What was the basic cause of the punic wars

The main cause of the Punic Wars was the conflicts of interest between the existing Carthaginian Empire and the expanding Roman Republic. The Romans were initially interested in expansion via Sicily (which at that time was a cultural melting pot), part of which lay under Carthaginian control.

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The main cause of the Punic wars was the conflicts of interest between the existing Carthaginian empire and the expanding Roman republic. The Romans were originally interested in expansion by way of Sicily part of which lay under Carthaginian control.

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