Rome's victories over Carthage in the Punic Wars positioned it as the greatest power in the western Mediterranean and helped launch wars of expansion across the entire Mediterranean region.
The conflicts of interest between the Carthaginian Empire and the expanding Roman Republic constituted the main cause of the Punic Wars. At the beginning the Romans aimed at expanding via Sicily which was under Carthaginian control. When the First Punic War kicked off, Carthage was the dominant power of the Western Mediterranean with a great maritime empire. However, Rome rapidly ascended power in Italy and in the Second Punic War, Carthage’s Hannibal failed a campaign in mainland Italy.
By the end of the Third Punic War after Rome conquered Carthage's empire, completely destroyed the city, and became the most powerful state of the Western Mediterranean.
