After immense material and human losses on both sides the Carthaginians were defeated. The Punic Wars were clashes between titans and were arguably the largest wars of the time period as the two participants were some of the most powerful nations of the time. and associated with the Scipio’s family. [8] Rome was an ally of the city and they had guaranteed the safety and the security of the city. rome. The Romans feared the Celts ever since. Hannibal was determined to avenge the death and defeat of his people in the First Punic War. He is said to have left the biggest imprint on Rome as an outsider. [16] They were populists who could sway public opinion and put pressure on the pro-peace faction to support Hannibal. why did rome win the second punic war. The inability of the Carthaginian Senate to impose their will on Hannibal was also critical. Polybius outlines three clear causes of the Second Punic war. what was the cause of the second punic war. Hannibal sought to consolidate the power of the Carthaginians in Iberia and he stormed several important fortresses. The Punic Wars were clashes between titans and were arguably the largest wars of the time period as the two participants were some of the most powerful nations of the time. Another was the Carthaginian faction who opposed the peace with Rome attempts to create an alliance with the Celts in the North of Italy. The fault for the beginning of the Second Punic War can not be placed on a single nation. Hannibal used the manpower and resources of Spain to recruit a massive army, some 90,0000 strong, according to modern historian’s estimates. Many saw the siege and the destruction of the city as an unofficial declaration of war. Hannibal's dynasty power and politics in the western Mediterranean, 247-183 BC. It also placed restrictions on the size of the Punic navy and demanded reparations. The origin of the 2d Punic war; to point out to us the causes of this contestbetween Romeand Carthage, allege first thesiege of Saguntumby the Carthaginians, and,secondly, their breach of treaty by crossing the river called bythe natives the Iber. Macedonia, Syracuse and several Numidiankingdoms were drawn into the f… One of the key reasons for the outbreak of the Second Punic War was the inability of Carthage to restrain Hannibal, who had become too powerful. Second Punic War - Second Punic War Battles. With Hannibal, these Gallic tribes obtained the control of Placent… We have other ancient writers who did not accept his reasoning of the matter such as Cicero who wrote “The siege of Saguntum was the cause of the second Punic war, which Hannibal carried on against our ancestors”. Some historians of the Hannibalian war, when they wish. Hannibal, considered a boogeyman for the children of Rome, came into power at the young age of twenty-five in 221 BC. The second Punic war was the result of the growing rivalry between the two great powers that were now struggling for supremacy in the western Mediterranean (Rome and Carthage), with the trigger of the war being the rapid growth of the Carthaginian dominion in Spain, with Carthage building up a great empire in the Spanish peninsula, expecting to raise new armies to invade Italy. Hamilcar’s army was composed mainly of mercenaries, from Spain and North Africa, who were personally loyal to him. what was the cause of the second punic war. First Punic War (264–241 bce) The interval between the First and Second Punic Wars (241–218 bce) Second Punic War (218–201 bce) Campaigns in Sicily and Spain; The war in Africa; Third Punic War … A story is told of how Hannibal became the life-long enemy of Rome. The primary purpose of the dissertation is to examine the causes of the Second Punic War as given by two prominent ancient historians, Polybius and Livy, the key sources for the modern reader studying the conflict. This faction briefly won a majority in the Carthaginian Senate or Assembly and entered into a secret agreement with the Celts in Northern Italy. Furthermore, the wealth of the city tempted him as he needed to pay his men who were all mercenaries. The government of Carthage was divided over their support for Hannibal in Spain and they were not really in favor of another war with Rome. where was the second punic war fought. The Second Punic War is known as Hannibal’s War or against Hannibal. The personality of Hannibal, his genius, and his hatred of the Romans was crucial in the outbreak of the war. The main reasons for the Second or Hannibalic War were the ambition and pride of prominent military generals and a poorly configured political agreement. Hannibal regarded Saguntum as key to his position in Spain. In both wars, the Carthaginians had also been made to pay Rome massive reparations. American Journal of Philology. These were the … The treaty that Rome made with Carthage was complicated, and had numerous political results. 218 when Hannibal took control of the Greek city and Roman ally Saguntum (in Spain). The main reasons for the Second or Hannibalic War were the ambition and pride of prominent military generals and a poorly configured political agreement. This raises a very large question on the part of Polybius. Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Sources They contested the control of Sicily with the Greeks. Causes of the Second Punic War 1722 Words | 7 Pages. However, despite the elite Carthaginians' opposition to the war, under the leadership of Hanno the Great, they were unable to restrain Hannibal.[15]. Polybius is someone who gives a very good account of the events that led to the war, blaming the Carthaginians for causing the war. The war on Saguntum was seen by Polybius to be just the first incident in the war. Causes of the War. The Second Punic War: Causes. [11] The Romans had allowed Hannibal to become too strong in Spain and now he was able to use it as a base. Second Punic War Effect If one was to select the most crucial factor that led to the war it was the burning hatred of the great Carthaginian for Rome. He wanted to restore the Carthaginian Empire and to make it strong again so that it could defend itself against Roman aggression. Among the three Punic Wars, the second war can be termed as the bloodiest with maximum number of battles. This war is often simply known as Hannibal’s war. They were initially invited into Sicily by the Greeks, who were fearful of the Carthaginians. The immediate cause of the Second Punic War was the decision by Hannibal — the main Carthaginian general at the time, and one of history’s most revered military commanders — to ignore the treaty between Carthage and Rome that “forbade” Carthage from expanding in … It was a ferocious struggle and it could have led to the destruction of Rome and this could have changed the course of World History. rome's ability to adapt to war and their numbers. The war began just twenty-three short years after the First Punic War had ended. [17], It is not fashionable these days to assign much importance to the role of individuals in history. (1952). The army acclaimed Hannibal and he became its commander at the age of 26. The Second Punic War was often known as Hannibal’s War in Rome.It was in a real sense the personal war of Hannibal. The Celts with the support of the Carthaginians planned to move south into Roman territory. Scipio defeated the remaining Carthaginian forces in Spain, which placed Spain under Roman control. There was no clear victor and the terms set by the Romans were extremely harsh. If the Carthaginian Senate had been able to control the Barcid, a war between Hannibal and Rome could have been averted. Hannibal (London: Bristol Classical Press, 2010), p. 45, Hoyos, Dexter. hannibal and scipio. Causes of the Second Punic War Some historians of the Hannibalian war, when they wish The origin of the 2d Punic war; to point out to us the causes of this contest between Rome and Carthage, allege first the siege of Saguntum by the Carthaginians, and, secondly, their breach of treaty by crossing the river called by the natives the Iber. As part of the peace treaty that ended the First Punic War, Carthage could not intervene in the affairs of Italy. Hannibal destroys the Roman army at Cannae in the most severe defeat ever suffered by Rome. Less well known, are the causes of the Second Punic War. Hannibal crosses the Ebro. However, he continues to explain the reasons for Hannibal’s rage, the First Punic War, which Polybius calls “the most important cause of the subsequent war” (Kagan106, 1975). Rome was technically an ally of Saguntum, but the Republic was not able to help it. [13] It was in a real sense the personal war of Hannibal. This allowed Hannibal to consolidate his position in Spain. hannibal and scipio. Hannibal could use his massive wealth from his Iberian conquests to bribe many Carthaginians politicians to support his anti-Roman policies. However, for such a large and horrendous war, the question of who was the driving force is still asked. There was no clear victor and the terms set by the Romans were extremely harsh. After he set out from Spain he crossed the Alps and advanced into Italy where he soon won a series of remarkable victories at the battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and the Battle of Cannae. Polybius gives us three events that led to the Second Punic War, and none of these events actually involved Hannibal himself. What were the causes of the Northern Renaissance? On the other hand, Carthage felt as though they were being undermined by the Romans and took a much more aggressive stand. They imposed very harsh terms on Carthage as part of the peace treaty. Cause of conflict. This page was last edited on 27 April 2020, at 03:18. Hannibal Barca (247-183 BCE) is one of the best-known figures from the Ancient World. The most famous story of the beginning of the Punic War is the story quoted by Polibius, a historian of Greek origin, residing in Rome in the 2nd century BC. The citizens of Saguntum resisted bravely and they defied Hannibal and his army for long eight months. To set the scene, the First and Second Punic Wars, as well as the period between the wars, are discussed. Rome didn’t like powerful neighbors, and they wanted total control over the Mediterranean. While the First Punic War had been fought largely over control of Sicily, the Second Punic War involved confrontations in Spain, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, and North Africa. The Third Punic War was entirely avoidable was caused by Rome taking advantage of Carthage while they were weak. Rome wanted to protect themselves from the threat of Hannibal’s Carthaginian army. Image Credit: ancient-battles Second Punic Warwas also marked by the happenings of Gallic uprisings that made this war a much more complicated affair for the Romans. Until the decisive moment arrived, the outcome of the war hung in the balance throughout a number of battles. why did rome win the second punic war. The Romans now reasoned that Hannibal did not want to respect past agreements and the allies of Rome. However, there was a faction in Carthage that was determined to renew the war with Spain. The cause of the Second Punic War is an issue of some great debate. Hannibal besieged the town under the pretext that the Sagunto attacked one of the tribes, which were under Carthage authority. The immediate cause of the Second Punic War was the decision by Hannibal — the main Carthaginian general at the time, and one of history’s most revered military commanders — to ignore the treaty between Carthage and Rome that “forbade” Carthage from expanding in Spain beyond the Ebro River. In the years after the First Punic War, Rome wrested Corsica and … They first established colonies and later developed a maritime Empire. There Hamilcar ‘commanded the young Hannibal to lay his hand on the body of the sacrificial victim and to swear that he would never be a friend to Rome. Polybius tells us that the real reason that there was a renewal of activates between Carthage and Rome boiled down to these three factors. Rome did not want to just go in and defeat a nation they had just defeated. Carthage had been found in the 8th century BC by Phoenicians on the coast of North Africa. Although Rome’s actions were not directly offensive, they set up a path for Carthaginians with very few options. Extensive Use of Intelligence. The adopted a strategy to contain Hannibal in Spain. [14], Most of the leadership in Carthage was opposed to another war with Rome and tried to block Hannibal’s strategy. This raises a very large question on the part of Polybius. Second Punic War where Hannibal is the primary Carthaginian commander throughout, whereas the Romans had more than a dozen commanders. The origins of the Second Punic War, which was very much Hannibal’s war, were the following. Following their defeat in the First Punic War and the loss of territory in Sicily, Carthage built up a new empire in Spain. Once in Spain is father brought him to an altar. italy, for 17 years, and then carthage, for less than a year. 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