The cities of Rome and Carthage became rivals for economic and military power. The First Punic War (264-241 BC) was fought over the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily in the Mediterranean and ended after a Roman naval victory. In the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, attacked Rome on the backs of elephants by way of the Alps. Hannibal was eventually defeated at Zama in 202 BC. In 149 BC, Rome launched a war of revenge and totally destroyed Carthage.

Click on the pictures around the map below to learn more about these three important conflicts.