Answer:
The Roman Republic began to expand when Rome fought the Punic Wars and defeated Carthage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Punic Wars were the wars between Carthage and the Roman Republic. These powers came into conflict with each other because their spheres of influence both expanded in the western half of the Mediterranean. The first battles broke out after the Romans sent an army to Sicily, an island that had been in Carthaginian influence under an earlier contract. Both made frequent use of local allies, who were rarely reliable. Carthage initially prevailed, but Rome finally won. Three wars were fought between the Carthaginians and the Romans between 264 and 146 BC.