Carthage takes Syracuse 396 BCE.

OTL Carthage besieged Syracuse in 397-396. They were on the cusp of taking the city. However, disease weakened the Carthaginians to the point where they could not continue. At this point Messina was also under Carthaginian control so effectively the conquest of Sicily would have been complete.

That puts Carthage in direct contact with Magna Grecia across the straits. That little town called Rome is still a minor power.

So, what does this do to long term Carthaginian and the prospects of their current and future rivals and how does this effect things culturally.
 
Carthage was a trading state. They didn't maintain large standing armies. Odds are they would put some Greek puppet in charge of Syracuse, and Greeks being Greeks, at some stage they are overthrown, or maybe there is a 'mission' from Sparta or Athens to liberate Syracuse. I don't see it staying Carthaginian for decades and them using it as a base to invade southern Italy.
 
Carthage was a trading state. They didn't maintain large standing armies. Odds are they would put some Greek puppet in charge of Syracuse, and Greeks being Greeks, at some stage they are overthrown, or maybe there is a 'mission' from Sparta or Athens to liberate Syracuse. I don't see it staying Carthaginian for decades and them using it as a base to invade southern Italy.

Peace treaties could also include an indemnity and trade concessions though; keeping Sicilian grain out of the Western Med market would be great for Carthaginian bussiness
 
It is interesting though. No one side ever totally took the island. They both came tantalizingly close. It would have been interesting had one of them done so.
 
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