Open History Book

The Punic Wars

Before 264 BC

c. 270 BCCarthage c. 270 BCRome and Italy

264 – 241 BC: The First Punic War

Battle of Messana, 264 BC

289 – 264 BCThe Mamertines and Messana 264 BCThe crossing and the Syracusans 264 – 263 BCThe Carthaginians withdraw

Siege of Agrigentum, 262 – 261 BC

262 BCThe march on Agrigentum Summer to November 262 BCThe siege lines Winter 262 – 261 BCHanno’s relief army Spring 261 BCThe battle and the fall of the city

Battle of Mylae, 260 BC

260 BCThe Roman fleet 260 BCThe corvus 260 BCThe attack on the flanks

Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

Spring and summer 256 BCThe invasion fleet 256 BCThe wedge and the line 256 BCThree separate fights 256 BCThe Roman centre returns

Battle of Tunis, 255 BC

256 – 255 BCRegulus in Africa Spring 255 BCThe armies deploy Spring 255 BCElephants and cavalry Spring 255 BCThe Roman army destroyed 255 BCThe retreat and the storm

Battle of Panormus, 250 BC

254 – 250 BCPanormus Late summer 250 BCThe elephants at the walls Late summer 250 BCThe elephants break

Battle of Drepana, 249 BC

250 – 249 BCThe siege of Lilybaeum 249 BC, dawnDawn off Drepana 249 BC, morningThe line against the shore 249 BC, afternoonThe Roman fleet destroyed 249 BCCarthalo and the storm

Battle of the Aegates Islands, 241 BC

247 – 241 BCHamilcar at Eryx and the new Roman fleet 9 to 10 March 241 BCThe Romans intercept 10 March 241 BCBattle off the Aegates 241 BCThe Treaty of Lutatius

241 – 218 BC: Between the wars

The Mercenary War, 241 – 237 BC

241 – 238 BCThe Mercenary War 238 BCTrapped at the Saw 238 BCThe destruction at the Saw 238 – 237 BCThe end of the revolt

240 – 237 BCRome takes Sardinia and Corsica 237 – 220 BCThe Barcids in Iberia

Battle of Telamon, 225 BC

225 BCThe Gallic invasion of 225 BC 225 BCThe fight for the hill 225 BCJavelins against the Gaesatae 225 BCThe cavalry charge

Siege of Saguntum, 219 BC

219 BCHannibal attacks Saguntum Spring and summer 219 BCThe first assaults 219 BCThe fall of Saguntum

218 – 201 BC: The Second Punic War

218 – 216 BC: Hannibal in Italy

The Rhône and the Alps, 218 BC

June to November 218 BCHannibal’s march to Italy Late September 218 BCHanno goes upstream Late September 218 BC, the fifth dayThe crossing Late September 218 BCThe elephants cross

Battle of the Trebia, 218 BC

November and December 218 BCFrom the Ticinus to the Trebia 22 or 23 December 218 BC, dawnThe Numidian lure 22 or 23 December 218 BCThe cavalry on the wings 22 or 23 December 218 BCMago’s attack 22 or 23 December 218 BCThe Roman centre breaks through

Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 BC

Spring to 20 June 217 BCThe road to Trasimene Night of 20 to 21 June 217 BCThe ambush is laid 21 June 217 BC, morningThe trap is sprung 21 June 217 BCThe Roman army destroyed

Battle of Ager Falernus, 217 BC

Summer 217 BCFabius the Delayer Summer and autumn 217 BCHannibal hemmed in Autumn 217 BC, nightThe oxen with torches Autumn 217 BCGeronium and Minucius

Battle of Cannae, 216 BC

Spring to 1 August 216 BCThe road to Cannae 2 August 216 BC, morningThe armies deploy 2 August 216 BCThe cavalry battle 2 August 216 BC, afternoonThe encirclement August 216 BCAfter Cannae

218 – 207 BC: Italy, Sicily and Iberia

The Scipios in Iberia, 218 – 211 BC

218 – 215 BCThe Scipios in Iberia Spring 215 BCIbera: the armies deploy Spring 215 BCIbera: the centre gives way Spring 215 BCIbera: the wings enveloped 212 – 211 BCThe Upper Baetis

Siege of Capua, 212 – 211 BC

216 – 212 BCCapua 212 – 211 BCThe siege lines 211 BCHannibal attacks the lines 211 BCThe march on Rome

Siege of Syracuse, 213 – 212 BC

215 – 213 BCSyracuse changes sides 213 BCArchimedes against the assault Spring 212 BCThe festival of Artemis Summer and autumn 212 BCThe relief army and the plague Autumn 212 BCThe fall of Achradina and Ortygia

Battle of New Carthage, 209 BC

Late 210 to early 209 BCScipio strikes at New Carthage 209 BC, morningThe first assault 209 BC, afternoonAcross the lagoon 209 BCThe city taken 209 to 208 BCBaecula, and Hasdrubal leaves Iberia

Battle of the Metaurus, 207 BC

Spring to June 207 BCHasdrubal marches on Italy June 207 BC, nightThe second trumpet June 207 BC, morningThe armies deploy June 207 BCNero’s flank march Summer 207 BCHasdrubal’s head

206 – 201 BC: Iberia and Africa

Battle of Ilipa, 206 BC

207 – 206 BCThe road to Ilipa Spring 206 BCDays of waiting Spring 206 BC, dawnThe order reversed Spring 206 BCThe wings broken 206 BCThe pursuit, and Iberia lost

Battle of the Great Plains, 203 BC

205 – 203 BCScipio lands in Africa Spring 203 BC, nightThe burning of the camps 203 BCThe battle on the Great Plains 203 BCThe Iberians surrounded 203 BCSyphax and Sophonisba

Battle of Zama, 202 BC

203 – 202 BCHannibal returns to Africa October 202 BCThe armies deploy October 202 BCThe elephants and the cavalry October 202 BCThe first two lines October 202 BCThe last line 202 – 201 BCThe peace of 201 BC

201 – 149 BC: After Zama

196 – 183 BCHannibal in exile 201 – 150 BCMasinissa and Cato

149 – 146 BC: The Third Punic War

Siege of Carthage, 149 – 146 BC

149 BCRome lands at Utica 149 – 148 BCThe first assaults 147 BCScipio takes command 147 BCThe mole and the new channel Spring 146 BCThe assault from the harbour Spring 146 BCSix days to the Byrsa

After 146 BC: Epilogue

After 146 BCThe province of Africa

249 BC, afternoon

The Roman fleet destroyed

The legionaries serving as marines and the tight Roman formation make boarding difficult, but the Carthaginians gain ground as the day goes on. In the end Roman discipline breaks, and several crews run their ships aground on purpose and flee inland.

Pulcher breaks out to the south with 30 ships, the only ones to survive. The Carthaginians capture 93 Roman ships, an unknown number are sunk, and 20,000 men are killed or captured. It is Carthage’s greatest naval victory of the war.

Sources

Polybius, Histories, book 1, 51.
John Lazenby, The First Punic War (1996).
Adrian Goldsworthy, The Fall of Carthage (2006).

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