The Punic Wars were a series of conflicts between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean.

Hannibal, Carthage’s greatest general, led a daring invasion by crossing the Alps with war elephants, winning major battles in Italy.

However, Rome eventually turned the tide, defeating him at Zama.

After years of struggle, Rome decisively crushed Carthage in 146 BCE, destroying the city and securing its dominance, marking a key moment in its rise as a superpower.