Two great powers are locked into a life or death struggle, vying for control of the bulk of the civilized world. Directly or through proxies, they fight a series of bloody wars that culminate in one of them becoming the unchallenged superpower on the global scene and the other ceasing to exist as a political entity. Sound familiar? It should, but if you think I’m describing the cold war that recently existed between the United States and the Soviet Union, you are absolutely incorrect. Instead, I’m referring to the conditions that existed between the ancient states of Carthage and Rome more than 22 centuries ago..

The world has not changed much, as any student of history can likely tell you. Man’s inhumanity to man has existed throughout his existence and likely always will. If there is ever to be any hope of a peaceful existence between nations then man must learn from the mistakes of the past. The only way to do this, of course, is through careful study of history, and I have read no finer account of the epic struggle between Rome and Carthage than Adrian Goldsworthy’s The Punic Wars.

The Punic Wars were three separate conflicts between the Italian city of Rome and the North African empire of Carthage between the years 264 BC and 146 BC. At the time, Rome was still a republic and Carthage was at its peak, controlling territory in modern day Spain as well as North Africa.

It was perhaps inevitable that the two most powerful states in the region must eventually come to blows, and they first did so in 264 BC on the Island of Sicily off the Italian coast. The first Punic War consisted of only a few major land battles, and saw an unusual major military defeat for Roman forces when they invaded Africa and were routed by the Carthaginians. Ultimately, however, the Carthaginians were defeated and a harsh peace was imposed upon them by Rome.

The Second and most famous Punic war began in 218 BC. The Romans had imposed restrictions upon the Carthaginians in Spain that the latter found unacceptable, and hence the great general Hannibal launched a preemptive strike upon Roman forces there. Assembling an army of Spanish allies and Gauls unhappy with Roman rule, Hannibal marched these along with his veterans from Carthage and a number of ware elephants across the Alps and into Italy.

For twelve long years, Hannibal ravaged the Italian countryside and continually defeated Roman armies, a feat unmatched in the history of Rome before or after until it was finally sacked by Germanic tribes centuries later. Ultimately, however, Rome was once again the victor when legions under Scipio Africanus voyaged to Africa and threatened the Carthaginian armies there, forcing the recall of Hannibal and his armies.

The Third Punic War began in 149BC and was instigated by the Romans, who by this time were the far superior power. They completely destroyed the city of Cartage and forever ended any threat she might pose in the future.

To be sure, it is difficult indeed to encapsulate the significance of the Punic Wars in a mere 368 pages, as Goldsworthy has done, let alone the scant few paragraphs above. The author does it magnificently, however, and in almost every respect The Punic Wars is an exceptional history of the conflict. To be sure, this is largely a military history of the conflict, and socio-economic conditions of the two rivals are only described when they are germane to the topic at hand.

The book is set up in a very straightforward and approachable fashion. It begins with an introduction to the ancient world in which Rome and Carthage existed, and Goldsworthy provides us with a very good understanding of the political, social, and military systems in place before the first war erupted.

Then it’s on to the conflicts themselves, each described in great detail in three separate segments of the book. The author makes good use of the few sources remaining to us, taking pains to explain to us when they are in conflict or when their claims seem unlikely. It is this analysis by the author of not just the wars but the sources themselves that make Goldsworthy’s work a cut above the rest.

The author is remarkably unbiased as well. He seems to be rather fond of Hannibal, but overall I enjoyed the fair and balanced treatment he provides to both Rome and Carthage, often explaining events and practices modern readers may have difficulty coming to terms with in the context of the period.

Finally, the author concludes his work with some final thoughts on the ramifications of the Punic Wars, and a few hypotheticals about how the world of today might be a very different place had the outcome been different. In addition, Goldsworthy provides parallels between the Punic Wars and more modern conflicts that bear examination.

I can’t recommend The Punic Wars enough. This is a fascinating, thorough, and comprehensive treatment of what was perhaps the greatest conflict of the ancient world.




Recommended: Yes