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For the vast majority of the period of its existence, the Polybian levy was at war. This led to great strains on Roman and Italian manpower, but forged a superb fighting machine. During the Second Punic War, fully two-thirds of Roman iuniores were under arms continuously. In the period after the defeat of Carthage in 201 BC, the army was ...
The Mercenary, or Truceless, War began in 241 BC as a dispute over the payment of wages owed to 20,000 foreign soldiers who had fought for Carthage on Sicily during the First Punic War. This erupted into full-scale mutiny under the leadership of Spendius and Matho ; 70,000 Africans from Carthage's oppressed dependant territories flocked to join ...
The term Punic comes from the Latin word Punicus (or Poenicus), meaning "Phoenician", and is a reference to the Carthaginians' Phoenician ancestry. [1] The main source for almost every aspect of the First Punic War is the historian Polybius (c. 200 – c. 118 BC), a Greek sent to Rome in 167 BC as a hostage.
Before the First Punic War in 264 BC there was no Roman navy to speak of, as all previous Roman wars had been fought on land in Italy. The new war in Sicily against Carthage, a great naval power, [93] forced Rome to quickly build a fleet and train sailors. [94]
When Scipio Africanus returned to Rome after his victory in 206 BC, he recommended that the Roman army should remain in Hispania to prevent a return of the Carthaginians during the rest of the Second Punic War. He had made alliances with local tribes and Rome had the obligation to protect them.
The Battle of Cannae (/ ˈ k æ n i,-eɪ,-aɪ /; [c] Latin: [ˈkanːae̯]) was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy.
[4] [5] He accompanied his patron and friend, [6] the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus, in North Africa during the Third Punic War; [7] this causes the normally reliable Polybius to recount Scipio's actions in a favourable light. [8] [9] [10] In addition, significant portions of The Histories ' account of the Third Punic War have been lost. [8] [11]
Battle of Zama Part of the Second Punic War Date 202 BC Location Zama, North Africa (near modern Siliana, Tunisia) 36°17′56″N 9°26′57″E / 36.29889°N 9.44917°E / 36.29889; 9.44917 Result Roman victory Belligerents Rome Carthage Commanders and leaders Publius Cornelius Scipio Hannibal Strength c. 30,000 c. 24,000 infantry c. 6,000 cavalry 40,000 or 50,000 36,000 or 46,000 ...