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The Punic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the forces of ancient Carthage and Rome between 264 BCE and 146 BCE. The name Punic comes from the word Phoenician (Phoinix in the Greek, Poenus from Punicus in Latin) as applied to the citizens of Carthage, who were of Phoenician ethnicity. As the history of the conflict was written by Roman authors, they labeled it “The Punic Wars”. Carthage grew from a small port-of-call to the richest and most powerful city in the Mediterranean region before 260 BCE. She had a powerful navy, a mercenary army and, through tribute, tariffs, and trade, enough wealth to do as she pleased. Through a treaty with the small city of Rome, she barred Roman trade in the Western Mediterranean and, as Rome had no navy, was able to easily enforce the treaty. Roman traders caught in Carthaginian waters were drowned and their ships taken.
First Punic War
As long as Rome remained the little city of trade by the Tiber River, Carthage reigned supreme; but the island of Sicily would be the flashpoint for growing Roman resentment of the Carthaginians. Sicily lay partly under Carthaginian and partly under Roman control. When Heiro II of neighboring Syracuse fought against the Mamertines of Messina, the Mamertines asked first Carthage and then Rome for help. The Carthaginians had already agreed to help and felt betrayed by the Mamertines’ appeal to Rome. They changed sides, sending forces to Hiero II. The Romans fought for the Mamertines of Messina and, in 264 BCE, Rome and Carthage declared war on each other for the control of Sicily.
Although Rome had no navy and knew nothing of sea battles, they swiftly built and equipped 330 ships. As they were far more used to fighting land battles, they devised the clever device of the corvus, a moveable gangplank, which could be attached to an enemy’s ship and held in place with hooks. By immobilizing the other ship, and attaching it to their own, the Romans could manipulate a sea engagement through the strategies of a land battle. Even so, they lacked the expertise at sea of the Carthaginians and, more importantly, were lacking a general with the skill of the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar was surnamed Barca (meaning `lightning’) because of his speed in attacking anywhere and the suddenness of the action. He struck without warning up and down the coast of Italy destroying Roman outposts and cutting supply lines.
Had the Carthaginian government better supplied and reinforced Hamilcar, they most probably would have won the war but, instead, they contented themselves with hoarding their wealth and trusted to Hamilcar and his mercenaries to take care of the war. He defeated the Romans at Drepana in 249 BCE but then was forced to withdraw due to a lack of man power and supplies. According to the historian Durant, “Worn out almost equally, the two nations rested for nine years. But while in those years Carthage did nothing…a number of Roman citizens voluntarily presented to the state a fleet of 200 men-of-war, carrying 60,000 troops.” The Romans, more experienced at sea battles now and better equipped and led, won a series of decisive victories over Carthage and in 241 BCE the Carthaginians sued for peace.
This war was costly to both sides but Carthage suffered more seriously owing to the corruption and incompetence of her government (which embezzled funds which should have gone to the military and consistently refused to send much needed supplies and reinforcements to generals in the field), the mostly mercenary army (who often simply refused to fight), and an over-reliance on the brilliance of Hamilcar Barca. Further, however, they seriously underestimated their enemy. While Carthage would largely ignore the war, leaving the fighting to Hamilcar and his mercenaries, Rome would be building and equipping more ships and training more men. Even though Rome had never had a navy before the First Punic War, they emerged in 241 BCE as masters of the sea and Carthage was a defeated city.
During the war, the Carthaginian government had repeatedly failed to pay its mercenary army and, also in 241 BCE, these mercenaries laid siege to the city. Hamilcar Barca was called upon to raise the siege and did so, even though Carthage had refused him the much needed supplies and reinforcements on his campaigns on her behalf and he had led most of these mercenaries in battle himself. The Mercenary War lasted from 241-237 BCE and, while Carthage was engaged in this conflict, Rome occupied the Carthaginian colonies of Sardinia and Corsica. While Carthage was unhappy with this development, there was little they could do about it. They concentrated their efforts on the conquest of Spain rather than trying to drive the Romans out of their former colonies.
In 226 BCE the Ebro Treaty was signed between Carthage and Rome agreeing that the Romans would hold Spanish territory north of the Ebro River, Carthage would hold the area they had already conquered south of the river, and neither nation would cross the boundary.
Vocabulary exercises
I. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and expressions:
Carthage, Phoenician ethnicity, Sicily, Tiber river, apply to the citizens, port-of-call, mercenary army, enforce a treaty, reign supreme, be a flashpoint for growing, feel betrayed, declare war, a moveable gangplank, suddenness of the action, manipulate a sea engagement, a land battle, cut supply lines, destroy outposts, content oneself with, force to withdraw, present voluntarily, decisive victory, need reinforcements, sue for peace, embezzle funds, underestimate an enemy, fail to do smth, suddenness of the action, lack expertise, sign a treaty, be engaged in conflict, hold a territory, cross the boundary, drive out of colonies.
II. Give English equivalents of the following words and expressions:
древний Карфаген, имя происходит от, средиземноморский регион, дань, объявлять войну, находиться под контролем, предавать, соблюдать договор, торговый город, наемная армия, рост негодования/возмущения, изобрести подвижный трап, оказывать влияние, внезапное нападение, не хватает знаний, отрезать от снабжения, быть опытными в морских сражениях, аванпост, усилить, опытные воины, недооценить противника, решающая победа, нуждаться в подкреплении, снимать осаду, вовлечь в конфликт.
III. Arrange the following words in pairs of synonyms:
engagement, combat, sue, content, strengthen, expertise, owing to, recede, battle, manipulate, supply, reject, influence, competence, provision, affect, reinforce, due to, according to, withdraw, satisfy, refuse, beg.
Comprehension exercises
I. Have a talk based on the text.
1. What is the origin of the name Punic?
2. How did Carthage grow into a powerful city?
3. What did the treaty with Rome contain?
4. How did the Carthaginians handle the Romans?
5. What city became a flashpoint for growing Roman resentment? Why?
6. What event provoked a conflict between Carthage and Rome?
7. How did the Romans prepare for sea battles?
8. What helped the Romans to invent helpful device?
9. How did they use a corvus?
10. What strategies did the Romans use in sea battles?
11. What did the Romans lack unlike the Carthaginians?
12. Why was Hamilcar surnamed Barca?
13. What was the reason of the defeat?
14. What did Durant comment on the defeat?
15. Why did the war cost more to Carthage?
16. What were the advantages of Rome?
17. What caused the siege of Carthage?
18. Why was the war called Mercenary?
19. What were the losses of Carthage?
20. What did the Ebro Treaty declare?
II. Complete the following sentences using the text:
1. The name Punic comes from the word Phoenician (Phoinix in the Greek, Poenus from Punicus in Latin) as applied to …
2. Carthage grew from a small port-of-call to …
3. The island of Sicily would be the flashpoint for …
4. Although Rome had no navy and knew nothing of sea battles, they …
5. They devised a moveable gangplank, which …
6. Hamilcar was surnamed Barca (meaning `lightning’) because of …
7. Had the Carthaginian government better supplied and reinforced Hamilcar, they most probably would …
8. He defeated the Romans at Drepana in 249 BCE but then …
9. This war was costly to both sides but Carthage suffered more seriously owing to..
10. While Carthage would largely ignore the war, …, Rome would …
11. Though Rome had never had a navy before the First Punic War, they emerged in 241 BCE as …
12. Hamilcar Barca was called upon to raise the siege and did so, even though Carthage …
III. Identify the main idea of the text, make up a title for each paragraph and make a summary of the text.
Приложение
Слова и языковые клише для использования при составлении реферата и аннотации:
×изучать, исследовать – study, investigate, examine, research
×рассматривать – consider, view, regard, examine, review, study
×анализировать – analyze
×проверять – examine, verify, test
×описать, характеризовать – describe, characterize
×обрисовать, очерчивать – outline, define
×получать, находить – obtain, find
×определять – define, determine
×устанавливать – establish
×проверять – verify, test, check
×применять, использовать – use, employ, apply to, utilize
×подытоживать – sum up, summarize
×приходить к выводу – make/draw/reach/come to a conclusion/ conclude
×следовательно, таким образом, в результате – therefore, consequently, as a result
×метод, способ, методика, процедура, подход – method, technique, procedure, approach
×основной, главный – main, chief, basic, principal
×современный – modern, up-to-date, current
×перспективный – promising, perspective
×усовершенствованный – improved, modified
×ценный – valuable, useful
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