Carthage Timeline

814 BCE: Traditional founding date for the Phoenician colony of Carthage by Tyre.

580 BCE - 376 BCE: Carthage and Greece fight for dominance in Sicily.

540 BCE: A joint Carthaginian and Cerveteri force wins the Battle of the Sardinian Sea against the Phocaeans.

539 BCE: Etruscan & Carthaginian alliance expels the Greeks from Corsica.

535 BCE: Battle of Alalia. Carthaginian navy, in alliance with Etruscans, defeated Greek ships off the island of Corsica.

510 BCE - 509 BCE: First treaty between Rome and Carthage.

500 BCE: Carthage expands into southern Spain.

500 BCE: Gades captured by Carthage.

480 BCE: Tyrant of Syracuse Gelon defeats the Carthaginians at the battle of Himera.

480 BCE: Agrigento defeats Carthage at the battle of Himera.

406 BCE: Agrigento is attacked and destroyed by Carthage.

405 BCE: Segesta comes under Carthaginian control.

396 BCE: The Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum is founded on Sicily.

341 BCE: Timoleon defeats a Carthaginian army at the battle of Crimisus in Sicily.

338 BCE: Timoleon agrees a peace treaty with Carthage over their control of Sicily.

311 BCE: A Carthaginian army defeats Agathocles of Syracuse near Gela, Sicily.

310 BCE: Agathocles of Syracuse lands an army of 14,000 in North Africa.

309 BCE - 308 BCE: Agathocles of Syracuse successfuly campaigns in North Africa defeating Carthaginian armies and taking Utica and Hippacra.

309 BCE: Syracuse defeats a Carthaginian army in Sicily and kills their general Hamilcar.

307 BCE: Carthage defeats the army of Agathocles of Syracuse led by Archagathus while Agathocles is in Sicily.

306 BCE: Carthage and Agathocles of Syracuse sign a peace treaty and divide Sicily between them.

264 BCE: The Mamertines at Messana on Sicily call for Carthaginian and then Roman help in defence against Syracuse, sparking the First Punic War.

264 BCE - 241 BCE: First Punic War. Carthage cedes Sicily to Rome.

263 BCE: Antaros and 3000 Celts fight with Carthage in the First Punic War.

260 BCE: First Roman naval victory against Carthage off Mylae in the First Punic War.

258 BCE: Rome wins a naval battle against Carthage at Sulcis during the First Punic War.

256 BCE: Roman naval victory against Carthage off Ecnomus during the First Punic War.

256 BCE: Rome lands an army of four legions on African soil at Clupea during the First Punic War.

255 BCE: Carthage sues for peace during the First Punic War but the Roman consul Regulus' excessive demands are rejected.

255 BCE - 253 BCE: Roman fleets are wrecked by storms off Pachynus and Palinurus during the First Punic War.

255 BCE: A Carthaginain army led by the mercenary Spartan commander Xanthippus defeats two Roman legions near Tunis during the First Punic War.

249 BCE: Antaros withdraws his support from Carthage.

249 BCE: Carthage defeats Rome in a naval battle at Drepanum during the First Punic War.

247 BCE - 183 BCE: Life of Hannibal.

247 BCE: Hamilcar Barca raids southern Italy and then lands on Sicily during the First Punic War.

241 BCE: Roman naval victory off the Aegates Islands leads to victory over Carthage, ending the First Punic War.

241 BCE - 238 BCE: The rebellion of the mercenaries: Unpaid mercenaries under the leadership of Mathos and Spendios rebel against Carthage. Despite a peace treaty, Rome seizes the opportunity to strip Carthage of Sardinia and Corsica.

237 BCE: Hamilcar Barca arrives in southern Spain to expand Carthage's interests there. He makes his base at Gades and founds Acra Leuce.

229 BCE: Hasdrubal takes command of Carthage's armies in Spain.

226 BCE: Hasdrubal signs an agreement with Rome not to cross the Ebro river in Spain.

221 BCE: Hannibal takes command of Carthage's armies in Spain.

219 BCE: Hannibal crosses the Ebro river in Spain and sacks the city of Saguntum, Rome's ally, sparking off the Second Punic War.

218 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Trebia.

218 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Ticinus.

218 BCE: Hannibal leaves Spain to cross the Pyrenees and Alps into Italy.

218 BCE: Rome declares war on Carthage after Hannibal sacks Saguntum in Spain. The Second Punic War begins.

217 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Lake Trasimene.

216 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Cannae, the worst defeat in Roman history.

216 BCE: "Hannibal ante portas." Hannibal directly threatens the city of Rome, but cannot advance due to lack of supplies and reinforcements.

215 BCE: A Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal is defeated at the battle of Ibera in Spain.

214 BCE: Syracuse joins the side of Carthage in the Second Punic War.

212 BCE: A Carthaginian army is defeated in Sicily by a Roman army led by Marcellus. Syracuse falls to Rome who now control the island.

212 BCE: The Romans conquer Saguntum from the Carthaginians.

211 BCE: A Carthaginian army defeats two Roman consuls and their armies in the Tader valley, Spain.

209 BCE: Scipio Africanus captures the Carthaginian base and treasury Carthago Nova in southern Spain.

208 BCE: Scipio Africanus defeats a Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal at Baecula in Spain.

207 BCE: The Battle of the Metaurus River; Hasdrubal Barca of Carthage is defeated by Roman forces under Gaius Claudius Nero.

206 BCE: Scipio Africanus wins the battle of Ilipa in Spain.

206 BCE: Massinissa of Numidia betrays Carthage and joins forces with the Roman Republic.

206 BCE - 205 BCE: The Romans conquer Gades. End of the Carthaginian presence on the Iberian Peninsula.

204 BCE: Scipio Africanus sails to North Africa in the Second Punic War.

204 BCE - 203 BCE: Scipio Africanus wins two battles and besieges Utica in North Africa.

203 BCE: Carthaginian commander Mago is unable to join forces with Hannibal and his army is defeated in Cisalpine Gaul.

203 BCE: Hannibal is recalled from Italy to defend Carthage against Scipio Africanus.

203 BCE: Scipio Africanus defeats a Carthaginian army led by Hasdrubal in North Africa.

202 BCE: Battle of Zama: Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal, ending the Second Punic War.

202 BCE: Hannibal flees to Hadrumentum after losing the battle of Zama.

195 BCE: Facing the threat of being handed to the Romans after the Second Punic War, Hannibal flees to the Seleucid court of Antiochus III and becomes his advisor.

183 BCE: As an ambassador to the Hellenistic kingdom of Bithynia, T. Quinctius Flamininus, the general who defeated Macedon, demands that Hannibal should be surrendered in Roman hands. As king Prusias gives in, Hannibal commits suicide in the village of Libyssa, in order to escape captivity. The Roman Senate did not approve of Flamininus' action.

150 BCE: A Carthaginian army attacks Numidia, breaking the peace treaty agreed with Rome and sparking the Third Punic War.

149 BCE - 146 BCE: Third Punic War.

149 BCE: Rome sends an army of 80,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry to attack Carthage.

148 BCE: The Roman siege of Carthage, in its second year, remains unsuccessful.

147 BCE: Scipio Africanus the Younger takes over command of the siege of Carthage and builds a mole to block its harbour.

146 BCE: End of the Third Punic War. Carthage is destroyed and its lands become the Roman province Africa.

146 BCE: Scipio Africanus the Younger sacks Carthage and enslaves its population.

162 CE: The Antonine Baths at Carthage are completed.

439 CE: Vandals take Carthage from the Western Roman Empire and make it their new capital.

439 CE: Gaiseric captures Carthage and controls Mediterranean Sea.

478 CE: Death of Gaiseric at Carthage.