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Line 1: − '''Carthage''' is an ancient [[city-state]] in what is now [[Tunisia]]. It began as a [[Phoenicia]]n [[colony]]. In the ''Aeneid'', an old story by [[Vergil]], Aeneas visited Carthage. He made the Queen of Carthage, [[Dido, Queen of Carthage|Dido]], angry and she killed herself as she loved him but he was going to leave her. Carthage at the height of its power was the foremost power in the Mediterranean Sea, controlling parts of Spain, Sicily, North Africa, Sardinia, and the Balearic islands. + − + − + + + + + + + + + + + + − In the [[Second Punic War]], [[Hannibal Barca]] led the Carthaginian army through Spain, southern Gaul, and across the Alps, into [[Italy]] in 218 BC, where he clashed with the [[Roman Republic]] in 3 major battles: the [[battle of the River Trebia]], the [[battle of lake Trasmine]], and The [[battle of Cannae]]. Hannibal defeated the Romans in stunning victories in each of these battles. He failed, however, to take Rome, and eventually had to [[retreat]] back to Carthage, where he was defeated by [[Scipio Africanis]] in [[the battle of Zama]]. The [[Roman Republic|Romans]] destroyed Carthage in 146 BC, in the third Punic war. − {{hist-stub}} − − {{Link FA|nl}} − {{Link GA|n
KS update 1.1
[[File:Carthage location.png|right|frame|A map of the middle of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]]]
[[File:Carthage location.png|right|frame|A map of the middle of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]]]
[[File:Roman Theater of Carthage (Tunisia).jpg|thumb|Roman theatre, in Carthage]]
==The Punic Wars==
'''Carthage''' is an ancient [[city-state]] in what is now [[Tunisia]]. It began as a [[Phoenicia]]n [[colony]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=ddl |title=History of Carthage |author= |website= |publisher=HistoryWorld |accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref> Carthage at the height of its power was the foremost power in the [[Mediterranean]] Sea, controlling parts of Spain, [[Sicily]], [[North Africa]], [[Sardinia]], and the Balearic islands.
Carthage was a rival for Mediterranean Sea power for the [[Roman Republic]], who wanted to take over the whole [[Mediterranean]] Sea. Carthage was a large obstacle to that. So, in 264 BC, the Romans responded to a plea for help by some rebels in [[Messina]], and landed an army in Sicily. The Roman Empire then invaded the Carthaginian holdings in Sicily, confounding the Carthaginian generals Attempts to halt their advance. Even at sea, the Romans were able to copy the Carthaginian [[bireme]] ships and win several major victories on the sea, despite Carthage seafaring tradition, and Rome's relative inexperience in that field. Finally, a general named Hamilcar took up the Carthaginian defense in place of the decidedly older, less energetic Hanno. Hamilcar immediately realized the futility of meeting the superior roman army in open battle, so he decided to use hit-and-run raids to wear down the Romans. This tactic was slightly more effective against the slow, heavily armored roman troops. Eventually, however the Romans were able to take lilybaeum, the Carthaginian's main stronghold in Sicily, effectively ending Carthages power in Sicily and ending the First Punic War.
The [[Roman Republic]] destroyed Carthage in the [[Punic Wars]] of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. In later centuries Rome started a [[colony]] in the same place and it became an important city of [[Africa Province]]. Eventually the [[Vandals]] conquered the city and used it to attack Rome.
== The Punic Wars ==
Carthage was a rival for Mediterranean Sea power for the [[Roman Republic]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/carthage.html |title=Carthage |author= |website= |publisher=Roman-empire.net |accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref> who wanted to take over the whole western [[Mediterranean]] Sea. Carthage was a large obstacle to that. So, in 264 BC, the Romans responded to a plea for help by some rebels in [[Messina]], and landed an army in [[Sicily]]. This started the [[First Punic War]]. The Romans then invaded the Carthaginian holdings in Sicily, and the Carthaginian generals could not stop them. Even at sea, the Romans were able to copy the Carthaginian [[bireme]] ships and win several major victories on the sea, though the Carthaginians had long fought at sea and the Romans were new to this.
Finally, a general named Hamilcar Barca took up the Carthaginian defense in place of the decidedly older, less energetic Hanno. Hamilcar immediately realized the futility of meeting the superior [[Roman army]] in open battle, so he decided to use hit-and-run raids to wear down the Romans. This tactic was slightly more effective against the slow, heavily armored roman troops. Eventually, however the Romans were able to take Lilybaeum, the Carthaginian's main stronghold in Sicily. This ended Carthage's power in Sicily and ended the First Punic War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.livius.org/articles/place/carthage/ |title=Carthage |author= |website= |publisher=Livius.org |accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref>
In the [[Second Punic War]], [[Hannibal Barca]] led the Carthaginian army through Spain, southern Gaul, and across the Alps, into [[Italy]] in 218 BC.<ref name=HistAE>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/punic-wars |title=Punic Wars |author= |website= |publisher=History/A&E Television Networks, LLC |accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref> There he clashed with the [[Roman Republic]] in 3 major battles: the [[battle of the River Trebia]], the [[battle of lake Trasmine]], and The [[battle of Cannae]].<ref name=HistAE/> Hannibal defeated the Romans in stunning victories in each of these battles. He failed, however, to take Rome, and eventually had to [[retreat]] back to Carthage, where he was defeated by [[Scipio Africanis]] in [[the battle of Zama]].<ref name=HistAE/> The [[Roman Republic|Romans]] destroyed Carthage in 146 BC, in the third Punic war. The Carthaginians who survived, numbering about 50,000, were sold into [[slavery]].<ref name=HistAE/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Further|Punic Wars}}
{{Further|Punic Wars}}
[[Category:Ancient Rome]]
[[Category:Ancient Rome]]
[[Category:History of the Middle East]]
[[Category:History of the Middle East]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies]]