(264-241 BC) began with disagreement over Sicily, where Rome and Carthage get dragged into a conflict between Syracuse and the Mamertines; the Mamertines control Messana, the port city between Sicily and mainland Italy, so the Romans do not want Carthage to gain control of it; Roman needed to develop navy in order to fight this battle on island of Sicily; Carthage runs out of money and surrenders Sicily Sig: shows Roman ingenuity - they gain proficiency at naval warfare/turn it in land warfare through boarding tactics; Romans fight to the last man, Carthage fights to last penny
The Romans needed a formidable navy to be able to win a war of attrition against the Carthaginians, bleeding them dry until they were forced to surrender Sicily.
That's because they were preparing for the biggest war in human history. This was the policy of militarism where building up a military was necessary to ensure that the people could fight against others. The number of soldiers in European armies increased twice in size in only 20 years between the 1890s and 1910s.
It is the "Great Chain of Being"--derived from the thinking of Plato and Aristotle-- that recognizes God as the ultimate authority in government and law, and of course over all humans and animals.
