| The Republic |
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The Third Punic War
By
the time the Second Punic War had ended, Carthage was a mere shadow
of its former power. However, Hannibal proved to be as good a governor
as he was as a general, and soon Carthage recovered. However, Masinissa,
governor of Numidia and a strong ally of the Romans, was able to pick
at Carthage until Carthage attacked Numidia in 150 BC, breaking the
treaty that ended the Second War. Rome did little to stop Masinissa.
Whenever Carthage complained to Rome about his actions, Rome sent
a tribunal to them, and then decided in Masinissa's favor. Basically
Carthage was pushed into fighting again. Rome declared war on Carthage
in 149 BC, and an army landed in Africa after a long blockade. Carthage
surrendered, as they could not take the onslaught of Roman might.
The Roman terms were bitterly opposed by Carthage, as they called
for the physical destruction of the city. This was in no small part
due to the constant calls of Cato the Elder, who ended each speech
he made in the Senate with "Carthago delenda est!" (Carthage
must be destroyed). Carthage managed to withstand a siege for 3 years
before yielding. In 146, Scipio Aemilianus (S. Africanus Minor) stormed
and sacked Carthage, and Hannibal, not wanting to give the Romans
the pleasure of seeing him as a prisoner in Scipio's procession, committed
suicide. The Roman army then turned up stones, plowed the land over,
and salted it. By salting it, they guaranteed that no Carthage could
rise up from the ruins of the old. The territory was made into the
Roman province of Africa.
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