[responsivevoice_button voice=”US English Female” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]
Early on, Rome and their new Republic were growing into a formidable empire. We have discussed how the Romans defeated or absorbed the Etruscans, Sabines, and other Italian tribes. We’ve also seen the invasion of the Gauls in 390 B.C. and their Southward expansion towards the Greek colonies. The Greek general Pyrrhus was unable to crush the Roman forces and after two bloody battles, he decided to turn his attention to Sicily.
Now the Romans are in control of Italy and they are solidifying nicely into a new civilization complete with a robust government, developing laws and liberties, and a desire for expansion. The biggest competitors on the block were the Carthaginians. We don’t talk about them much because there isn’t much left of them today, but they are going to give Rome their biggest challenge to date. But before we get into the Punic Wars, I want you to know a little bit more about who these Carthaginians were.
Please read the first section of Chapter 9 in Book of the Ancient World, pgs. 130-134 and watch the video below. I want you to write two things that you learned in the comments below. Feel free to interact with each other’s answers as well.
I learned that Carthage was good at trading and navel stuff but they weren’t very nice people. They only cared about money. The name for the Phoenicians comes from the name of the mollusks they used for there purple dye.
Yep. We talked about the Phoenicians before we got into Greece and I bet most of you thought that you wouldn’t think about Phoenicia again.
Yep.
i didn’t know that the phoenicians got their names from selling purple goods. also i didn’t know that that’s why it was called punic wars.
Punic can be a confusing name because the was was between Rome and Carthage. But that’s the origin.
I learned that the Carthaginian people were very cruel and only really cared about trading. I did not know that Carthage was a Phoenician city or that it was a very powerful nation.
I learned that the carthaginians were Phonetians.
Pretty wild huh? That a runaway queen set up this whole new civilization?
I learned that Rome really didn’t pop up like Greece it slowly spread and wasn’t the main power in the Mediterranean for some time
I learned that an important part of the Carthaginian army was called the Numidian cavalry. They carried elephant shields. I also learned that Tyre and Sidon are modern day cities in Lebannon.
We’ll talk more about that army as we get into the Punic Wars.
i agree with joey i didnt know thts how they got their names from selling purple goods and they were phonecians
Sorry for the late comment. I learned that the Carthaginians were cruel.
Not late at all. Thank you.
Pingback: The First Punic War – Mr. Mauldin's Class
I learned Carthaginians were Phoenician
the carthaginians were really cruel