I. What was Carthage?
a. Powerful city located near present-day Tunis, Tunisia, along the Mediterranean coast of Africa
i. Phoenician colony founded in the 8th century BCE
ii. Punic is Latin for Phoenician
b. Carthage had a large commercial empire
i. Great harbor at Carthage
ii. Phoenician tradition of sailing and trading
iii. Controlled trade in the western Mediterranean
iv. Carthaginian trading empire spread to islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and western Sicily, along with southern Iberian peninsula (modern-day Spain)
c. Major rival of Rome
II. Where did Carthaginian power lie?
a. Navy
i. Very large
ii. Phoenician sailing tradition
b. Army
i. Mercenaries (hired soldiers)
c. Government
i. Oligarchy – ruled by the wealthy elites (those made rich through trade)
III. How many Punic wars were there?
a. First (264-241 BCE)
i. Fought over Sicily
b. Second (218-201 BCE)
i. Rome challenged Carthaginian expansion in Iberia (Spain)
ii. Rome won
c. Third (149-146 BCE)
i. Rome feared Carthage was again becoming a threat
ii. Rome attacked Carthage and obliterated the threat for good
IV. First Punic War (264-241 BCE)
a. Carthage and Rome fought for 23 years over control of Sicily
b. Strengths
i. Roman strength – army
ii. Carthaginian strength – navy
c. Rome’s solution – build up its navy
i. Built four fleets, each destroyed in turn, before mastering naval warfare
ii. Rome’s new weapon – grappling hook
iii. Lashed ships together
iv. Forced ship crews to fight one another on deck
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of punic wars worksheet.
