Carthage
was an ancient
city-state
in what is now
Tunisia
. It began as a
Phoenician
colony
.
[1]
At the height of its power, Carthage was the most important power in the
Mediterranean
and controlled parts of Spain, as well as
Sicily
,
North Africa
, and
Sardinia
.
The
Roman Republic
destroyed Carthage during the
Punic Wars
of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. In later centuries, Rome started a
colony
in the same place that became an important city of
Africa Province
. Eventually, the
Vandals
conquered the city and used it to attack
Rome
.
Carthage was a rival in the western
Mediterranean
for the
Roman Republic
,
[2]
which wanted to take over the whole region. Carthage was a large obstacle and so in 264 BC, the Romans responded to a plea for help by some rebels in
Messina
and landed an army in
Sicily
. That started the
First Punic War
. The Romans then invaded the Carthaginian areas in Sicily, and the Carthaginian generals could not stop them. Even at sea, the Romans copied the Carthaginian bireme ships, with two oars on each side, and won several major victories on the sea. However, the Romans had not been a sea power, which the Carthaginians had been.
Finally, a general,
Hamilcar Barca
, took up to defend the Carthaginians and replaced of the older and less energetic Hanno. Hamilcar immediately realized the futility of meeting the superior
Roman army
in open battle and so he decided to use hit-and-run raids to wear down the Romans. That tactic was slightly more effective against the slow heavily-armored roman troops. Eventually, however, the Romans took Lilybaeum, the Carthaginians' main stronghold in Sicily. That ended Carthage's power in Sicily and ended the First Punic War.
[3]
During the
Second Punic War
,
Hannibal Barca
led the Carthaginian Army through Spain, southern
Gaul
and across the
Alps
into
Italy
in 218 BC.
[4]
There, he clashed with and stunningly defeated the Romans in three major battles: the Battle of the River Trebia, the Battle of Lake Trasmine, and the
Battle of Cannae
.
[4]
He failed, however, to take Rome and eventually had to
retreat
to Carthage, where he was defeated by Scipio Africanis at the Battle of Zama.
[4]
The
Romans
destroyed Carthage in 146 BC during the Third Punic War. The Carthaginians who survived, numbering about 50,000, were mostly sold into
slavery
.
[4]