed peace treaties in the 5th century BCE. In 270 BCE they would work as allies to defeat a
Carthage was forced to retreat from Sicily, allowing the Romans to take Sicily as its first real province, and Carthage had to pay Rome 125,000 pounds of silver. But the peace would not last, as both powers wanted to control the western half of the Mediterranean. With Carthage weakened and destabilized, in 238 BCE, Rome took advantage and seized Corsica and Sardinia.
One of the most successful Carthaginian commanders was Hammilcar Barca, who was a sworn enemy to Rome. He governed Spain from 237 BCE until 229/8 BCE. During this time, he rebuilt Carthaginian power in Spain, and established new allies. He founded Barcino (later renamed Barcelona) in 230 BCE. In 229/8 BCE, Hammilcar died in battle, and was succeeded by his son Hannibal. Hannibal had highly respected his father, especially after he sacrificed his life to save his son. At the age of 10, Hammilcar took his son to an altar, where he swore to always be an enemy to Rome.
After becoming the commander in Spain, Hannibal attacked Saguntum in 221 BCE. Saguntum was an ally with Rome and had raided Carthage which angered Hannibal. The Ebro River was considered a boundary line between Rome and Carthage, but with it now being broken, the Romans declared war again. The 2nd Punic War lasted from 218 BCE until 201
Coincidentally, the Romans rebuilt Carthage and it became one of their greatest cities. Even though Rome went on to become the largest and most successful cities ever known, the roots of its downfall had just begun. As the Roman Empire grew, it gained numerous cultural diversities. Despite Carthage being destroyed, Greek life had a strong influence on Rome. It became common for Romans to speak both Latin and Greek, even writing history and poetry in Greek. Greek art and entertainment also became widely popular, while townspeople pursued a more leisurely lifestyle. Greek influence also helped in the creation of aqueducts for bathing, which became a popular part of the Roman life. After the end of the Punic Wars, Rome saw a large migration, specifically of the poor. Small farmers were unable to compete with the larger more wealthy land owners, so many of the farmers sold their land, and a larger number of slaves were used to work the fields. Roman leaders worried about the growing population because it was hard for them to find work. In order to keep the unemployed citizens happy, many received free bread, wine, and were even entertained by