The Punic Wars involved three major wars that Rome undertook to extend its dominion between 264 BCE and 146 BCE. Messina, which is now Sicily, was the scene of the First Punic War, which started in 264 BCE when competing factions in the city’s commercial and transportation hub appealed for aid from both Carthage and Rome, and ended in 146 BCE. The Carthaginians were the first to arrive and took control of the city. However, the Romans, who had prepared their fleet for the conflict, came and drove the Carthaginians out of Sicily, thereby completing their conquest of the island. Messina gained its independence, but remained aligned with Rome.

Following the First Punic War, the ri

valry between Rome and Carthage continued with the Second Punic War, which was fought mostly for control of Spain. Following his seizure of the Roman-allied city of Sagunto in Spain in 218, the renowned Carthaginian commander Hannibal crossed the Alps and entered Italy, where he came face to face with the Roman legions and was eventually defeated at the Battle of Zama. The last battle of the Second Punic War took place in 202 BCE at the North African town of Zama, southwest of Carthage, and was the decisive victory. That is where the Romans under general Scipio Africanus defeated the Carthaginians under Hannibal.

Rome demanded payment from Carthage, and Carthage was obliged to abandon its claims in Spain because of this. The year 201 BCE marked the signing of a peace deal between the two powers, which lasted for five decades. The Carthaginians revolted against Roman control in 149 BCE, resulting in the outbreak of the Third Punic War. By 146 B.C., Carthage, which had been wealthier and more powerful than Rome when the Punic Wars started, had been entirely destroyed by the Roman army in this third and last fight with them.