Ebro-treaty
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The Ebro Treaty was a treaty signed by Hasdrubal the Fair for Carthage and the Roman Republic which fixed the river Ebro in Iberia as the boundary between the two powers. Under the terms of the treaty, Carthage would not expand north of the Ebro, as long as Rome likewise did not expand to the south of the river.
In 219 BC, Rome, fearing the growing strength of Hannibal in Iberia, made an alliance with the city of Saguntum which lay a considerable distance south of the Ebro and claimed the city as its protectorate. Hannibal perceived this as a breach of the treaty and so laid siege to the city, which fell after eight months. Rome reacted to this apparent violation of the treaty and demanded justice from Carthage. The result was a declaration of war by Carthage on Rome. This became known as the Second Punic War, which lasted from 218 to 202 BC.
[edit] References
- Bagnall, Nigel, The Punic Wars, 1990, ISBN 0-312-34214-4
