Ch. 6, Sec. 2: From Republic to Empire

Settled by North Africans & Phoenician traders, Carthage ruled over an empire that stretched across North Africa and the western Mediterranean.

As Rome expanded westward, conflict between these 2 powers became inevitable!

1st Punic War = Rome defeated Carthage and won Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia.

2nd Punic War = Carthage wanted revenge; General Hannibal led his army (including dozens of war elephants) through France into Italy.

The trek through the Pyrenees mountains and the Alps cost Hannibal nearly half his army. But, the Carthaginian general surprised the Romans who had expected an invasion from the south.

For 15 years, Hannibal and his army moved across Italy, winning battle after battle. The Carthaginians, however, failed to capture Rome itself! In the end, the Romans outmaneuvered Hannibal by sending an army to attack Carthage. Hannibal returned to Carthage (Africa) to defend his homeland, where the Romans defeated him!

3rd Punic War = Rome still saw Carthage as a rival and wanted revenge for the destruction Hannibal’s army caused to Italy. Thus Rome completely destroys Carthage!

Rome also expanded into the eastern Mediterranean and confronted the Hellenistic rulers who had divided up the empire of Alexander the Great. One by one, Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia Minor surrendered and fell under Roman rule!

The Greatest Extent of the Roman Empire – 14 CE Because Roman power extended from Spain to Egypt they called the Mediterranean Mare Nostrum (“Our Sea”).