To say the Punic Wars (264-146 BC) were a turning-point in world history is a vast understatement. These vicious battles pitted two flourishing Mediterranean powers against one another, leaving one an unrivaled giant and the other a literal pile of ash. To later observers, a collision between these civilizations seemed inevitable and yet, to the Romans and Carthaginians at the time, war erupted seemingly out of nowhere and was expected to be a short and trivial skirmish.
Mastering the Westoffers a superlative narrative of all three wars as they are generally divided, while treating a full range of themes: the antagonists' military, naval, economic, and demographic resources and strategic opportunities; the political structures of both republics; questions of leadership and the contributions of leaders like Hannibal, Fabius the Delayer, Scipio Africanus, Masinissa, and Scipio Aemilianus; and the postwar impact of the conflicts on the participants and victims. Dexter Hoyos, a leading expert of the period, treats the two great powers evenly, without forgetting the important roles played by Syracuse, Macedon, and especially Numidia. Written with verve in a clear, accessible style, with a range of illustrations and newly-commissioned maps,Mastering the Westis sure to restructure our understanding of this critical period in ancient history.
PART ONE ROME AND CARTHAGE: 264 BC 1. Two Republics 2. Warfare PART TWO THE FIRST PUNIC WAR AND AFTERMATH: 264-218 3. Sicily and its Seas, 264-257 4. Africa and after: 256-249 5. Stalemate and Checkmate: 249-241 6. Between the Wars: 241-218 PART THREE THE SECOND PUNIC WAR: 218-201 7. Hannibal's invasion, 218-211 8. The War beyond Italy 9. Scipio and Roman Victory: 210-201 PART FOUR THE LAST CONFLICT 10. Rome, Masinissa, and Carthage 11. The Triumph of Rome Conclusions Appendix 152 the sources
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