Punic wars - causes, consequences, and links

Question 1

Social precondition

Answer 1

Carthage smaller citizen body than Rome

Question 2

Cultural precondition

Answer 2

Carthage less moral than Rome, as argued by Polybius, which upheld Mos Maiorum and the principle of just wars

Question 3

Dates for the first punic war?

Answer 3

264 - 241 BC

Question 4

Dates for the second punic war

Answer 4

218 - 201 BC

Question 5

Dates for the third punic war

Answer 5

149 - 146 BC

Question 6

Economic precondition

Answer 6

Carthage more an aristocracy than meritocracy, as opposed to Rome

Question 7

Military precondition

Answer 7

Carthage paid mercinaries, Rome conscripted allies and citizens. Carthage used variations of the Greek Phalynx formation. Rome used variations of the manipular legion.

Question 8

Political preconditions

Answer 8

Carthage more democratic than Rome. Carthage saw a shift of power from senate to people before the punic wars, as opposed to Rome.

Question 9

What were the two preconditions categories?

Answer 9

1. Could not see eye to eye

2. Superiority rivalry

Question 10

What were the dates of the three treaties, and what did they indicate?

Answer 10

508, 448, and 279 BC, and they indicated increasing hostility

Question 11

Why were the Mamertimes controversial?

Answer 11

Lived in Carthaginian Sicily with Italic ethnicity associating them with Rome

Question 12

Sequence of Mamertime actions forming the root cause of the first punic war?

Answer 12

Mamertimes invade Messana, Messana retaliates with force, Mamertimes seek Carthaginian bail with condition of subsumation, Rome feels threatened, Rome invades Sicily and declares war

Question 13

Significant events of first punic war relevant to future conflicts:

Answer 13

1. Swaying between Naval and Land warfare
2. Technlogical innovation to level the playing field in both arenas
3. Deployment of elephants by Carthage for the first time
4. Logistics win wars

Question 14

Consequences of first punic war

Answer 14

Shame for Hamilcar Barca and conditions of treaty:

1. Rome to have dominant fleet
2. Rome to have Sicily and Sardinia
3. Carthage to pay reparations

Question 15

Early events setting the stage for the second punic war

Answer 15

1. Hannibal gains generalship after father and uncle’s deaths
2. Hannibal expanding in spain (argued as means to reparational ends)
3. Cato challenges Hannibal’s intentions
4. Lack of detail in treaty of Sagantum and the Ebro, sparking debate after Hannibal crossed it

Question 16

Significant events relevant to future conflicts

Answer 16

1. Hannibal’s steps ahead (trek over the alps) enabled early victories
2. Humiliation of Rome: Trebia in 218 BC, Tresimene in 217 BC, and Cannae in 216 BC
3. Effective use of elephants until Rome found weakness at Zama
4. Swaying of conflict in southern Italy
5. Logistical victory

Question 17

Second punic war treaty details

Answer 17

Further reparational payments and territorial changes with implications for Numidia

Question 18

Third punic war early events setting the stage

Answer 18

1. Carthage left alone and unchecked to rebuild for 50 years
2. Cato brings fig back from Carthage to express shock at her recovery
3. Cato, with his prevailing ego, demanded “Carthage must be destroyed!”
4. Foreign actions causing war (Numidians like Mamertimes)
5. Numidia reclaims native land, sparking war

Question 19

Five primary themes of all three punic wars?

Answer 19

1. “This town isn’t big enough for both of us”
2. Innovation leading to evenly weighted conflict
3. Personal grievances of the powerful
4. Repurcussive reparations and treaties
5. Logistics wins wars