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Reasons for the Outbreak of the Second Punic War - Coggle Diagram
Reasons for the Outbreak of the Second Punic War
Mighty Carthage
carthage was one of the most heavily fortified cities in the ancient world with two harbours that helped to defend it
Carthage controlled a large portion of the western Mediterranean, including Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily
By 264, Rome had unified Italy under its control and wanted to expand its trade into the Mediterranean
In 348, Rome signed an agreement with Carthage which meant they had to pay harbour dues to Carthage, as did most mediterranean traders
Invading Sicily
rome saw an opportunity to invade sicily in 264 and this led to the First Punic War
The war continued until 241 and then the treaty of Lutatius was agreed by a roman consul and Gesco , the deputy of a Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca
Polybius informed us that Carthage was ordered to leave sicily, hand over all war prisoners and pay 3,200 talents of silver
Carthage would keep its overseas territories, including Sardinia and Corsica
Truceless war
To add to their problems, carthage was facing another war called the Truceless war, where there was a revolt of Carthaginian mercenaries in Africa which took three years to subdue. The mercenaries had not been paid after the first punic war.
While Carthage was preoccupied, Rome extended its influence in the Mediterranean and took Corsica and Sardinia.
Hamilcar Barca and other Carthaginians saw this as an act of war but they were not in any position to declare it
Hamilcar and Iberia
Hamilacr Barca had wanted revenge but his hands were tied by the Truceless war.
After the rebellion had ended, Hamilcar's supporters wanted revenge and created a war party set on attacking rome
Hamilcar travelled to South Iberia with a merceneary army to create a new colony. Polybius claims he did this to strengthen Carthage and ready it for war, although some argue he was more interested in empire-building
he seized the silver mines of Andalusia to fund his military ambitions
In 228, Hamilcar died
Hasdrubal the Fair
Fabius Pictor believed Hasdrubal was the main cause of the Second Punic War
He had followed Hamilcar to Iberia and took command after Hamilcar's death
Hasdrubal soon had an army of 50,000 and married a local Iberian princess to create a permanent tie to Iberia
In 228, he founded a new carthaginian capital called new Carthage
this caused distress in rome and they set up a meeting with Hasdrubal and negotiated the treaty of ebro in 226
Hasbrudal agreed that he would limit his expansion in Spain to the south banks of the river Ebro
at this point, Rome made an alliance with Saguntum which was on the Ebro so would deter Carthaginian expansion
Hasdrubal was killed in 221 and Hannibal took over
Hannibal
at the age of nine, Hannibal had joined his father in Iberia and so was educated on the battlefield and tactics
Polybius says there were three reasons why Hannibal wanted to invade rome:
His father made him vow to seek revenge
He was angered by the Roman seizure of sardinia
he was encouraged by Carthage's success in Iberia, to invade Italy
He also had ambition and a well-trained army