Editing Punic Wars (section)

===Africa===
In 213{{spaces}}BC [[Syphax]], a powerful [[Numidians|Numidian]] king in North Africa, declared for Rome. In response, Roman advisers were sent to train his soldiers and he waged war against the Carthaginian ally [[Gala (king)|Gala]].{{sfn|Edwell|2011|p=322}} In 206{{spaces}}BC the Carthaginians ended this drain on their resources by dividing several Numidian kingdoms with him. One of those disinherited was the Numidian prince [[Masinissa]], who was thus driven into the arms of Rome.{{sfn|Barceló|2015|p=372}}

====Scipio's invasion of Africa, 204–201 BC====
[[File:Publius Scipio's Invasion of Africa, 204–201 BC.png|upright=1.65|thumb|alt=a terrain map of northern Tunisia, with the manoeuvres of Scipio's army in 204–203 BC superimposed on it|{{center|[[Scipio Africanus|Scipio]]'s military campaign in Africa 204–203{{spaces}}BC}}]]
In 205{{spaces}}BC Publius Scipio was given command of the legions in Sicily and allowed to enrol volunteers for his plan to end the war by an invasion of Africa.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=286–288}} After landing in Africa in 204{{spaces}}BC he was joined by Masinissa and a force of Numidian cavalry.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=291–292}} Scipio gave battle to two large Carthaginian armies and destroyed both.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=310}} After the second of these, Syphax was pursued and taken prisoner by Masinissa at the [[battle of Cirta]]; Masinissa then seized most of Syphax's kingdom with Roman help.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=282–283}}

Rome and Carthage entered into peace negotiations and Carthage recalled Hannibal from Italy.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=298–300}} The Roman Senate ratified a draft treaty, but because of mistrust and a surge in confidence when Hannibal arrived from Italy Carthage repudiated it.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=287–291}} Hannibal was placed in command of an army formed from his and Mago's veterans from Italy and newly raised troops from Africa, but with few cavalry.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=302}} The decisive [[battle of Zama]] followed in October 202{{spaces}}BC.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=315}}{{sfn|Carey|2007|p=119}} Unlike most battles of the Second Punic War, the Romans had superiority in cavalry and the Carthaginians in infantry.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=302}} Hannibal attempted to use 80 elephants to break into the Roman infantry formation, but the Romans countered them effectively and they routed back through the Carthaginian ranks.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=291–293}} The Roman and allied Numidian cavalry then pressed their attacks and drove the Carthaginian cavalry from the field. The two sides' infantry fought inconclusively until the Roman cavalry returned and attacked the Carthaginian rear. The Carthaginian formation collapsed; Hannibal was one of the few to escape the field.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=315}}

The new peace treaty dictated by Rome stripped Carthage of all of its overseas territories and some of its African ones; an indemnity of 10,000 silver talents{{#tag:ref|10,000 talents was approximately {{convert|265|lt|kg|order=flip|abbr=in}} of silver.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=179}}|group=note}} was to be paid over 50 years; hostages were to be taken; Carthage was forbidden to possess war elephants and its fleet was restricted to 10 warships; it was prohibited from waging war outside Africa and in Africa only with Rome's express permission. Many senior Carthaginians wanted to reject it, but Hannibal spoke strongly in its favour and it was accepted in spring 201{{spaces}}BC.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=308–309}} Henceforth it was clear that Carthage was politically subordinate to Rome.{{sfn|Eckstein|2006|p=176}} Scipio was awarded a [[Roman triumph|triumph]] and received the {{lang|la|[[agnomen]]}} "Africanus".{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=318}}

Under the pressure of the war, the Romans developed an increasingly effective system of logistics to equip and feed the unprecedented numbers of soldiers they fielded. During the last three years of the war this was extended to the transporting by sea from Sicily to Africa of almost all the requirements of Scipio's large army. These developments made possible the subsequent Roman overseas wars of conquest.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=359–360}}