The Punic War

                            The Punic War     

Preface

v Punic Wars, name given to the three wars between Rome and Carthage in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The adjective Punic (Latin Punicus) is derived from Poeni, the name by which the Carthaginians, being of Phoenician descent, were known to the Roman.

v Polybius account of the 1st Punic War and his detailed description is as reliable as one would expect from a keen and interested observer of Roman military and political history.

v We divided on three period of the Punic War: 1st period (264-241 BC), 2nd period (218-201 BC), and 3rd period (149-146 BC).

v Punic Wars, name given to the three wars between Rome and Carthage in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The adjective Punic (Latin Punicus) is derived from Poeni, the name by which the Carthaginians, being of Phoenician descent, were known to the Roman.

v Polybius account of the 1st Punic War and his detailed description is as reliable as one would expect from a keen and interested observer of Roman military and political history.

v We divided on three period of the Punic War: 1st period (264-241 BC), 2nd period (218-201 BC), and 3rd period (149-146 BC).

Means of Charthage

v Carthage (ancient city) (Latin Carthago) great city of antiquity, on the northern coast of Africa, near modern Tunis, Tunisia. Dido was the legendary founder and queen of Carthage; the city was probably established as a trading post toward the end of the 9th century BC by Phoenicians.

v The earliest artifacts unearthed by archaeologists at the site date from 800 BC. The city was known to its Punic or Phoenician inhabitants as the “new city,” probably to distinguish it from Utica, the “old city.”

v Carthage (ancient city) (Latin Carthago) great city of antiquity, on the northern coast of Africa, near modern Tunis, Tunisia. Dido was the legendary founder and queen of Carthage; the city was probably established as a trading post toward the end of the 9th century BC by Phoenicians.

v The earliest artifacts unearthed by archaeologists at the site date from 800 BC. The city was known to its Punic or Phoenician inhabitants as the “new city,” probably to distinguish it from Utica, the “old city.”

The Rise of Carthage

v Built on a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Tunis, Carthage had two splendid harbors, connected by a canal. Above the harbors on a hill was the Byrsa.

v The Phoenicia’s homeland, was narrow strip of territory beside the sea. Crowded together in this small country between the two great powers of Egypt and Assyria, the Phoenicians sought outlets for their surplus population.

v Carthage was a Hellenistic state, in which non-Greek people overlaid their native culture with a veneer Greek culture.

v Built on a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Tunis, Carthage had two splendid harbors, connected by a canal. Above the harbors on a hill was the Byrsa.

v The Phoenicia’s homeland, was narrow strip of territory beside the sea. Crowded together in this small country between the two great powers of Egypt and Assyria, the Phoenicians sought outlets for their surplus population.

v Carthage was a Hellenistic state, in which non-Greek people overlaid their native culture with a veneer Greek culture.

First Period (264-241 BC.)

q Perang I terjadi di wilayah Sicily setelah bangsa Campania meminta bantuan kepada Roma berkaitan dengan invasi militer yang dilakukan oleh Syracusa (Hiero II) dibantu oleh Carthage.

q Roma tidak ingin wilayah Sicyli jatuh ke tangan Carthage segera merespon dengan mengirimkan pasukan di bawah pimpinan Appius Claudius.

q Pasukan Roma berhasil mengalahkan Carthage di Mylae. Roma menjadikan Sicyli sebagai propinsi seberang lautan pertama.

Hamilcar Barca: The Genius General

v Meskipun mengalami kekalahan di darat tetapi pasukan Carthage unggul di lautan.

v Berkat kejeniusan Hamilcar Barca, pasukan Roma berhasil dikalahkan dalam pertempuran di Lilybeum dan berhasil memotong komunikasi Roma-Sicyli.

v Namun meskipun memiliki srategi yang cerdas, Carthage tetap mengalami kekalahan.

v 241 BC. diadakan perjanjian perdamaian antara Hamilcar Barca-Lutatius Catulus.

Between the War

q Roma memperluas wilayah kekuasaan ke Utara (wilayah Gaul) dan Timur (wilayah Asia Kecil).

q Roma juga menghadapi masalah administrasi atas propinsi baru mereka terutama Sicily, Sardine, dan Corsica.

q Sementara itu Carthage mulai melakukan recovery dengan  memperkuat angkata bersenjatanya.

q Hamilcar Barca dibantu Hasdrubal berusaha memperkuat posisi militernya di wilayah Andalusia (New Carthage)

The Second War (218-201)

v Pada tahun 221 Hasdrubal dibunuh oleh orang Kelt, Hannibal putra tertua Hamilcar Barca menggantikan kedudukan Hasdrubal.

v Hannibal berusaha menyerang Italia dari Andalusia dengan tentara 40 ribu orang. Mereka menyeberangi Peg. Pyrenia, Sungai Rhone. Hannibal berhasil mengalahkan pasukan Roma dalam pertempuran Ticinus dan  Trebia tahun 218 BC.

v Pada Tahun 217 Hannibal berhasil mengalahkan pasukan Roma di danau Trasimene dan Canae.

The Turning Points

v Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus tampil menjadi pahlawan Roma yang mengalahkan Hannibal dalam pertem-puran di Zama tahun 202 SM.

v Dalam perjanjian perdamaian disepakati bahwa Carthage harus menyerahkan wilayah Spanyol, dan pulau-pulau di Mediterania yang dikuasainya.

v Hannibal diangkat menjadi gubernur Roma di Carthage.

The Third War (149-146 BC.)

q Massinissa, raja Numidia yang menjadi sekutu Roma dalam Punic War II diserang oleh Hannibal. Raja Massinissa berhasil ditawan dan dipenjara di Carthage.

q Censor, Cato the Elder, meminta kepada senat agar Chartage dimusnahkan (delenda est Carthage). 

q Roma mengirimkan pasukan di bawah pimpinan Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus.

q Pasukan Roma menghancurkan Carthage.

Dampak

v Wilayah kekuasaan Roma bertambah luas dengan menguasai wilayah Laut Mediterrania yang sebelumnya dikuasai Carthage.

v Roma tumbuh menjadi sebuah imperium yang sangat kuat dan memegang hegemoni di Mediterrania.