Carthage – what might have been

Posted by: Godboko on Fri, 15 February 2008 14:35:16 -06:00 (334 Reads)

Originally a small Phoenician trade post founded around about the 9th centaury BC, it gradually rose to become the largest trade centre in the western Mediterranean and controller of the large empire covering the much of the coast in North Africa in the Western Meditation, Sardinia, Corsica, Western Scilly and part of the South Coast of Spain. Carthage’s fleet was one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean world and their sailor considered some of the best.

Their land army was not a famed and was mainly made up of mercenaries, although the Numidian cavalry would become famous.

By 3rd centaury BC only Rome remained as a challenge to Carthaginian dominance of the western Mediterranean, although nominally allies conflict was growing between the two powers. The War itself broke out in 264 BC as a result of a local conflict in Scilly but sooner or later it would of happened. The Roman land power took on the Carthaginian sea power and a 20-year war dragged on. The Roman armies would steadily advance across Scilly, but Carthaginian Naval power would prevent a decisive victory. Rome however would master the arts of Naval warfare and would eventually secure victory at sea. The cost of defeat was heavy for Carthage with Rome acquiring Scilly, Sardinia and Corsica as the result of their victory and a heavy financial indemnity was imposed on Carthage.

Although the defeat wounded Carthaginian power, it did not destroy it. Expansion into mineral rich Spain began a Carthaginian recovery. In order to avoid future conflict an agreement was reached (226 BC) to dividing Spain into spheres of influence, south of the River Ebro was Carthaginian and north Roman. However Spain as mineral rich and Carthaginian expansion allowed a recovery in Carthaginian power and once more Rome had a rival in the Western Mediterranean. War was steadily seen as inevitable. The fuse was lit in Spain where, although far to the South of the Ebro, the Romans allied with the city of Saguntum. The Carthaginians immediately attacked (219BC) the city and Rome declared war. The second Punic war began (218BC).

The 2nd Punic war would span the whole of the western Mediterranean but would be most famously be remembered for Hannibal’s march over the Alps. Hannibal is regarded as one of histories great commanders, up there with Napoleon and Alexander the Great, and it would be the 2nd Punic war that would establish this reputation. The end of the 1st Punic war had turned Rome into a Naval power, any attempt to invade Italy by sea would be fraught with danger, this left only the overland route from Spain. Marching quickly he was able to move faster than the Roman army sent to intercept and would shock the Romans by his arrival into Northern Italy. Hannibal would remain in Italy for nearly 15 years inflicting several defeats on the Romans; the most famous and complete of these is the Battle of Cannae where a Roman consular army was all but destroyed. Hannibal would remain unbeaten in those 15 years but never had enough forces to win the war decisively in Italy. It would be defeats elsewhere that would bring about the withdrawal of Hannibal by sea.

While the unbeatable Hannibal’s army was active in Italy the Romans had to pursue an alternative strategy. They dispatched troops to Spain (210BC) to conquer the Carthaginian territories there under the command of the young Publius Cornelius Scipio (who would become know as Africanus for his achievements in the war). His successes in Spain made him a hero with the Roman masses and he used the popularity to be elected consul despite being technically too young (205BC). The new consul mimicked Hannibals tactics and lead his army into Africa to attack Carthage directly. His victories there forced Carthage to risk a felt to bring Hannibal home from Italy. In 202 BC Hannibal met Africanus at the Battle of Zama (202BC), in modern Tunisia, which ended in a decisive Roman Victory and ended the 2nd Punic War. Carthaginian Spain was annexed by the Romans and a large portion of Carthaginian Africa was made into independent Kingdoms allied to Rome. The rump state of Carthage was then crippled with a huge indemnity.

Yet once more Carthage began to recover, in took nearly 50 years, but Carthage paid the Roman indemnity. However at the same time there were those in Rome who could not forget the danger Hannibal had posed and believed that recovering Carthage was a threat. The most famous of these was Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder who would end every speech with “Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam” (Moreover, I advise that Carthage must be destroyed). Just prior to his death Cato the Elder would get his wish and war would once more break out. The 3rd Punic war would begin in 149BC when a Roman army landed in Africa. For the next 3 years they would siege Carthage until the city fell. The remaining Carthaginian lands in Africa were annexed by Rome as a new province.

The struggle for mastery in the Western Mediterranean spanned nearly 100 years, although the Roman historians would point to the inevitability of the Roman triumph, the sheer length of the wars makes this seem less obvious. If the dice had fallen another way it could have been the Phoenician city on the coast of Africa that came out on top.

Notes from the editor

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