| 265 | Carthage and Rome support opposing warring sides in Sicily. |
| 264 | Apius Claudius Caudex enters Sicily with 2 legions and occupies
Messana – First Punic War is declared. |
| 263 | Consuls Valerius and Otacilius go to Sicily with 40,000 men. Several
Carthaginian towns taken. |
| 262 | Two consuls and 4 legions successfully besiege Agrigentum, Sicily. |
| 261 | Consuls achieve little due to continued Carthaginian naval superiority. |
| 260 | Senate decides to build its first significant fleet – 100
quinquiremes and 20 triremes. The Romans field 160 vessels to
the Punics 130. Consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio sails with 17
vessels and is surprised and captured by a Punic squadron, earning
him the name Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina (ass). |
| 259 | Consul L. Cornelius Scipio captures Corsica, but attack on Sardinia
fails.
Carthage gains in Sicily – Aquillius left there as proconsul. |
| 258 | C. Sulpicius defeats a Punic fleet.
Aquillius rolls back Punics in Sicily. |
| 257 | Sardinia abandoned by Rome.
C. Atilius Regulus raids Malta and sinks 18 enemy vessels. |
| 256 | Roman fleet increased to 250 warships plus 80 transports.
Carthaginian fleet grows to slightly smaller number. L. Manlius
Vulso and M. Atilius Regulus in action off Sicily capture 50 vessels,
sink 30 more, losing 24. They land at Africa, but Senate recalls
a consul leaving only 2 legions. |
| 255 | Punic force led by Spartan general Xanthippus defeats Romans in Africa.
Losses heavy.
Roman fleet of 250 defeats Carthaginian fleet of 200.
A storm on the way home destroyed all by 80 of the Roman forces. |
| 254 | Roman fleet is rebuilt to 220 ships. Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, having
recovered his liberty as well as his dignity, is sent to Sicily with
4 legions. Palermo falls – Carthage reduced to minor holdings. |
| 253 | Unsuccessful Roman raid on Tripolis. Many ships lost in storm. Carthage
at war with Numidia. |
| 250 | Romans build 50 new ships. Carthaginian advance on Sicily is halted,
their army destroyed. City of Lilybaeum holds, however, during an 8
year siege due to success of Rhodian blockade runners. |
| 249 | P. Claudius Pulcher attacks Carthaginian fleet, but loses 93 vessels.
Claudius is recalled and heavily fined.
L. Junius Paullus with 120 warships and 800 transports meets a Punic
force of 100. Punic commander Carthalo forces the Roman fleet ashore
and anticipating a storm, flees – entire Roman fleet wrecked in the
tempest. Junius marches ashore on Sicily and takes a strategic
crossroads. |
| 248 | Senate, disgusted with fleet losses due to weather, appoints a dictator,
but consuls are the cautious ones of 252 and nothing is done. In
Carthage, conservative forces come to power and emphasize internal
peace and prosperity. |
| 247 | Hamilcar raids South Italian coast. Rome abandons sea ventures. |
| 246 | Hamilcar reverses Punic losses in Sicily. |
| 242 | Roman treasury exhausted. A loan is taken contingent on victory.
200 war ships are built. Under C. Lutatius Catulus, these defeat
the Punic fleet, sinking 50 ships, capturing 70 more.
Carthage sues for peace.
Treaty terms are that Carthage evacuates Sicily and pays 3200 talents
in ten annual installments. |
| 237 | Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus occupies coastal cities of Sardinia. |
| 226 | Treaty with Carthage over Iberia defines Ebro River as boundary between spheres. |
| 218 | Hannibal takes Roman-supported town of Saguntum. |
| 218 | Hannibal marches over the Ebro, into the Alps and invades
Italy with the help of Gallic allies. Victory over Cornelius
Scipio at Ticinus. Victory at Trebia over Sempronius Longus.
Rome defeats Hanno in Spain and Rome is victorious at sea
near Lilybaeum – Malta lost to Carthage. |
| 217 | Defeat to Hannibal at Lake Trasimene by Flaminius. |
| 216 | Defeat to Hannibal at Cannae by Terentius Varro. Greek sovereigns
Philip V of Macedonia and Hiero of Syracuse join Carthage's
cause, though without committing deeply. |
| 214 | Syracuse falls to Roman forces commanded by Marcellus. |
| 210-205 | Scipio with aid of Numidian Prince Massinissa conquers
Spain for Rome. Scipio invades Africa, takes Tunis. |
| 204 | Scipio allies with Libyans, Moors and Numidians and Numidian
Prince Massinissa to take the war to Africa. Carthage backs
rival Numidian Syphax who along with Hasdrubal Gisco is
defeated by Scipio in two successive battles. Mago is
defeated in northern Italy attempting to reinforce Hannibal.
A peace treaty is declared and Hannibal returns to Africa. |
| 202 | Carthaginan attack on Roman convoy which has run aground
re-opens the war. Hannibal defeated at Zama to end Second
War with Rome. Fleet reduced to ten triremes, domain limited
to eastern Tunisia, Massinissa installed as king of the
Numidians at Cirta (Constantine), high indemnities and
Carthage denied permission to wage war. |
| 183 | Hannibal dies by his own hand to escape Romans in Bithynia. |
| 149 | Rome declares war in retaliation for treaty violation. |
| 146 | Carthage falls to Scipio Aemilianus. City burnt to the
ground. "Delenda est Carthago." |