12/21/2025
Rome and Carthage had fought two brutal Punic Wars, and by 149 BC, Carthage was weak but financially stable. A peace treaty after the Second Punic War (201 BC) strictly forbade Carthage from waging war without Rome's express permission.
Rome's ally, King Masinissa of Numidia, repeatedly raided and seized Carthaginian land. When Carthage finally raised an army to defend itself against Masinissa in 151 BC, Rome used this single act of "illicit military action" as the perfect excuse to launch the Third Punic War. Rome’s long-standing desire to eliminate Carthage, famously summarized by Senator Cato's cry, "Carthage must be destroyed" (Carthago delenda est), was finally put into motion.
Hoping for peace, Carthaginian leaders attempted to negotiate after the Roman army landed in North Africa. The Roman consuls made their first demand: surrender all weapons immediately. Reluctantly, Carthage agreed. They handed over massive amounts of material—including 200,000 sets of armour and 2,000 catapults—and even burned their entire fleet in the harbour.
Now defenceless, Carthage was given the final, crushing demand: abandon the great city completely and relocate 16 km (10 miles) inland. The city of Carthage, one of the most populous in the Mediterranean, was utterly dependent on its coastal location for trade and prosperity. This meant destruction even without a battle.
The Carthaginians refused this impossible demand, abandoning negotiations and resolving to defend their home. They quickly mobilised their citizens and freed slaves to form a new army and started forging weapons from scratch. Despite this heroic resistance, the Romans, led eventually by Scipio Aemilianus, launched their final assault in 146 BC.
Over six systematic days, the Romans destroyed Carthage and killed its inhabitants. In the end, up to 750,000 people may have died, and 50,000 survivors were captured and sold into slavery. The conquered territory became the Roman province of Africa, with Rome determined that the great city should remain forever in ruins.
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