WI: No Punic Wars

[EasternRomanEmpire]

Before the Punic Wars, relations between Rome and Carthage were very good and the two had strong commercial links.
The First Punic War was caused because the Mamertines, a group of mercenaries who controlled Messina, expelled the Carthaginian garrison of the city and replaced it with a Roman one; this angered the Carthaginians who allied with Syracuse and sieged Messina seeking revenge starting the war.
But what if the Carthaginians never accepted the Mamertines' help request and therefore didn't have any garrisons in the city?
Would Rome still conquer parts of Sicily? If yes how and when?
How would Rome's expansion continue?
Would the Barca still gain enough relevance to expand Carthage's territories in Iberia?

 

[UCB79]

Before the Punic Wars, relations between Rome and Carthage were very good and the two had strong commercial links.
The First Punic War was caused because the Mamertines, a group of mercenaries who controlled Messina, expelled the Carthaginian garrison of the city and replaced it with a Roman one; this angered the Carthaginians who allied with Syracuse and sieged Messina seeking revenge starting the war.
But what if the Carthaginians never accepted the Mamertines' help request and therefore didn't have any garrisons in the city?
Would Rome still conquer parts of Sicily? If yes how and when?
How would Rome's expansion continue?
Would the Barca still gain enough relevance to expand Carthage's territories in Iberia?

But- regardless of the Mamertines- I’m quite skeptical that two powerful & ambitious states would not sooner or later come up against each other & gone to war. In other words, even if the Mamertines had never existed, I think that sooner or later war between Carthage & Rome was inevitable.

 

[the man in the fly castle]

Unless the two countries faced a common enemy, such as Pyrrhus who survived and came with another army to take revenge.

 

[EasternRomanEmpire]

But- regardless of the Mamertines- I’m quite skeptical that two powerful & ambitious states would not sooner or later come up against each other & gone to war. In other words, even if the Mamertines had never existed, I think that sooner or later war between Carthage & Rome was inevitable.

Carthage wasn't very ambitious, the only thing the Carthaginian nobility cared about was trade so Rome isn't considered an enemy, especially if the Romans start civilizing barbarians as this would mean more persons to trade with.

Unless the two countries faced a common enemy, such as Pyrrhus who survived and came with another army to take revenge.

A surviving Pyrrhus would probably just go home and be forgotten, in the case he wanted to take revenge, the Carthaginians wouldn't care too much as it isn't any of their business and Pyrrhus would almost surely be beaten a second time.

 

[NedStark]

The problem is that Rome was a warfare state that had no doctrine other than unconditional surrender and it could not tolerate the existence of rivals and independent states around.

Anyway, if these wars never happened, Rome might have never begun its transition towards the Empire.

 

[EasternRomanEmpire]

The problem is that Rome was a warfare state that had no doctrine other than unconditional surrender and it could not tolerate the existence of rivals and independent states around.

Anyway, if these wars never happened, Rome might have never begun its transition towards the Empire.

Well Carthage wouldn't interfere with Roman affairs, Carthage isn't a rival as it doesn't prevent you from doing what you want. You shouldn't underestimate how difficult it was to defeat Carthage, most people wouldn't want to risk war with a friendly nation when they know how big of a disadvantage they are on a naval level

 

[EasternRomanEmpire]

Anyone else?