The wars of Rome against Carthage occupy a significant place in the history of the Ancient World. They influenced the further development of the Mediterranean and the whole of Europe. The Second Punic War 218-201 BC e. - the brightest of the three events. It is also called the Hannibal War, or the war against Hannibal. In addition to Rome and Carthage, Numidia, Pergamum, the Aetolian Union, Syracuse, the Achaean Union and Macedonia took part in this confrontation.
Background
In 242 BC e. a peace treaty was concluded that concluded the First Punic War. As a result of this agreement, Carthage lost control of the proceeds of Sicily’s ownership, and almost the monopoly trade of the Carthaginians in the Western Mediterranean was severely undermined by Rome. As a result, Carthage was in a difficult economic situation, and his ruling dynasty Barkidov - at a disadvantage on the political side - the opposition intensified. Already then it was clear that the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage should soon take place with the aim of destroying one of them, since there were no places for the two major powers in the Mediterranean.
Rivalry for Spain
Hamilcar, commander in chief of the Carthaginian army, undertook campaigns to conquer the territories of Spain. Firstly, the Iberian Peninsula was very rich in natural resources, and secondly, from Spain it was possible to get to Italy quite quickly. Hamilkar, along with his son-in-law Gasdrubal, was active in expanding the borders of Carthage for almost 10 years, until he was killed during the siege. His ally Hasdrubal was the victim of an Iberian barbarian in New Carthage, founded by him.
New Carthage instantly became the center of all Western Mediterranean trade, as well as the administrative center of the Punian possessions. Thus, Carthage not only compensated for its losses following the First War with Rome, but it also had new markets, and the silver mines of Spain enriched the Barkids and deprived them of any political opponents. The Second Punic War 218-201 BC e. was only a matter of time.
The concern of Rome
Roman politicians and military leaders were very concerned about the growing power of Carthage. Rome understood that it was not too late to stop the Puns, but after some time it would be difficult. Therefore, the Romans began to look for a reason to start a war. Even during the lifetime of Hannibal's father, Hamilcar, a border was drawn along the Iber River between Carthage and Rome in Spain.
Rome concludes an alliance with the Sogunt. He was clearly directed against Carthage, and specifically to stop his advance further north. The beginning of the Second Punic War was near, Rome didn’t need such a strong neighbor, but he also couldn’t speak openly in the face of the aggressor, therefore, an alliance with the Sogunt was concluded. It is clear that Rome did not intend to defend its ally, but the attack on Carthage provided an occasion for starting a war.
Barkid Hannibal
Hannibal was destined to become a symbol of the struggle against Roman rule in the Mediterranean basin, he managed what no one dared to do before him. He was a talented commander and commander, his soldiers respected him not for his high origin, but for the personal merits and qualities of a leader.
From an early age, father Hamilkar took his son on campaigns. All his conscious life he was in military camps, where he looked death in the face from childhood. Dozens, hundreds, if not thousands of people were killed before his eyes. He’s already used to it. Constant training turned Hannibal into a skilled fighter, and studying military affairs into a brilliant commander. Meanwhile, Hamilkar did everything in order to get closer to the Hellenistic world, so he taught the Greek alphabet to his son and accustomed him to the culture of the Greeks. Father understood that Rome could not cope without allies, and taught his sons to their culture, and also set up an alliance. Hannibal was to play an important role in this process. The second Punic war was thought over by him for many years. And after the death of his father, he vowed that he would destroy Rome.
Reasons for the war
Three main reasons can be identified that led to the outbreak of the second war between Rome and Carthage:
1. The humiliating consequences for Carthage under the terms of the peace treaty that concluded the First Punic War.
2. The rapid growth of the territories of Carthage, as well as its enrichment due to the richest possessions in Spain, which resulted in the strengthening of its military power.
3. The siege and capture by Carthage of the allied Rome of Sogunt, which became the official reason, as a result of which the Second Punic War was unleashed. Its reasons were more formal than real, and nevertheless they led to one of the largest confrontations in the entire history of the Ancient World.
Start of war
After the death of Hamilcar and the assassination of Hasdrubal, Hannibal was elected commander in chief. Then he was only 25 years old, he was full of strength and determination to destroy Rome. In addition, he had a fairly good set of knowledge from the field of military affairs and, of course, leadership qualities.
Hannibal did not hide from anyone that he wanted to attack the Sogunt, of which Rome was an ally, and thereby draw the latter into the war. However, Hannibal did not attack first. He made the Sogunt attack the Iberian tribes, which were under the rule of Carthage, and only after that he moved his forces to the "aggressor". Hannibal rightly hoped that Rome would not bring military aid to Sogunt, since he himself fought against the Gauls and Illyrian pirates. The siege of Sogunt lasted 7 months, after which the fortress was taken. Rome never rendered military assistance to its ally. Already after the capture of the Sogunt, Rome sent an embassy to Carthage, which declared war. The second Punic war has begun!
Hostilities
The war lasted more than 15 years. During this time, military clashes between Rome and Carthage, or between their allies, almost did not stop. Tens of thousands of people died. Over the years, the advantage passed from hand to hand: if in the initial period of the war luck was on the side of Hannibal, then after some time the Romans intensified, inflicting a number of major defeats on the Puns in Iberia and North Africa. Hannibal remained on the Apennine Peninsula. In Italy, Hannibal himself achieved high results, making the whole local population tremble before his name.
The Second Punic War showed that Hannibalu had no equal in the open battle. This is evidenced by the battles at the river Titsin and Trebbia, at Trazimensky lake and, of course, the legendary battle at Cannes, which are sewn into military history with a red thread.
The fighting took place on several fronts: in Italy, Spain, Sicily, North Africa and Macedonia, but the “engine” of Carthage and its allies was the army of Hannibal and himself. Therefore, Rome set itself the goal of "bleeding" it, blocking the path of provisions, weapons and reinforcements for the war in Italy. Rome succeeded when he realized that Hannibal must first be exhausted without a major battle, and then finish off. This plan was successful, but before it Rome suffered one defeat after another, the Battle of Cannes should be especially noted. In this battle, Carthage had 50,000 soldiers, Rome - 90,000. The advantage is almost double, but even with such a numerical superiority, Rome could not win. During the battle, 70,000 Roman soldiers were killed, 16,000 were captured, while Hannibal lost only 6,000.
Reasons for the defeat of Carthage in the Second Punic War
There are a number of reasons that led to the victory of Rome. Firstly, it is the fact that the army of Carthage consisted mainly of mercenaries, who didn’t really care who they were fighting for — they were paid for it. The mercenaries did not have any patriotic feelings, unlike the Romans, who defended their homeland.
Secondly, the Carthaginians themselves, who were located in Africa, often did not understand why they needed this war. Inside the country, the Barkids again formed a serious opposition, which opposed the war with Rome. Even after the Battle of Cannes, the Carthage oligarchs without enthusiasm sent a little reinforcement to Hannibal, although this help could be much more significant, and then the outcome of the war would be completely different. The thing is that they were afraid of strengthening the power of Hannibal and the establishment of a dictatorship, which would be followed by the destruction of the oligarchy as a social class.
Thirdly, the rebellions and betrayals that awaited Carthage at every turn, and the lack of real help from an ally - Macedonia.
Fourth, this, of course, is the genius of the Roman military school, which gained a wealth of experience during the war. However, for Rome, this war was a difficult test, putting the Roman Republic on the brink of survival . The reasons for the defeat of Carthage in the Second Punic War can still be listed, but all of them will flow from these 4 main ones, which led to the defeat of one of the most powerful armies of the Ancient World.
The difference between the Second and the First Punic War
The two wars were completely different, although they have a similar name. The first was aggressive on both sides; it developed as a result of the rivalry between Rome and Carthage for the possession of the rich island of Sicily. The second was aggressive only from Carthage, while the Roman army carried out a liberation mission.
The result of both the First and Second Wars is the victory of Rome, the huge indemnity imposed on Carthage, the establishment of borders. After the Second Punic War ended, the causes, consequences and historical significance of which are difficult to overestimate, Carthage was generally forbidden to have a fleet. He lost all overseas possessions; he was taxed exorbitantly for 50 years. In addition, he could not start wars without the consent of Rome.
The Second Punic War could change the course of history if Hannibal, the commander-in-chief of the troops of Carthage, had great support inside the country. He could defeat Rome. Moreover, everything went to this, as a result of the Battle of Cannes, Rome did not have a large army capable of withstanding Carthage, but Hannibal, with the available forces, could not capture a well-fortified Rome. He was waiting for support from Africa and the rebellion of Italian cities against Rome, but he did not wait for either the first or the second ...