What was the basic cause of puic wars?

The Punic Wars were primarily caused by the intense rivalry between Rome and Carthage over control of trade routes and territory in the Mediterranean. The immediate trigger for the first war was a conflict over the Sicilian city of Messana, which both powers sought to control. Additionally, underlying factors included competition for resources, expansionist ambitions, and differing political systems between the two city-states. This rivalry ultimately led to three distinct wars between 264 and 146 BCE.