World Timelines - North Africa - 800-150 BC Phoenicians and Greeks

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Map of North Africa - 800-150 BC Phoenicians and Greeks


Hannibal	The Greek colonies of North Africa	The Phoenician colonies of North Africa	The rise of Carthage

Events

631 BC

Greeks establish the city of Cyrene

510 BC

Carthage expels Greek colony from Tripolitania

509 BC

First Rome-Carthage trade agreement

480 BC

Battle of Himera: Greeks defeat Carthaginians; Carthaginians withdraw from Sicily

450 BC

Carthage controls area of modern Tunisia

409 BC

Warfare begins again between Carthage and Greek Sicily

310 BC

Troops led by Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, invade Carthage; Carthaginians sacrifice 500 children to Baal Hammon

308 BC

Carthage agrees not to interfere in Italy; Rome agrees not to interfere in Sicily

307 BC

Carthage defeats Agathocles

279 BC

Carthage besieges Syracuse but is defeated by Pyrrhus, king of Epirus

278 BC

Carthage and Rome agree an alliance against Pyrrhus of Epirus

264 BC

Beginning of the First Punic War between Carthage and Rome

260 BC

Battle of Lipari islands: Carthage defeats Roman navy

260 BC

Battle of Mylae: Rome defeats Carthage

258 BC

Battle of Sulcis: Rome defeats Carthaginian navy

257 BC

Battle of Tyndaris: Rome defeats Carthaginian navy

256 BC

Rome invades Carthaginian colonies in Africa

256 BC

Battle of Ecnomus: Rome defeats Carthaginian navy

255 BC

Battle of Adys: Rome defeats Carthaginian forces

255 BC

Battle of Bagradas: Carthage defeats Roman forces

255 BC

Battle of Tunis: Carthage defeats Roman troops; end of Rome's attack on African soil

250 BC

Rome besieges Lilybaeum

249 BC

Battle of Drepana: Carthage defeats Roman navy

241 BC

Battle of Aegates Islands: Rome defeats Carthage, who sue for peace

241 BC

Treaty of Lutatius between Rome and Carthage; end of First Punic War

240 BC

Payment disputes between Carthage and her mercenary forces leads to the Mercenary War

240 BC

Mercenaries take Tunis

238 BC

Battle of Utica: Carthaginians defeat mercenary forces

237 BC

Carthaginians, led by Hamilcar Barca, finally defeat mercenaries

218 BC

Start of Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome

218 BC

Hannibal Barca crosses the Alps

218 BC

Battle of Ticinus and Battle of the Trebia: Hannibal defeats Rome

217 BC

Battle of Lake Trasimene: Hannibal defeats Rome; 15,000 Romans killed

216 BC

Battle of Cannae: Hannibal defeats Rome

210 BC

Battle of Herdonea: Hannibal defeats Rome

209 BC

Rome, under Scipio, takes Carthago Nova (Cartagena) in Iberia

206 BC

Masinissa of east Nubia allies with Rome; Syphax of west Nubia allies with Carthage

204 BC

Scipio invades Africa

203 BC

Battle of Bagbrades (Great Plains): Scipio defeats Carthaginian forces; Hannibal recalled from Italy to Africa

203 BC

Battle of Cirta: Rome defeats Carthaginian ally Numidia

202 BC

Battle of Zama: Scipio defeats Hannibal; Carthage sues for peace

201 BC

Peace terms agreed; end of Second Punic War

193 BC

Masinissa of Numidia, a Roman ally, makes incursions against Carthage

183 BC

Hannibal takes poison to evade Roman capture

182 BC

Masinissa of Numidia, a Roman ally, again makes incursions against Carthage

172 BC

Masinissa of Numidia, a Roman ally, makes incursions against Carthage

162 BC

Masinissa of Numidia, a Roman ally, invades Carthage; Carthage asks for help from Rome but is denied

153 BC

Roman embassy to Carthage is alarmed by its renewed wealth and potential military strength

151 BC

Carthage completes war reparation payments to Rome

151 BC

Numidia attacks Carthaginian borders and besieges towns; Carthage retaliates but is defeated

151 BC

Rome begins planning military action against Carthage

North Africa

800-150 BC Phoenicians and Greeks

During this period, North Africa was seeded with colonies of first the Phoenicians and then the Greeks. The struggle for control of the western Mediterranean trade routes led to increasing hostilities between the Phoenician colonies, led by Carthage, and Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.

Having lost their trade routes to the Greeks, the Carthaginians gained control of northern Tunisia in order to guarantee sufficient food through improved, settled agriculture and looked to the native North African ‘kingdoms’ for additional supplies through trade. Critical shortages of manpower in their armies were alleviated by the employment of mercenaries, Libyan infantry, and Numidian light cavalry.

Through closer contacts with wider Mediterranean societies Berber federations were transformed into identifiable states playing a significant role in warfare and the politics of North Africa.The Roman general Scipio was greatly assisted in his defeat of Hannibal at Zama (202 BC), by the Massyli of eastern Numidia under their king Massinissa.

In 146 BC the Battle of Carthage ended the Third Punic War between Rome and Carthage and resulted in the destruction of the city and the enslavement of her citizens. Rome took Carthage and her territories in North Africa and they became part of the Roman Empire.

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