羅馬與迦太基爭奪地中海三次開戰，每一場都更慘烈。到了第三次，迦太基不再存在。
Rome and Carthage fought three times for the Mediterranean; each war more brutal than the last. By the third, Carthage was gone.
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公元前 264 Rome 派兵援 Messana 的 Mamertines 傭兵團，介入西西里，引爆與 Carthage 的 23 年首次布匿戰爭。
In 264 BC, Rome intervened in Sicily to help the Mamertines at Messana, triggering a 23-year war with Carthage.
前 260 Duilius 率羅馬初建艦隊配「corvus」跳板登舷戰術，在 Mylae 首次海戰勝 Carthage。
In 260 BC, Duilius led Rome's young navy (using 'corvus' boarding bridges) to its first naval victory over Carthage at Mylae.
前 256 雙方合計 680 艘戰船、近 30 萬水手，Rome 勝後登陸北非。
In 256 BC, 680 ships and ~290,000 sailors clashed off Ecnomus—one of antiquity's largest naval battles. Rome won and invaded North Africa.
前 255 羅馬執政 Regulus 登陸北非初勝，談判被拒後被 Xanthippus 指揮的 Carthage 軍擊潰俘虜。
In 255 BC, Consul Regulus invaded North Africa; after refusing Carthage's terms, he was captured by Xanthippus's Carthaginian army.
前 241/3 Lutatius 率羅馬新艦隊在 Aegates 殲 Carthage 船團，逼 Carthage 求和終結 23 年戰爭。
In March 241 BC, Lutatius's new Roman fleet destroyed Carthage's at the Aegates Islands, forcing peace and ending the 23-year war.
前 241 Aegates 海戰後 Carthage 求和，簽 Lutatius 條約割西西里給 Rome，賠款 3,200 Talents。
After Aegates (241 BC), Carthage sued for peace—the Treaty of Lutatius ceded Sicily to Rome with an indemnity of 3,200 talents.
前 219/8 Hannibal 圍攻 Rome 盟城 Saguntum 長達 8 個月破城，Rome 次年對 Carthage 宣戰。
Hannibal besieged Rome's ally Saguntum for 8 months (219 BC); Rome declared war on Carthage the next year.
前 218/10 Hannibal 率 4 萬步兵、37 戰象翻越 Alps 入義大利，軍史奇蹟，開啟第二次布匿戰爭。
In October 218 BC, Hannibal crossed the Alps with 40,000 infantry and 37 war elephants—a military miracle—starting the Second Punic War.
前 218/12 Hannibal 誘羅馬軍渡冰冷 Trebia 河後設伏，殲 4 萬羅馬軍，入義大利首勝。
In December 218 BC, Hannibal lured Romans across the freezing Trebia and ambushed them, destroying 40,000 troops.
前 217/6 Hannibal 在 Trasimene 湖岸霧中伏擊 Flaminius 率羅馬軍，1.5 萬全殲，1.5 萬俘。
In June 217 BC, Hannibal ambushed Flaminius in fog by Lake Trasimene; 15,000 Romans killed and 15,000 captured.
8 月 2 日第二次布匿戰爭中迦太基將軍漢尼拔以 5 萬大軍以鉗形戰術包圍 8 萬羅馬軍，殺羅馬人 5 萬餘。是西方軍事史上最完美包圍戰例，但羅馬最終靠耐力反勝。
On August 2, in the Second Punic War, Carthaginian general Hannibal's 50,000 troops enveloped 80,000 Romans in a perfect double envelopment, killing over 50,000. The greatest tactical victory in Western military history — yet Rome's endurance ultimately won the war.
前 211 Rome 收復叛變盟邦 Capua，Hannibal 南義大利勢力瓦解，戰局逆轉。
Rome recovered Capua (which had defected to Hannibal) in 211 BC, collapsing Hannibal's position in southern Italy.
前 202/10 Scipio Africanus 在 Zama 以騎兵戰術擊敗 Hannibal，結束第二次布匿戰爭。
At Zama (Oct 202 BC), Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal using cavalry tactics, ending the Second Punic War.
前 201 Carthage 簽和，交艦隊、賠款 10,000 Talents、限未經 Rome 許可不得對外戰，降為從屬。
In 201 BC, Carthage surrendered its fleet, paid 10,000 talents, and agreed not to wage war without Rome's permission—becoming a client.
前 149 Rome 在 Cato 鼓吹下對 Carthage 宣戰；Carthage 交質出武器後 Rome 仍要求拆城遷移，拒絕後圍城。
In 149 BC, Rome declared war; despite Carthage surrendering weapons and hostages, Rome demanded the city be relocated—refused, siege began.
前 149 Cato the Elder 於每次演說結尾必言「迦太基必須毀滅」，Rome 終以 Carthage 違約反 Numidia 為藉口宣戰。
After Cato the Elder ended every speech with 'Carthago delenda est', Rome declared war in 149 BC using Carthage's response to Numidia as pretext.
前 147 Scipio Aemilianus（Africanus 養孫）任執政官，接指揮圍城嚴密推進，次年破城。
In 147 BC, Scipio Aemilianus (adopted grandson of Africanus) was elected consul, tightened the siege, and took Carthage next year.
Scipio Aemilianus 攻陷迦太基，殺 15 萬人、賣 5 萬奴，城市夷平、土地撒鹽。同年羅馬亦摧毀希臘 Corinth。地中海西半完全納入羅馬版圖，成「羅馬內海」。
Scipio Aemilianus stormed Carthage, killing 150,000 and enslaving 50,000. The city was leveled and salt sown on the soil. The same year Rome destroyed Greek Corinth. The western Mediterranean was now Rome's 'mare nostrum.'