Questions tagged [punic-wars]
The three wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian empire between 264 and 146 BC.
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Why did Hannibal cross the alps and NOT just cross the Mediterranean?
In crossing the Alps Hannibal lost half his men to mountains, and Carthage still had a huge navy back then, so it would be more reasonable to directly cross the Mediterranean into Italy and avoid the ...
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Did Hannibal's elephants wear protective footwear?
Researching the logistics of Hannibal's march I can not find any reference to whether his elephants wore protective footwear. Hannibal was a supreme field commander so it's impossible to imagine he ...
user56240
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What would a simple Carthaginian bronze coin have bought?
I possess a Carthegian Zeugitania bronze coin which was reportedly minted around 220 BC between the First and Second Punic War. It is 16mm wide and features Tanit on the reverse. My query is what ...
user56240
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How did Scipio Africanus recruit his army for Zama?
The story of the Second Punic War doesn't quite add up to me. According to Cottrell [1], after the battles at the Trebia, Trasimene, and Cannae, Hannibal had slaughtered in battle 1/5 of the Roman ...
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At the start of the Second Punic War, why didn't Hannibal engage Publius Scipio in Hispania, but crossed the alps instead?
Sorry, I forgot exactly where I remember this from but as Hannibal moved towards the Alps with around 50,000 troops, he was pursued by Scipio with fewer troops (actually, if anyone can find a source ...
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How did Carthage Lose the First Punic War to Rome?
(264 to 241 BC) Carthage seemed to have many significant strategic advantages at the beginning of the conflict.
Carthage Generals were both experienced and accomplished.
Carthage had a larger and ...
user27618
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Why, in ancient battles, did being encircled mean defeat?
Why, in ancient battles, did being encircled mean defeat?
The classic example of that is the Battle of Cannae, where 80,000 Roman infantry were surrounded by 40,000 Carthaginian infantry.
Every ...
user26470
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Would Hannibal's men have known about his strategies?
At things like the battle of Lake Trasimene, Cannae, etc. Hannibal's plans always seemed to involve some degree of offering some form of bait to the Romans, some group of men the Romans were (...
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Why and how did Macedon support Carthage in the Punic wars?
I understand that Rome accused the Kingdom of Macedon to have supported Carthage in the first and/or second Punic war, and that was the reason of the Macedonian wars. Is this true, or was it just a ...
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How did the Romans build their armies for the First Punic War?
The Romans built a great and vast empire, my question is what were some of the military techniques they used to build, train, and use their army? Specifically during the period of the First Punic War.
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Why have we never found any elephant skeletons in the Western Alps?
It is widely assumed that the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca crossed the Western Alps some 2200 Years ago with an army of men, horses and elephants in direction of Italy and the Roman Republic. ...
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Why did the original Carthage never become a Roman city?
Carthage fell to the might of Rome, I think it was, three times in total. They were completely defeated and accepted some pretty horrible terms of surrender. And yet they maintained their self ...
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Where did Hannibal cross the Pyrenees?
Hannibal's passage through the Alps has been extensively studied, regarding the route chosen and logistics involved in passing a large army through difficult terrain.
Before that, Hannibal would have ...
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Why didn't the senate of Carthage reinforce Hannibal in Italy?
During the second Punic war, Hannibal Barca fought in Italy for 14 years, and yet the Romans managed to bring the war to Africa.
How is that possible, especially after battles such as Cannae? If ...
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Why didn't Hannibal attack Rome after the Battle of Cannae?
Hannibal Barca defeated 8 Roman legions in the Battle of Cannae. At that time Carthage also had control over Hispania. Why did Hannibal not seize Rome at that time?
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Did Hannibal start the Second Punic War prematurely?
IN 221 BC, Hamilcar, Hannibal's father, made a peace with Rome that divided Spain north and south between Rome and Carthage. The latter got the larger "piece," the area shaded in green on the map ...
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What role did Jews play in the Punic Wars?
There were Jewish communities throughout the Mediterranean at the time of the Punic Wars? What role if any, did Jews play in these wars?
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Did the Carthaginians have the option of sending Hannibal to Sicily?
Sicily was a major focus of the First and Second Punic Wars. The first Punic war ended with Carthage handing over major grain-growing areas on the island, and the port of Lilybaem to Rome as spoils of ...
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What kind of siege weapons were used during Punic wars?
I would like to know which kind of siege weapons were used during Punic wars on both sides, there is not very much information around.
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