The Influence of Spanish Mines on Roman Victory in the Second Punic War

The idea that one factor can win a war seems preposterous, yet Rome’s acquisition of the Spanish mines turned the tides of the Second Punic War in their favor. While most scholars agree Rome’s conquest of the Spanish mines was a step in defeating Carthage, there is no consensus that the mines directly influenced the war. The accounts of ancient Roman historians Titus Livius and Pliny the Elder, as well as Greek historian Diodorus, attest to the unparalleled amount of precious metals the Spanish mines produced--treasure capable of stimulating Roman economy. Modern scholarship agrees controlling precious metals sources allowed Rome to cripple Carthaginian economy, pay its soldiers, expand its treasury, and prevent economic collapse. Because the Roman Republic depended on the Spanish mines to fund their campaigns against Carthage, Roman ownership of the mines was the single decisive factor that contributed to Rome’s victory in the Second Punic War.