When Rome grew in power, they began to expand their
influence through several wars where they fought and conquered other countries.
They defeated the Etruscans and conquered both Greece and Italy. Their expansion brought them into conflict
with another empire Carthage located in Tunisia. The Three Punic Wars were a
series of wars between the two rival powers.
Despite military victories by Hannibal where Rome was on the verge of
being conquered, the Romans managed to turn the tables and later Roman Scipio
Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama on October 9, 202 B.C. Hannibal lost his army and committed suicide
in Libyssa around 183 B.C. The tide now
turned in favor of the Romans and in they attacked Carthage and raised it to
the ground thus ending the threat to Romes.
The Romans treated Carthage with brutality because they deemed them a
threat to their very existence especially when Hannibal was so close in
conquering their country. Even among
commoners, Hannibal’s name made them
tremble with fear.
