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The Fall of The Great City of Carthage
The murky history of the Third Punic War
Carthage was a great regional power that contended with Rome for over a hundred years. Carthage and Rome struggled for power in the southern Mediterranean from around 270 BCE until 146 BCE. The series of three wars, known as the Punic Wars, destroyed Carthage and set Rome on its rapid rise to global domination.
The Punic Wars were some of the fiercest and most interesting conflicts ever fought. The climactic conclusion saw the great city of Carthage, the seat of power in North Africa and the counterbalance to Rome, utterly destroyed and abandoned—a strong message to the world about what would happen if you crossed Rome.
How did Carthage get destroyed? Who made the decision to raze the city? Why is the Third Punic War the most decisive, the least understood?
The Seeds of The Third Punic War
Rome had fought two previous wars against Carthage, sparring with the eminent Punic general Hanibal. In both cases, Rome won, despite suffering devastating losses. The Italian Peninsula was simply too populous and too agriculturally rich…
