The Punic War

• by 250 b.c. all of Italy south of the River Po was in Roman hands
• This brought Rome into a collision with a rival city-state beyond the sea: Carthage
• About 700 b.c., Carthage had become an oligarchic and empire-building republic similar to Rome
• it spread its influence across North America, southern Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily
• The Punic wars were waged on land and sea in 3 vicious rounds between 264 and 146 b.c. 
• In the first phase of the struggle, Rome was able to force Carthage out of Sicily 
• In the second phase, the Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy, defeated several Roman armies, and brought Rome to the brink of defeat
• the loyalty of the Romans' allies, the perseverance of their own forces, and their greater manpower, they were able to draw citizen and allied soldiers from all Italy while Carthage relied on smaller mercenary armies 
• at the end of Second Punic war in 202 b.c. Carthage was disarmed and helpless
• Rome provoked a third war in 146 b.c. 
• Carthage was captured after bitter fighting
• in an act of vengeance, the Senate ordered the city to be leveled, its people sold into slavery, and even the ground they stood on to be cursed
• in 202 b.c. Rome had won control  over the western Mediterranean