The Role of the Roman Navy in the Second Punic War

Despite the vast amount of modern research concerning the Second Punic War, the role the Roman navy played has been largely ignored. Instead, nearly all studies focus on the large-scale infantry engagements featuring Hannibal the Carthaginian general versus the leaders of the Roman Republic. This study aims to address this lacuna by highlighting the Roman navy’s role in the long-term victory over Carthage. An analysis of ancient ships and warfare strategies reveals that there were many limitations which hindered the ability of a fleet from operating along coastlines lacking friendly port cities. Due to a combination of geography, strategy and success in battle Rome was consistently able to exploit these limitations at Carthaginian expense. The implication being that the efforts of the navy were a significant factor in the eventual Roman victory.