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The period from the signing of the Treaty of Lutatius in 241 until the siege of Saguntum in 219 is often passed over by those learning about the Punic Wars, but it is integral to understanding how the Romans and Carthaginians went to battle once again. Rome fought to stem the tide of Celtic warbands invading from Northern Italy, whereas Carthage faced an existential crisis with the Mercenary War (241-237) before its rescue by Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar and his clan then expanded into Spain, building a powerbase which enabled his son Hannibal to challenge the Romans for supremacy in one of the greatest conflicts in antiquity.
