Unfortunately for Carthage, there was no way to stop Rome from conquering and destroying Carthage. A year before the Romans declared war on Carthage, the Carthaginians had lost about 50,000 soldiers in a war with its Numidian neighbor Masinissa, so they were in a much-weakened position. The Romans were urged on by Marcus Porcius Cato, […]
Was There Anything Carthage Could Have Done to Prevent its Destruction by Rome in the Third Punic War?
October 13, 2022 By Leave a Comment
What Happened to the Carthaginian Empire after The Battle of Zama?
August 26, 2022 By 2 Comments
After Hannibal’s defeat at Zama, Carthage was forced into a treaty on Roman terms. Scipio Africanus imposed an indemnity of ten thousand talents to be paid off over a fifty-year period. They lost all of their overseas territory and were confined to what is now Tunisia and perhaps part of what is now Libya. They […]
Was There Opposition in Rome to the Destruction of Carthage?
November 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment
The destruction of Carthage was not without opposition in Rome. Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder ended every speech in the Senate or in the Forum with the words “Cetera censeo Cartagine esse delendum!”- And furthermore I think that Carthage must be destroyed.” Publius Cornelius Nasica Corculum, the Pontifex Maximus, on the other hand, said “Carthage […]
How Was Rome Affected by the Punic Wars?
January 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment
The Punic Wars brought about Rome’s vast increase in power and at same time a significant moral decline. From the introduction in my book The Death of Carthage: “As warlike as they were, the Romans of the third century B.C. maintained certain principles that were gradually lost in the second century B.C.. The first of […]
Quora Question: How Did Rome Finally Defeat Carthage?
December 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Rome and Carthage fought three wars during the third and second centuries B.C. The first and second wars both ended with treaties on Roman terms. Some fifty years after the end of the Second Punic War, Rome was strongly influenced by an aged veteran of that war named Marcus Porcius Cato, AKA Cato the Elder. […]
Why Did Rome Spare the City of Carthage after the Second Punic War and then Destroy it Fifty Years Later?
September 14, 2019 By Leave a Comment
It was Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus who finally defeated Hannibal at the end of the Second Punic war. He imposed Roman terms on the city. They were generous terms in that they allowed Carthage autonomy with their own laws and government. The treaty forced Carthage to destroy all but five of their battleships, stop training […]
Why Did the Romans Destroy Carthage?
January 30, 2017 By 12 Comments
The Punic wars were a pivotal point in Roman history. Rome emerged from them literally ready and able to conquer the world. After the Second Punic War, Carthage was subdued. They were devoid of warships, war elephants and sources of mercenary soldiers. They could not even effectively defend themselves against their Numidian neighbors who […]
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