Wednesday 3 October 2007

Punic Wars

As a way of practising rhetoric, ancient Roman scholars engaged in competitions involving word play. Like the Olympic Games before them, these grew in significance until they became international in character. Some controversial judging decisions at the 264 B.C. games held in Sicily led to a disastrous and bloody conflict between Carthage and Rome which lasted, on and off, for 118 years. These became known as the Punic Wars.