Sicily

The Sicilian Expedition was the Athenian attempt to conquer Sicily during the Peloponnesian War between the dates of 415-413. Since the war was not going so well, the Athenians decided that they would try a dramatic and aggressive move. The Spartans got food and supplies from Sicily, so the Athenians thought that if they could capture Sicily, they could make the Spartans stop fighting by cutting off their supplies. But this ended not in the favor of the Athenians. The Spartans defeated the Athenians, and all most all of the Athenian men were killed. Ultimately, this left the Sicilian Expedition was mistake on the Athenian side. In book 6 section 1 of Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, he talks about how the Athenians were “ignorant” of Sicily. Thus, this is one of the reasons why, the expedition was a mistake. Thucydides says, “They were for the most part ignorant of the size of the island and od the numbers of its inhabitants” (Thucydides, 409). Not to mention, “They did not realize that they were taking on a war of almost the same magnitude as their war against the Peloponnesians” (Thucydides, 409). The Athenians being ignorant of Sicily is one of the reasons that this expedition was a mistake. Not knowing all the information…

Mediterranean and how Rome became a ultimate naval power in that reason after defeating Carthage in the second Punic War.. Carthage was a much older empire than Rome located at today’s Tunesia, North Africa. It was founded by the Phoenecians which is known as Lebanon in modern days. ‘Punic’ word came from the word Phoenecians. By 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage had become rivals of each other and fought several wars to take control of the Western Mediterranean (Romanempire, nd.). Between 264 – 241…

It additionally talks about the quality of both Carthage and Rome and their contentions, and how the contention prompted Rome turning into a maritime power. HOW CARTHAGE BECAME ALMOST THE EQUAL OF ROME Carthage is a city found today Tunesia, North Africa. It was initially established by the Phoenecians otherwise called the cutting edge Lebanon. By 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage had moved toward becoming adversaries as they battled for the control of the Western Mediterranean (Romanempire, nd.).…

BC It's location was important for the trade and so Carthaginians was a very good trader. They had a very strong fleet of hundred of weasels. But Cartage had a long history of making a peaceful treaty with many powers of the Mediterranean. In 509 BC, Carthage signed the treaty with Rome divides the influence and trade. They struggle with Greeks and local African tribes. The main rivalry over the Sicily and Sardinia with Greeks took centuries: (Wikipedia) First Sicilian War The island of…

Nicias and the Importance of Persuasive Leadership How did Nicias fail to convince the Athenian assembly that the Sicilian Expedition was a strategic error? His arguments, while valid and logical, are not sufficient to win over the assembly to undo their vote of war. Not only does Thucydides have incomplete information about these events, but Thucydides’ prior knowledge of Nicias’s failure colors the way he reconstructs Nicias’s ineffective arguments against war. Nicias attempts to dissuade the…

flourishing Carthage held over Rome provided them with a great advantage. Carthage had an experienced, affluent and fierce naval fleet that was compiled of allied barbarian mercenary seamen for hire who ruled the mighty Mediterranean. The successful spread and development of the Phoenician colonies reached across the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Spain; with the expansion, power was obtained through their magnificent trading skills. According to Morey, Carthage grew…

Carthage showed her strength in wealth and commercial resources. Rome had better organization, a more efficient army, and a steadfast body of citizens who were committed to the republic. Rome showed her strength in the character of the people and a well organized political system. Although Carthage could be equated to Rome, the differences in strengths would determine the outcome of the First Carthaginian War. The First Punic War, also known as the First Carthaginian War (Britannica, 1998),…

of the peninsula to the southern. The country’s attractive nature is why Italy is the high tourist destination. Italy is shaped like a boot with several islands around its outskirts. Its boarders are France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, as well as the seas. Specifically the Mediterranean Sea at the southern tip, the Tyrrhenian Sea at the southwestern corner, the Adriatic Sea at the northeastern corner, the Ionian Sea at the southeastern, and the Ligurian Sea at the northwestern part of…

War II. It opened the Allied forces eyes to the numerous challenges they must face internally before they could hope to be victorious in the war against Germany, Japan and Italy. This essay will show how a failure in operational leadership caused Operation Husky to fail to become the decisive victory it had the potential of being. Essential to command and control is a thorough understanding of the commander’s intent at every level and a command climate of mutual trust and understanding.…

city depending on its wealth. Rome depended on its people’s character. Before the Punic Wars, Rome was not seen as a major power in the Mediterranean. However, by the outbreak of the first Punic War, Rome had decent control over most of mainland Italy. Each individual community fell into a clearly defined category. The first Punic war was a fight over control of Sicily. During this time Rome had a strong Army while Carthage had a strong Navy. During the war the king of Syracuse switched sides…