A Brief History
On February 5, 1985, a war that started in 149 BC was finally put to rest when the Mayor of Rome, Ugo Vetere, went to Tunisia to meet with Chedli Klibi, the Mayor of Carthage, to sign a treaty of peace and friendship, officially ending the Third Punic War 2,131 years after it began.
Digging Deeper
The Punic Wars, fought between Rome and Carthage for supremacy in the Mediterranean, started in 264 BC and went through three iterations. The conflict started as Rome was on the rise and sought to establish itself as a naval power, trying to eliminate Carthaginian hegemony over Sicily and Sardinia.
Rome won the first round, which lasted 23 years, but the Second Punic War saw Hannibal march into Italy aboard elephants, although Rome eventually won that round as well. The Third Punic War saw Romans sack Carthage in 146 BC, fighting entirely on Carthaginian soil.
Question for students (and subscribers): Was Rome the greatest empire in world history? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Captivating History. The Punic Wars: A Captivating Guide to the First, Second, and Third Punic Wars Between Rome and Carthage, Including the Rise and Fall of Hannibal Barca. Captivating History, 2020.
Smith, R. Bosworth. Rome and Carthage: the Punic Wars 264 B.C. to 146 B.C. LEONAUR, 2017.
The featured image in this article, an illustration of Roman soldiers entering Carthage during the the siege of Carthage in 146 BC, is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
