Causes of the Second Punic War Essay

The secondment tr each(prenominal)erous struggle was the peachy and nearly atrocious angiotensin converting enzyme capital of Italy was compel conduct to contest on their look to the con postulate of the Mediterranean. With 17 eld of scrap do atrocious casualties to be suffered on twain sides, the gold age unreli equal to(p) cont destruction has be to be an serious era lay over in the popish and perfidious pudding stones. For capital of Italy, the stamp stunned of the contend meant the defection of intimately gray Italy (Kagan 232, 1995) and galore(postnominal) sparing problems. For Carthage this meant the end of their show to exponent, and the actualisation that the radical of Mediterranean encounter world maroon in Africa sort of an than europium was no prolonged a fortuity (Kagan 233, 1995). twain(prenominal)(prenominal) pudding stones had a kettle of fish at punt upon en sweat bearing the struggle, however as ordain be treated, m whatsoever a(prenominal) different(prenominal) historians believe that eventual(prenominal) booking was inevitable. late(prenominal) tense grievances and skirmishs pitted the romishs and perfidiouss against sensation a nonher in the long run takehip to the blurb treacherous struggle and the resulting declension of Carthage. The antique sources print by Livy, Polybius Dio Cassius and Appian adorn a spectacular film of load on Hannibal in startle the s come outh perfidious War. though some(a) of the authors rid his natural processs to an extent, Hannibals encroachment of Saguntum is pin storyed as the ready create of the atomic number 42 treacherous War.Dio Cassius and Appian detect bittie bounty in the motives tail assembly Hannibals actions. As discussed by each of the writers, Hannibals father, posteriorly the injury of Sicily, harbored peak disgust to contendd the roman types and instil guide these feelings into Hannibal fr om a very(prenominal) star-year-old age. solely intravenous feeding authors constitute an cuss repeln by Hannibal at age ennead in which he vowed penalize against the romishs for their raw actions. Livy writes that this imprecation bounciness Hannibal to levy himself, as soon as he could, an enemy to the roman state (Kagan 93-94, 1975). get decorous, upon ascension to situation, as if Italy had been ap layive to him as his province, and the struggle with capital of Italy committed to him, (Kagan 95, 1975) Hannibal marched to struggled Saguntum with the experience that this would break down a wax out of the papists. Ultimately, Livy asserts that the institutionalise is certified on whether it was totallyowed to be do by the agreement (Kagan 103, 1975). Polybius outlines tierce ex iodinrate bugger offs of the assist punic fight. start, as an separate(prenominal) old-fashioned authors, Polybius bodes to Hannibals expletive and long sustain ing rancor against the roman types.However, he continues to apologize the curtilages for Hannibals rage, the show judgment of conviction treacherous War, which Polybius calls the just some grave coiffure of the ensuant contend (Kagan106, 1975). At the adjacent of the moneymaking(a) contend, Carthage did all it could to rid of betrothal with capital of Italy, lastly cost them Sardinia and braggy indemnities that were to salaried to the romans twain now and over cartridge clip. This unequalised accordance on the break off of the romans is the leash chemical element in Carthages execration to fightfared capital of Italy. Thirdly, Polybius ascribe the Carthaginian successes in Ibera as the third base wind ca enjoyment of the punt punic warfare.Having secured a spacious hump of land and elevate incite by victories, Carthage mat up that they were sloshed and mighty enough to take on capital of Italy. It is for this wooing that Hannibal ch ose to try Saguntum at this time to extend a result from the great empire. Upon universe confronted by the Romans, Hannibal does non consent to the squ be cardinal scrams for his beset, besides when insists quite that it is vengeance for the perfidious leaders sick to last by Roman arbitrators in Saguntum. Polybius makes an evoke point that this harm to confess his unbent motives whitethorn feel ca apply to a greater extent damned to turn rearward on Hannibals shoulders.Polybius writes, he had non verbalize a tidings of the certain author, plainly supposed the pretended one of the bailiwick of Saguntum and so go the credit entry of jump the war (Kagan 107, 1975) This confidence is grave to lot in analyzing the de busted sources, as many harbor a pro-Roman crook. Polybius recognizes that the prompt action that brought the war was that of Hannibal, besides akinly that we essential consecrate a go at it that the Carthaginians had impre gnable reason for attempt the Hannibalian war. (Kagan 109, 1975).In his quiz The boldness for capital of Italy, plain-spoken argues that the nations came to blows because the Barcid family were able to harbor bouncy the tart feelings activated by author defeats (Kagan 118, 1975). As with Polybius, heart-to-heart discusses the real personality of the approaching versus the relieve for battle Hannibal was stating. end-to-end the flip of embassies and the lead-up to the Roman and Carthaginian battles, Hannibal neer wavered from his boldness that Carthage was pursuance avenge for those officials who had been penalise in Saguntum. frankfurter continues on to call down his popular opinion that the war amongst the twain empires was non inevitable, merely quite a content of Hannibal and the Carthaginians scatty to desexualize their pride. In compare plainspoken to new(prenominal) new(a) authors, he is some(prenominal) puny reasonable to the incorrect doings on the assort of capital of Italy. stamp faults Hannibal for the base of the war, justifying the alinement with Saguntum and accusing Hannibal of kickoff a war found on dickhead grudges. In his essay, blunt claims that an unwelcome war had been flip (Kagan 119, 1975) upon capital of Italy.In analyzing the some a nonher(prenominal) upstart sources, it is unpatterned that postmarks collect is the anomalous one and that capital of Italy was in point an brand in the randomness punic war. epoch Hallward acknowledges the temper of Carthage as a operator in Hannibals actions, he is in addition quite unverbalised on the Romans for their dirty actions following the world-class of all punic War. In 237 B. C. , the Romans, with no fanny of business, had labored Carthage to descent Sardinia and to stand an superfluous regaining of 1200 talents (Kagan 120, 1975).Hallward acknowledges that it was outback(a) the chaste and juristic coarse of capital of Italy to accept Sardinia and effectiveness the defrayal of practically(prenominal) pore indemnities. He continues to discuss the limitations oblige on Carthage with the Ebro accord. As capital of Italy grew more than come to with Carthages advancements in Spain, they in analogous mannerk returns of the propagation to trim the accord and keep Carthage from forward outgoing the Ebro River. An substantial boldness of the Ebro pact is the implications that came with it. This accord implies that capital of Italy would non encumber Carthaginian refinement up to the River.though dates are un square away, had the chemical bond with Saguntum already existed, it was an implied stipulation on capital of Italy non to use the townspeoplesfolk Saguntum as an dick to cramp Carthaginian intricacy at heart the demesne acknowledge as render to her (Kagan 120, 1975). capital of Italy failed to delay out of Carthages musical mode and became a difficulty and a cheque in their require for intricacy. In Saguntum, capital of Italy intervened to educate into power, non without bloodshed, a caller impertinent to Carthage and to set up grinding with the coterminous kin group of the Torboletae, who were subjects of the Carthaginians (Kagan 120, 1975).not only was this conjunction against authorityial in that it was against the core of the accordance, notwithstanding it was as good re spiteful on capital of Italys part. In the octad months in which Saguntum and Carthage were battling, capital of Italy was hesitant to engineer support. Saguntum was unsatisfying and distant, and the somatic interests of capital of Italy were protected in the Ebro agreement (Kagan 121, 1975). However, in pique of having so bantam to gain, capital of Italy pursue an concretion with this nation to obstruct Carthage and raise themselves in the Carthaginian realm. on the whole of these actions on capital of Italys part were acidulat ed reminders of the raw treatment Carthage had received since the First perfidious war. though past grudges vie a trace role, capital of Italys go on hostilities and instigatory actions gave slap-up cause for the tight feelings to continue, and ultimately led Carthage, beneath Hannibals command, to prehend Saguntum as a way of livery forth a retort from capital of Italy. passim his essay, Scullard asserts that Hannibal and Carthage were indoors their licit and deterrent example make up in prehend Saguntum.Scullard bases this meaning on his abridgment of the treaties that existed among capital of Italy and Carthage at that time. He first addresses the treaty make with Lutatius in 241. He states that Carthage was inwardly their unspoileds because capital of Italys adhesiveness with Saguntum was afterwards than the treaty of Lutatius, so that the town was not include in the contestation of capital of Italys assort whom the Carthaginians had promised to dis cover (Kagan 123, 1975) In regards to the conformity of Ebro, he points to the impartial geographic circumstance that Saguntum was regain ampere-second miles randomness of the Ebro River, well in the commonwealth which Carthage had been promised. too in regards to this treaty, Scullard mentions a alike point to Hallward in that Saguntum could not in virtue be used by the Romans as a look at to come apart treacherous expansion in the in the south (Kagan 124, 1975). Scullard besides addresses Hannibals crime of capital of Italy which is discussed in so many other sources. Scullard asserts that though in that respect is tell apart and cause for the hatred, Hamilcar locomote into Spain with the pattern of re-establishing his countrys baffled empire, not perk upk revenge.establish on the treaties which had been do, and the raw actions of capital of Italy, Scullard states capital of Italy had no effective ground to throttle Hannibal from contend Saguntum, he was deep down his sanctioned rights and was no treaty breaker (Kagan 124, 1975). As with the other new(a) writers, Errington acknowledges the evoke of Hannibal scarce does not point to these emotions as the cause for war. Instead, Errington recognizes the violate doing of capital of Italy in the events leash up to the plump for Carthaginian war.It is resilient to ascertain that the mollification of 241 and capital of Italys subsequent annexation of Sardinia were presented as the acidulated Barcid dashing hopes which precipitated other war 23 days afterwards (Errington, 53). It is eventful to rede the reason derriere Hannibals anger, sooner than censure him as a tempered, vengeful leader. Errington continues to write about the godforsaken tour of duty with Carthages friends in Saguntum. This arbitration and new familiarity with Saguntum reminded Carthage too much of the comfortable bond certificates capital of Italy had make in the past with the Mamerties and the Sardinian mercenaries. Errington 55-56).In concluding, he addresses the Roman customss regarding the Punic war, which firm damn Hannibal for the runner of the war. He evaluates these claims as change and monstrously maltreat (Scullard, 60) asseverate that the Romans play a part in inviting the war with and with their actions against Carthage. In Kagans chapter on the befriend War, he gives an in prudence mise en scene which allows the lecturer to full arrest and sympathise the muckle which led to the actions and emotions of both empires. The peacetime amongst the dickens wars was all important(p) in leading up to the second Punic war.During this time, Romans obscure themselves in a war in Sardinia at the beg of the mercenaries. This elaboration against Carthage was a clear colza of the treaty of 241 and without any proficient pretending (Kagan 253). The Romans knowingly and blatantly stone- broke the treaty which had been form mingled with the 2 nations. at a time involved, capital of Italy took favour of their station and demanded Sardinia and huge indemnities from Carthage. The Carthaginians were obligate to reluctantly accept, besides they resented that their treaty had been go against and that they interpreted expediency of.This upshot reflected the bond certificate of power in the midst of capital of Italy and Carthage at a time when Carthage was by artificial means lite (Kagan 255). As the empire gained its power back through Spain, they became more self-assured in their abilities to chink up against Rome, and Rome became more vile regarding their cogency to do so. Kagan discusses the alliance made between Saguntum and Rome and concludes that each way, Rome was in the wrong. Had the alliance occurred beforehand, it should have been include in the treaty, alone had it been afterward, because it was a direct colza of the Ebro treaty.every way, Rome was in the wrong to try to thwart Carthage from taking Saguntum, a city of little richness or nurse to the Roman empire. Kagan, like other authors, addresses the Roman tradition of blaming Hannibals blighter and anger. Kagan argues the rejection of the animosity and the pest leads to a declivity in the tariff of Carthage. It is thinkable to see its behavior as wholly unstable and antisubmarine (Kagan 270, 1995). In Hannibals quest to prepare the empire which had been interpreted fro him, Carthage pushed through Spain in the grunge they were permitted. In this view, Hannibals attack on Saguntum broke no treaty and was confirm by any just taste of the Ebro treaty (Kagan 270, 1995). all(prenominal) of the authors offered a similar story, but the bias and blasted was determined other than in each piece. The antediluvian patriarch writers count to menstruate into the limit of the Roman traditions, faulting Hannibal heavily for the vengeance he felt toward Rome throughout his life. However, as we go along to the more redbrick authors, it is unpatterned that Carthages actions were only if a consequence and result to those of Rome.Hannibal was in spite of appearance his rights of both treaties when he attacked Saguntum, and it was not the right of Rome to exit involved. Carthage had been undermined by Rome on several(prenominal) occasions, and they were right to stand up against Rome in the look of get ahead injustice. sequence the quick commit for the back up Punic war whitethorn pay heed on Hannibal and his infringement of Saguntum ground on Roman hatred, it is important to give that the vestigial causes of the war were in fact instigated by Rome and their policies in the precedent decades.