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Punic Wars

Three wars that ended Carthage and made Rome supreme.

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Punic Wars

User:AlexiusHoratius, User:Rowanwindwhistler · CC BY 3.0

The most reliable ancient source for these wars is the Greek historian Polybius, who wrote The Histories after 146 BC.[1]

Domain changes during the Punic Wars
Domain changes during the Punic Wars. Image: .mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px 0;width:auto;border-collapse:collapse;border:2px · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Life and work

Polybius was a Greek sent to Rome as a hostage in 167 BC.[1] He is best known for his work The Histories, written sometime after 146 BC.[1] Polybius interviewed participants from both sides of the events he wrote about.[1] He accompanied the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus in North Africa during the Third Punic War.[1]

1st Punic War Cities
1st Punic War Cities. Image: No machine-readable author provided. DaDez~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The classicist Adrian Goldsworthy states that "Polybius' account is usually to be preferred when it differs with any of our other accounts".[1] Goldsworthy says Livy's "reliability is often suspect".[2] No primary sources written from a Carthaginian point of view have survived.[3] The consensus among modern historians is to accept Polybius's account largely at face value, despite his pro-Roman viewpoint.[1]

First Punic War 264 BC
First Punic War 264 BC. Image: Jon Platek , Besvo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
First Punic War 264 BC-pt
First Punic War 264 BC-pt. Image: Rowanwindwhistler ( talk · contribs ) · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
First Punic War 264 BC-hu
First Punic War 264 BC-hu. Image: User:AlexiusHoratius, User:Rowanwindwhistler · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
First Punic War 237 BC
First Punic War 237 BC. Image: GalaxMaps · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Punic Wars" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Walbank 1990, p. 11–12; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Shutt 1938, p. 55; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Astin 2006, p. 5; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Lazenby 1996, p. x–xi, 82–84; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Lazenby 1996, p. x–xi, 82–84; Miles 2011, p. 16; Hau 2016, p. 23–24; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Lazenby 1996, p. x–xi, 82–84; Tipps 1985, p. 432 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Punic Wars" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lazenby 1998, p. 87; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Briscoe Hornblower 2020, p. 8–13; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Sabin 1996, p. 62 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Punic Wars" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Mineo 2015, p. 111–127; Miles 2011, p. 16; Champion 2015, p. 98, 101; Goldsworthy 2006, p. 20–21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Punic Wars (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

Roman RepublicAncient CarthageMediterranean SeaCorsicaHannibalBattle of ZamaSiege of Carthage (Third Punic War)Carthage

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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