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The Punic Wars Prequel264BC-146BC

Rome and Carthage: Friends Forever?Carthage and Rome had not always been enemies. In the years before 264BC the

two nations had been on friendly terms with one another. The relationship changed, however, soon after the Greek king, Pyrrhus entered southern Italy.

Pyrrhus had come to help his fellow Greek colonists in the area. He wanted to oppose the advancing Roman troops. When he realized that his efforts were in vain, he left Italy and sailed for the island of Sicily. Here, too, Greeks felt threatened—not by advancing Romans, but by Carthaginians. At the time, Carthage controlled much of Sicily. When Pyrrhus failed to capture the important Sicilian town of Lilybaeum, he left the island and soon returned home to Greece.

The Romans were relieved to hear of Pyrrhus’ departure. Rome feared a Greek victory in Sicily because they thought it might encourage the Greeks in southern Italy to rebel against Rome. For this reason the Roman senate allied itself with Carthage against Pyrrhus and the Sicilian Greeks. Now, with Pyrrhus gone, the ties between the two cities weakened and the stage was set for a much more dangerous conflict.

Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences.

1. Pyrrhus was the king of Greece. After failing in his efforts to help the Greek colonists in Southern Italy he tried to help fellow Greeks in Sicily. He was unsuccessful here too. Once Pyrrhus left with his troops, Rome and Carthage no longer had a common enemy and so their relationship weakened.

2. Both Rome and Carthage wanted control of the island of Sicily. It was believed that if they controlled Sicily that they could also control trade on the Mediterranean Sea .

There was a series of political maneuvers as Carthage and Rome tried to take Sicily. In 264BC, the Romans signed a peace treaty with Hiero, king of the Sicilian city, Syracuse. The agreement allowed them to use Syracuse as a base of operations. Rome’s presence on the island upset the long-standing balance of power on the island. The Carthaginians felt that war was their only choice.

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Section Two: Africa’s CarthageDirections- Turn to page 7 in the Hannibal vs. Rome book and read Africa’s Carthage. Then answer the following questions.1. How did Carthage acquire wealth and prosperity? Trade2. List the goods that Carthage traded.Imports marble, wheat, silver, copper, tin Exports gold, ebony, incense, myrrh, precious stones, spices, ivory, ostrich feathers3. What countries did Carthage trade with? Greece, India, Arabia, Spain, other parts of Africa

Section Three: The First Punic War 264BC-241BC

Directions- Read the Following and complete the finding the finish battle chart.

Carthage had already taken control of Sardinia and Corsica, two islands to the west of Italy. The Romans believed that the Carthaginians planned to extend their rule over all of Sicily. If they did so, only the narrow Straits of Messina would separate a foreign, potentially hostile, power from Roman soil. The Carthaginians did, indeed, hope to rule all of Sicily. Their goal, like Rome’s, was control of the western Mediterranean Sea. They believed that if they held Sicily, they would be able to block any possible Greek expansion into these waters. What followed was a succession of political and military maneuvers as Carthage and Rome tried to take Sicily. In 264BC, the Romans signed a treaty with Hiero, king of the Sicilian city of Syracuse, that allowed them to use Syracuse as a base for their operations. Because Rome’s presence on the island upset the long-standing balance of power, the Carthaginians felt that war was their only choice.

Consequently, Carthage’s ruler ordered their generals to recruit mercenaries from Carthaginian settlements insouthern Spain and northern Africa. As their base of operation, the Carthaginians chose the city of Agrigentum in southern Sicily. Over the next several months, battles, sieges, famine, and disease inflicted heavy losses on both the Carthaginians and the Romans. However, when the Romans captured Agrigentum, Rome’s leader claimed the victory as proof of their military superiority on land. To drive Carthage out of Sicily, the Romans realized they also had to control the sea. This would be difficult because the people of Carthage were master shipbuilders and sailors. Yet, the Romans were determined to beat the Carthaginians at their own game. In 260BC, the Romans began…

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Mercenaries are professional soldiers hired to serve in a foreign army.

Carthage RomeSoldiers and Military: Mercenaries, strong navy, master shipbuilders and sailors

Soldiers and Military:Strong army/weak navy

Over the first several months of the First Punic War ___battles__, ___sieges____ , __famine__ , and __diseases___ inflicted heavy losses on both Rome and Carthage.

Over the first several months of the First Punic War ___battles__, ___sieges____ , __famine__ , and __diseases___ inflicted heavy losses on both Rome and Carthage.

Base of operations: Agrigentum – city in southern Sicily

Base of operations: Syracuse- in the island of Sicily

Goal for the war: Maintain control of Corsica and Sardinia – gain control of Sicily

Goal for the war: Take control of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily

Major Battle: Lost a land battle at the battle of Agrigentum.

Major Battle: Won a land battle and captured Agrigentum.

Finding the InventionThe Romans have established their dominance on land but still need to improve their weak navy. You are an inventor in the Roman army and it is your duty to create an invention that will bring your army’s land battle skills to the seas. The invention can not be any type of mechanized weapon (uzi, shotgun, etc.). It must be an invention that is designed to bring Rome’s army skills to the seas. Be creative and good luck!

Give a brief description of your invention-______Will vary__________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________Draw a detailed diagram of your inventionWill vary

Explain why your invention will work. ______Will vary_________________________________________________________

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The Invention of the Romans With a little ingenuity, Roman shipbuilders devised a special boarding plank that had a large iron spike at one end. They nicknamed it “the raven” (corvus) because of its shape. In a sea battle, a Roman ship could now pull alongside a Carthaginian ship and drop the plank onto the enemy vessel. The corvus “grabbed” hold of the enemy ship and locked the two ships together. Roman soldiers quickly walked the plank onto the Carthaginian ship and fought as if on land.

Yet the corvus did not bring immediate victory. Instead, the war raged on and the number of casualties increased daily. Finally, after 22 years of fighting, the Romans reconsidered their options. They could negotiate a peace settlement with Carthage, or make one last, all-out effort to win. The Romans chose the latter. In 241BC, the two fleets met off the west coast of Sicily. The Carthaginians lost this decisive battle. They authorized their commander-in-chief, Hamilcar Barca (father of Hannibal), to discuss surrender terms with the Roman commander. The terms of the treaty required Carthage to withdraw from Sicily and Sardinia; to pay 3,200 talents of silver; and to return all prisoners of war. Officially, the first Punic War had ended. However, the hostility between the two powers lived on, and the seeds for a future conflict had been sown.

1. What is the corvus? Explain in complete sentences with detailThe corvus was a special boarding plan that had a large iron spike at one end. IT allowed Roman soldiers to fight a land battle on the sea.2. Who won the first Punic Wars? What did the victor of this conflict gain?The Romans won the first Punic war. Spoils Carthage withdrawals from Sicily and Sardinia. Paid 3,200 talents. All POW’s returned

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This carving shows a typical trireme. The crocodile on the front suggests that the ship was from a fleet based on the Nile River.

This ship has __5_____ decks of rowers.

The Second Punic War 218BC-201BC

Throughout history, the element of surprise has been the key to success for many military leaders. In the next activity you will be Hannibal the military leader of Carthage. Your mission is

to map out a route of attack against the rulers of the Mediterranean, Rome. On the map below use a colored pencil to map out your attack route. When you are finished tracing your attack

route you must explain why you chose this as your attack route. Remember that your starting point is Carthage and you endpoint is Rome.

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Why did you think this attack route will work? (Answer above) 1. What are the possible rewards and failures of Hannibal’s true attack route? Possible Rewards- The element of surprise – Hannibal will face less opposition if the Romans aren’t ready. Locals could be supportive – Soldiers could fall to their death in the alps.

Possible Failures- Attacked by the locals – soldiers and elephants could die – supplies could run out – 10,000 feet – extreme cold 1500 mile journey

2. Can Hannibal make it across the Alps? Explain.

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Doing the Impossible: Hannibal Crosses the ALPS

Directions: Read pages 18 – 21 in Hannibal vs. Rome. Then answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. What did Hannibal’s army consist of?

90,000 infantry/ 12,000 cavalry- all seasoned African and Spanish soldiers/37 war elephants

2. How long was Hannibal’s trek to Rome? How long did it take him to reach Rome?

1500 miles/ 5 months

3. Describe some of the problems Hannibal’s army had crossing the Alps.

- lost half his troops and many of his elephants – trouble with supplies – many soldiers and animals fell to their deaths

4. While Hannibal was passing over the Alps the Roman Army was planning to attack New Carthage in Spain. Why do you believe they wanted to do this?

Attack new Carthage on the coast of Spain to eliminate supply lines

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Finding the FinishThe Battle of Lake Trasimene

“It was an unusually misty morning,” the Greek historian Polybius wrote, “On that day in 217 B.C. when Hannibal and his army met the Romans for the first time on Italian soil.” The Carthaginian general had already fought and defeated the Romans several times before, but this battle, the battle of Lake Trasimene, was different. Hannibal was no longer a distant threat. He was now at the very edge of the Roman territory and only a few days from Rome itself.

Hoping to defeat this army once and for all, the Roman Senate sent two armies, each commanded by one of their best generals. Flaminius and Geminus were both experienced leaders.

Several days before the battle, Hannibal made sure that he knew the exact position of the Roman armies. Then to avoid both, he then took a route that did not pass by either army. When Flaminius learned that Hannibal’s troops stood between his army Rome, he ordered his army to pursue Hannibal. “Are we to stay here while the enemy approaches our city?” Flaminius exclaimed. At sunrise, he marched his troops along the banks of the huge lake hoping to find Hannibal…Directions: Analyze the diagram of Lake Trasimene and complete the following.

1. Mark an X where Hannibal’s army should attack from.2. Finding the Finish: Give a brief summary of how the battle ends. Remember to

use the information in the paragraphs above and explanation for your designated attack point.

Attacked from the hills – it will be unexpected – the fog will disguise the Army – it will also leave little space for the Roman army to retreat back – they might drown in the water if pushed back. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Battle of Lake Trasimene-The Romans soon came to a spot where the mountains nearly touched the water. Only a handful of men could march side by side. The mist from the lake was thick, and the Romans did not see Hannibal’s men hiding behind the mountain slopes. They saw only the enemy troops ahead of them. The Romans charged. They thought it was an enemy camp they were about to attack, but it was only a decoy. At that moment, they heard the Carthaginian trumpets, and suddenly thousands of enemy soldiers descended upon them from the hills. By noon 15,000 Romans drowned or were killed in some other way. Ten Romans died for every one Carthaginian. 1. What factors helped Hannibal win the battle against the Romans. High ground – the element of surprise – fog around the lake – the decoy Carthaginian camps –hills and mountains that came right up to the lake – less land for the Romans – they were pushed into the lake and drowned.The senate was scared of Hannibal and thought that he was invincible. They employed a new strategy to stop Hannibal. The method was to never fight Hannibal in open battle. The man whom the Senate elected to carry out this new strategy was Fabius Maximus, “The Delayer”.2. How do you think Fabius Maximus could delay Hannibal’s army without engaging him in open battle?

Fabius followed Hannibal throughout Italy. Whenever Hannibal sacked a town, Fabius waited until he left and then re-took the town and destroyed the supply lines.

Teacher will reveal the strategy of Fabius Maximus.3. Why do you think the strategy of Fabius Maximus bothered the Roman Senate?

It is a strategy that will never win the war, it only delays losing the war.4. What were the results of “The Delayer’s” strategy?

Hannibal’s army-Supply lines were cut off/Made it difficult to feed troopsRoman Army-Roman army had time to rebuild its army – 80,000 strong

The Battle of CannaeFinding the Finish

Directions- read the following and analyze the battle formation on the smart board. Once you have done this find the finish.

Fabius’ strategy, however, bothered the Senate. “Romans should not avoid battle,” they argued. “It had been a year since the battle of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal is weak, and we have rebuilt our army. It is now time to face Hannibal.” Fabius objected. “Hannibal has already a third of his army left,” he explained, “and more of his men have died of hunger than in battle. If you plunge straight into battle, there will be another and more terrible Trasimene.” The Roman Senate ignored Fabius and elected two new generals, Paullus and Varro, who, with 80,000 Roman soldiers wanted to fight the Carthaginians.

On August 2, 216BC, the Romans realized the wisdom of Fabius’ strategy. Hannibal sacked the town of Cannae in southern Italy where the Romans stored wheat and olive oil. The Romans immediately sent their army to recapture the town. In an open field just outside of the town, the armies met.

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The battle began just like most ancient battles. The two armies lined up facing each other and attacked straight on. Hannibal, however did something different.

Find the finish- Write a brief summary of how the battle will finish. Then wait for further instructions. Make sure to explain your ending.

Answers will vary- Usually the best soldiers were at the center of the battle and those lightly armed stayed on the wings. Hannibal did just the opposite. Only when the elite Roman troops pushed these soldiers back did they realize that the elite Carthaginian troops were stationed on the wings and they were surrounded. Nearly 80,000 Roman troops were killed.

The Battle of Cannae: The End of the Second Punic WarDirections: Read pages 28-29 in Hannibal VS Rome to answer the following questions.

Answer in complete sentences.1. Who won the Battle of Cannae? Explain in detail.See previous question

2. Who eventually won the Second Punic War? Explain in detail.Rome- Scipio, a great Roman war general decided to attack Carthage on the plains of Zama, just south of Carthage. Hannibal’s army was tired from war (2 years). Hannibal rushed back to Carthage.

Elephants of WarDirections: Read pages 22-23 in Hannibal vs. Rome, then answer the following

questions in complete sentences.1. List the many advantages of using elephants in warfare.- create terror among men and horses alike- elephants threw foot soldiers to the ground, punctured enemy soldiers or trampled them- some elephants were fitted with war boxes (held 3 or 4 arches)- screaming war elephants freaked out horses.

2. List any disadvantages when using elephants in warfare.- hard to control if something sets them off- big targets - could hurt their own troops- driven mad by the death of the Mahout- could do as much damage as their own army as the opposing army.

3. Does the US military use any type of weapon that compares to the elephants of Hannibal’s army?The Tank4. List at least 3 strategies that the Romans used to defeat Hannibal’s war elephants.

Portable minefield- wooden shed with metal spikes pierce elephants feet War wagons w flame thrower of long metal tipped spears Coated pigs with flammable oil and lit them on fire, set them loose and freaked

out the elephants Attach elephants from the side

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The End of CarthageThe Third Punic War 149B.C. -146 B.C.

Directions: Read pages 42-43 in Hannibal VS. Rome and answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Describe the terms of the treaty that ended the second Punic War.Carthage could not wage war without Rome’s consent, even to defend themselves.2. What did Carthage do when they were attacked by Masinissa?Carthage turned to Rome for help. Previous please for aid had gone unanswered and settled in favor of Masinissa.3. What ultimatum (final demand) did the Romans give to the Carthaginians?Leave the city and find a new city inland or remain and fight.4. Why did Rome decide to attack Carthage? Rome decided to attack Carthage because they felt threatened by Carthage’s flourishing trade.5. Rome won the third Punic War.6. What actions did the Romans take to ensure that Carthage would never thrive again? - They burned the city to the ground- All survivors were enslaved- They sprinkled salt on the land so nothing would ever grow again- A curse was invoked against anyone who would try to rebuild the city.

Punic Wars Assessment Review Activity #1Write the story of the First Punic War using the following people, places, and locations. Use 1-4 in packet to complete this

activity. Your summary will be four paragraphs. Below is a guide that explains which words must be included in these four paragraphs. All provided words must be underlined. Please only highlight the word the first time it is used in the paragraph.

Structure GuideThe Punic Wars (Pre-war) Paragraph One (use page one of the packet)

Pyrrhus / Greek / Romans or Rome/ Carthage/ Sicily

Paragraph Two- Tension builds between Rome and Carthage (page 2)Sicily/ Agrigentum / War/ Mediterranean/ Syracuse

Paragraph Three- The First Punic War (page 2 and 3)Land/ sailors / shipbuilders/ sea / Roman army / famine / disease/ sieges / battles

Paragraph Four- Conclusion to the First Punic War (page 4)quinqueremes (five levels of rowers)/ corvus / Rome

Activity 2- Short essays on the second Punic War in complete sentences1. What is the key to success for many military leaders?2. Describe at least three problems Hannibal’s army had crossing the Alps.3. What did Scipio and the Roman Army do to win the second Punic War? Explain

why Scipio’s strategy worked.Activity 3- The Third Punic War Describe the following-

1. Define ultimatum. 2. How did the Romans defeat Hannibal’s war elephants?

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3. The terms of the treaty that ended the second Punic War.4. Define Punic. 5. Write a one paragraph summary of the third Punic War.

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