Like most nations both in the present and past, there is one country or empire that always seems to be at war with each other. In the case of the Roman Republic, that empire appears to be that of the Carthaginians. These wars were labeled the Punic Wars and in total there were three Punic Wars, all spanning a time span of over 100 years. Many historians agree that these wars were probably the largest wars ever to occur in that time period, much like the two world wars of our modern times. The Punic Wars proved important in the transformation of Rome, both physically and economically because they allowed the Romans to conquer the western empire of Carthage, which consequently gave Rome control of the entire western Mediterranean Sea. Thus giving them room to expand their already growing empire with new territories, but also through the numerous and diverse trade routes opened to them with the surrounding countries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Punic Wars took place in the years 264 BC and 146 BC, covering a time period of over 118 years. In total there were three Punic Wars, all fought between the empires of Carthage and Rome with the aim of conquering more territory, both for military and economic reasons. The First Punic War began with the dispute over the ownership of the strategic islands of Sicily and Corsica and ended with the victory of Rome. The Second War began after the invasion of Italy and ended with Rome possessing the entire Western Empire of Carthage. Finally, the third war ended with Rome taking full control of Carthage and making it one of the many nations that Rome had conquered. These Punic Wars helped transform Rome economically because they opened up trade in the Mediterranean. The Carthaginians were experienced and very knowledgeable merchants, however, after their defeat by Rome, the entire western Mediterranean Sea was left open to the Romans to buy/trade/sell. This allowed the Roman Republic to dominate the trade market and also enabled the Roman conquest of Greece, because the Greeks were too busy trying to outdo each other to not notice Rome's attempts to assert its own dominant power. The Punic Wars had one main reason for being fought, and that was the power-hungry leaders who once ruled Rome under its ever-expanding empire. The Romans planned and were interested in the expansion of their Empire through Sicily, which also constituted a point of strategic military advantage. However, there was a problem, and that was that Sicily was under the control of the Carthaginians, so naturally the two empires went to war. Ultimately, Rome emerged victorious and conquered the empire of Carthage, and is on its way to becoming the most powerful empire in the western Mediterranean. After Rome gained supremacy in the western Mediterranean, it continued to invade other countries such as Greece and other African states of the time. Thus starting a chain reaction until the final collapse of Rome, when they could not afford to maintain their authority figure over any country but their own. This also ultimately caused a rupture in Roman society. Where the rich have only gotten richer and the poor have only gotten poorer. Thus creating a period of turmoil and political instability that led Rome to be plagued by revolts and civil wars between politicians and citizens or even between politicians against politicians. In today's terms, an empire is composed of several countries or nations that were once led by their own leader, but have now been grouped into one.