Ancient Roman Wars and Battles: Long ago, battles raged across Europe and Asia as the powerful Roman Empire struggled to control vast lands and diverse people.

Ancient Roman Wars and Battles

Punic War

The First Punic War was fought against the people of Carthage. This war was fought from 264-241 BC. The Punic War was fought in order for whichever army one would gain control of Sicily. In order to get to Sicily to fight the Carthaginians, the Romans had to cross the straits of Messina on two legions.

When the Romans got to Sicily they had to fight off Syracuse and easily won but in order to keep Sicily, the Romans still had to fight the Carthaginians. When the Romans and the Carthaginians fought, it was one of the hardest sea battles in ancient times.

Second Punic War

Hannibal played an extremely important role in the second Punic war. One of the cities he attacked happened to be good friends with Rome. Rome decided to lend a hand.

But Rome did not send help to Spain. They declared war on Carthage, Hannibal’s hometown and the center of the Carthage Empire.

Third Punic War

At the end of the 3rd Punic war, Hannibal was caught fleeing Rome in a ship, but swallowed poison rather than die at the hands of his enemies.

Battle of Pydna

The Battle of Pydna in 168 BC between Rome and the Macedonian Antigonid dynasty represents the ascendancy of Rome in the Hellenic/Hellenistic world and the end of the Antigonid line of kings, whose power traced back to Alexander III of Macedon.

It is often considered to be the classic example of the Macedonian phalanx against the Roman legion and generally accepted as proving the superiority of the latter over the former.

Battle of Marathon

The Battle of Marathon during the Greco-Persian Wars took place in 490 BC and was the culmination of King Darius I of Persia’s first full-scale attempt to conquer

the remainder of Greece and incorporate it into the Persian Empire, which would secure the weakest portion of his western border. The longest-lasting legacy of Marathon was the double envelopment.

Battle of Carrhae

During the battle of Carrhae, in 53 B.C., seven Roman legions, some 50,000 men, marched into the searing Mesopotamian desert. They had come to this eastern province of the kingdom of Parthia seeking conquest and plunder but, deceived by a false guide and commanded by an arrogant blunderer, the legions were almost annihilated.

The Roman Wars and Battles proved to be massacred as it resulted in immense bloodshed and innumerable loss of lives. Many soldiers were also captured and enslaved. Their commander was decapitated, and his head was used as an ornament at the banquet of the Parthian king.

Roman battles in Britain

Roman invasion of Britain

Britain was the target of invasion by forces of the Roman Republic and Empire several times during its history. Aggressive Britain had long trading links with the Romans and their economic and cultural influence was a big part of the British late pre-Roman Iron Age.

After a series of cultural disagreements, the Romans became aggressive and invaded Britain. The invasion was led by Julius Caesar and was conducted mostly by the Roman military pounding away at defenses until they were weak enough for an army to invade.