The First Punic War - OverSimplified (Part 2)

After the gigantic battle at Cape Echnomis, the Romans were now free to land on African soil. And so, they did. The Carthaginians chose to focus on defending the city of Carthage itself. So the Romans immediately took the city of Aspis, and were then free to raid and plunder the countryside. They took over 20,000 slaves and a ton of booty. But then, some orders arrived from the Senate. Send home the booty. No, Steve, not you, they mean the treasure. Well, we are not watching any more of this filth. So the other consul left with the booty, leaving Regulus and his forces on their own. And they began advancing towards Carthage. Along the way, according to the ancient writer Livy, they encountered a literal dragon. Now, Livy was a Roman historian, so his account may be slightly exaggerated. But this, I believe. As the Romans continued to plunder, the Carthaginian people flooded into the city. Now, not only was it in a major panic, but it was so crowded, the people began to starve. Don't panic, everyone! Look, I know you're all starving, but I still have food for me. So, you know, it's not all bad. Whoa! And you idiots wonder why you're starving? Oh, well, it's just more food for me. Things weren't looking good for Carthage. They had to do something to stop the Romans rampaging throughout their land. So they decided, finally, it was time to put an end to it. They headed out and set up on rough hilly terrain, overlooking the Roman camp. And they prepared for battle. Now, while the Carthaginians were the traditional masters of the sea, on land, they weren't always the brightest. Case in point, setting up in this position, overlooking the Roman camp, was just about the stupidest thing they could have done. Why? Well, there's something you gotta understand about Carthage. The Carthaginian land forces actually suffered from a multitude of different issues. First of all, since the Carthaginians were rich, rich, rich, they could afford to pay a huge number of foreign mercenaries to fight for them. These mercenaries actually made up the vast majority of Carthage's forces. And therefore, Carthage's land armies were a melting pot of many different cultures. This, however, meant that if a battle wasn't going their way, there could be loyalty issues. Man, I ain't getting paid enough for this. Ubilearic slingers better not be thinking of running away. What did he say? I don't know, man. I don't speak Phoenician. Let's get out of here. Clearly, there were also language issues. The military generals tended to be Carthaginian, but they made a lot of strange decisions. For example, one of the most feared assets of the Carthaginian army were the war elephants. To a Roman soldier who had never even seen an elephant before, this was like fistfighting, a literal monster. Yet the Carthaginians continually kept placing the elephants in the rear, where they were no use. In a similar fashion, the neighboring region of Numidia provided Carthage with the most skilled cavalrymen in the world. But the Carthaginians often chose to fight on rough, uneven terrain, where horses and elephants were less effective. And so, in this case, when the Carthaginians again chose the rough terrain near the Roman camp, the Romans easily sent them packing. Wow, Regulus. We're mere miles from Carthage. You sure are amazing. Yes, Steve, I know. Steve? What's the matter? We've almost won. I just wish I could be as great as you, Regulus. Steve, you're amazing. I mean, look at this thing. It's unbelievable. I know, but I mean, like, at war stuff. I'm such a noob. My tanks always get blown up. I can't even fly an aircraft straight. Tanks? Aircraft? What are you talking about, Steve? I'm talking about free-to-play online multiplayer combat game and this video's sponsor, War Thunder. 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Plus, you'll get a huge bonus pack including premium vehicles and boosters. So play War Thunder now on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. So thank you. Now where were we? Oh yeah, invading Africa, getting some booty, and sending the Carthaginians packing. Everything was looking up for Regulus. A Roman victory seemed like it was only a matter of time. But then, Regulus realized something. He had been consul for almost a year, and his term was coming to an end. He knew that if his successor took over and he finished the job, then he would get the naked statues, not Regulus. And there was no way Regulus was going to allow that. So he jumped the gun. You there, Carthaginian boy, I want you to deliver a message to your elders. I, Marcus Attilius Regulus, demand the total and unconditional surrender of Carthage. Unconditional surrender? Jeez, at least lay siege and starve us all to death first. Just deliver the message, you punk! He demands your total surrender. What? Jeez, at least lay siege and starve us all to death first. Hey, that's what I said. Well boys, this Roman thinks we're out. But we're not out, are we boys? No! We'll do what we always do in times like this. Hire somebody else to solve our problems for us. Darren, bring in the Spartan. Regulus's overly harsh demands had had the unintended effect of reinvigorating Carthaginian resolve. They brought in a mercenary from the famed land of Sparta named Xanthippus to help dig them out of this situation. And we all know what Spartans are like. Xanthippus showed up and immediately took charge. He had a look around and said, you idiots, put the elephants in front of the army so they can smash into the Romans. And stop fighting on rough, uneven terrain. Find a big, flat field so your superior cavalry can do their job. And what's this I hear about you giving a speech telling everyone they're going to die? Hey, I was just telling the people the truth. You're a politician. Lie to the people! And so Xanthippus led out the newly reformed Carthaginian army to meet Regulus in the Battle of the Bagridas River. The elephants, now in the front, smashed into the Roman lines, causing disarray. The cavalry, with total freedom of movement, outflanked the Roman infantry. Thanks to this impressive Spartan, the battle was a total Carthaginian victory. And Xanthippus, for his stunning victory, was forced to flee Carthage because the leadership got jealous. Regulus, the Roman consul, was captured during the battle. Legend has it he was brought before the Carthaginian council and they made a proposition. Well, Regi, not looking so good anymore, is it? Looks like we beat you pretty bad, huh? Up yours, you punic pansies! Now, now, Regulus. Nobody likes a sore loser, do they? No. How about this? We're going to send you back to Rome and you convince the Roman Senate to surrender to us. If you fail, though, you gotta come back so we can torture you to death. Okay? Okay. You promise? I promise. Hey, guys. Whoa, Regulus! We thought you got captured! I did, but they sent me back to convince you to surrender. Well, should we? Surrender? No! Never surrender! Give them hell, boys! They're at the end of their rope. Anyway, I gotta go be tortured to death now. What? Yep, part of a deal I made. It's a long story. Hey, wait! Regulus! No, no, it's cool, guys. I promised. Regulus! This is ancient times. We massacre entire populations. We chop pets in half. You can break a promise. No, Tim! You never break a promise! That's too far! And so, Regulus went back to Carthage and was tortured to death. And for keeping his promise, he was immortalized as the leading symbol of Roman virtue. Meanwhile, after their defeat in Africa, the remaining Roman survivors still in Africa were still in Africa, and they needed to be rescued. So the Romans sent their fleet to pick him up and bring him home. They successfully fended off a Carthaginian fleet, grabbed the survivors, and made their way to Sicily. A great success. But then, things took a turn for the worse. Uh, sir? That cloud looks kind of angry. Fear not, coward. If we Romans can build a war fleet from scratch and defeat the Carthaginian Empire at their own game, why, then, even Mother Nature herself will crumble before us. I laugh in the face of Mother Nature. Ha ha! See? Come on, guys. Laugh at Mother Nature with me. Ha ha! 284 ships, nearly 80% of the Roman fleet, was destroyed. As many as 100,000 men drowned in a terrifying act of nature. Never before had Rome lost so many men in a single incident. 100,000 casualties for any other nation would be crippling. Any other nation would be the last. Would hastily sue for peace. Any other nation would spend decades trying to recover. But Rome was not just any other nation. Infamous for its unrelenting determination in the face of overwhelming odds, Rome said, well, I guess we'll just have to build another fleet. And they did. In just three months, they built 220 more ships. An astonishing feat. The Romans sent out their brand-spanking new war fleet and... They got caught in another storm. This time, a whole nother fleet was lost. And still, the Romans did not give up. The Carthaginians couldn't believe it. Their enemy had just lost hundreds of thousands of men, had two fleets almost entirely destroyed, and they still wouldn't surrender. As one Roman poet put it, the victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so. In typical Roman fashion, after a short break, they were once again building another fleet. However, for now, after all the disasters at sea, the focus began shifting back to the land campaign in Sicily. The Carthaginians, overconfident from recent successes, attempted to retake Penormus, but the Romans countered the terrifying war elephants by throwing stuff at them and scaring them away. Having stopped the Carthaginian advance, the road was now open to the final Carthaginian stronghold on the island. Lilibaeum. Lilibaeum was an extremely well-fortified city. In 250 BC, the Romans laid siege. The Carthaginian defense, however, was fierce, and skilled blockade runners kept the city supplied. Progress was so slow that the siege would last another nine years. To make matters worse, the Carthaginians later sent possibly the greatest military general of the time, a man named Hamilcar Barca, to the island. He engaged in a skillful campaign of guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, and for the remainder of the war, he was a major thorn in the Roman side. For now, with the deadlocked siege at Lilibaeum and the new Roman fleet at sea, things seemed to be at a standstill, and the Romans had to do something to break the deadlock. Thankfully, the Roman consul, Clodius Pulcher, had an idea. He tried to get things moving by attacking the Carthaginian fleet at Trapana. Now, before a battle, to predict if they would win, it was common for the Romans to look for signs from the gods. This could mean observing the weather, or inspecting some cow livers. You know, typical religion stuff. In this case, Pulcher reportedly tried to feed some sacred chickens, but unfortunately for him, they wouldn't eat a crumb. A very bad sign. Well, he said, if they won't eat, then let them drink! Stupid chickens! We'll observe the weather instead. Gods, give me a sign. Uh, ignore that. Okay, how about this? If I can get this piece of paper into that trash basket, we'll win. Okay, if I can stand here silently for five seconds and do nothing, we'll win! Pulcher chose to ignore the signs from the gods, and in the following battle, the superior Carthaginians tore them to shreds. It also didn't help that by now the Romans had removed the corvus to stabilize their ships, and without their secret weapon, it was a disaster, and Pulcher was disgraced. To make matters worse, the victorious Carthaginian fleet then went on to intercept a Roman supply fleet on its way to Lilibaeum. As they approached, however, they saw the signs of an incoming storm, so they took shelter. The Romans, on the other hand, said, Onward, men! Set sail! We've got to deliver these supplies stat! But sir, those clouds, don't you think we ought to have learned our lesson by now? Yes, Brian, we ought to have, but we haven't. Another fleet and 50,000 men lost in another storm. Disaster. Now, at this point, there still really isn't a clear winner. Sure, the Romans have captured most of Sicily and cornered the Carthaginian land forces at Lilibaeum, but the continued disasters at sea were critically depleting their resources, and without a strong fleet, Rome could not win. Meanwhile, Hamilcar Barca was still knocking about and creating even more problems. So where do we go from here? How does this war finally end? By now, the two sides had been fighting for 23 years. They were exhausted. Their money, their resources, their strength were all utterly spent. The Carthaginians in particular were eager to see the war end, so they could get back to trading and making money. So after the latest Roman disaster at sea, they said, Look, there ain't no way in heck the Romans can come back again. They can't possibly afford to build another fleet. They're done. That's it. Recall the navy, repurpose them as merchant ships, and let's get back to making some money. Assuming the Romans would soon make peace, an anti-war faction within the government recalled a large portion of the navy, leaving Hamilcar on his own. The victors appeared to be declaring themselves victorious. Meanwhile, the vanquished were getting ready for round five. The Romans built another fleet, this time heavily relying on patriotic donations from the upper classes to afford it. And once again, they put to sea. Uh, sir? The Romans have built another fleet. Oh, for goodness sake, Clarence! Can't you see I'm busy rolling around in this pile of money? But sir... I don't care anymore, Clarence! I just don't care! The Carthaginian politicians made a fairly lackluster final effort with a poorly built fleet to supply their forces in Sicily. But when the brand new Roman fleet caught them at the Battle of the Aegades, even without their signature corvus, they dealt them the final blow. And that was that. Twenty-three years of war. Neither side could afford to keep fighting, but the Romans showed that they intended to anyway. The Carthaginians had no choice but to throw in the towel. The war had been long and hard for both sides. But in the end, it was Roman determination that won the fight. The Romans had spent the entire war trying to find a way to deliver the knockout blow. They learned how to build a fleet and engage in naval combat. They developed ingenious new ways of waging war. They attempted an invasion of the Carthaginian heartland. And whenever disaster struck them, they always came back again and again. The Carthaginians, on the other hand, spent the entire war watching whatever Rome did and then figuring out how to respond. They were much more passive. And so it's no wonder then that when both sides were close to collapse, Rome was the one who figured out how to go that little bit further. In 241 BC, the Carthaginian politicians sent word to Hamilcar Barca that he was on his own and could choose to make peace with the Romans if he wished. Hamilcar was stunned. He felt betrayed by the politicians. Some sources say he refused to even negotiate. Nevertheless, terms had to be drawn up. Well, Hammy, I'm glad you Carthaginians have finally come to your senses and recognized who the true winner is. How many fleets did you lose? Okay, here are our terms. You leave Sicily to us and return all of our prisoners. You're not allowed to make war against Syracuse or her allies. And you have to pay us 2,200 talents of silver over the next 20 years. What's a talent of silver? Well, to put it in perspective, in the year 2022, that'll be worth around, let's say, 40 million US dollars. Ay caramba! That will cripple us! Wow, we got a real smart guy over here. Yeah, that's kind of the point, you dingus. Ugh, I guess I have no choice. I accept. Great! Oh, by the way, we changed our minds. You actually have to pay us 3,200 talents of silver over 10 years. Thanks for accepting. Dude! See you later. Hey, you didn't let me stay on cool! He didn't let me stay on cool! The treaty was extremely punishing, and by switching up the terms at the last minute, they enraged the Carthaginians. But still, one of the longest and deadliest wars at the time was finally over. The Romans had won. They achieved their aim of gaining Sicily. And even though it wasn't part of the peace deal, they took advantage of a weakened Carthage and grabbed Corsica and Sardinia as well. Roman expansion beyond the Italian peninsula had just begun. The Romans hoped that now the Carthaginians would forever be under their thumb. Unfortunately, the harsh terms they placed on the Carthaginians at the end of the war left a growing anger, one that would come back to haunt them. One day, Carthage will have its revenge! That's nice, dear. I'm serious, woman. Maybe not in my lifetime, but perhaps in his. My beautiful son, you are born into a momentous destiny. You shall be Rome's greatest enemy. You'll tear Rome limb from limb. You'll burn their pathetic city into the ground. You'll slaughter their people. Men, women, and children. My child, you are vengeance! Stop telling our baby he's vengeance! But he is, Barbara! He's vengeance! That may be so someday, but for now, our son has a name. And you should call him that instead. His name is... Don't forget to play War Thunder now by clicking my link in the description below. Get a huge bonus pack including premium vehicles, boosters, and more. New and existing users will also get the very sexy oversimplified decal so you can destroy your enemies in style.