The Roman conquest of North Africa is, in the prevailing view, less interesting than Rome’s European adventures. In truth, one of the first lands Rome annexed beyond the Italian peninsula was the area around Carthage in North Africa. Carthage and Rome had been in conflict, (called the Punic Wars) since 264 BCE for control of trade along the Mediterranean coast. In 202 BCE, during the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal devised a clever plan, in violation of most military wisdom, to march through the high Alps to attack the Roman heartland. The cold weather and steep terrain severely stressed Hannibal’s forces, many of whom rode elephants. The Romans resisted Hannibal’s attacks, and his bold invasion force collapsed.
In the end, Rome finished off Carthage in the Third Punic War (149-146 BCE). At its apex in 117 CE, Rome controlled all of North Africa and territories from the Persian Gulf to Britain.