Download What happened next information: Event E: The Third Punic War

What happened next information: Event E: The Third Punic War
The destruction of Carthage by the Romans at the end of the Third
Punic War.
What happened next?
-After declaring war, the Roman leaders were determined to destroy and humiliate Carthage. An army of
80,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry was quickly assembled and sent to North Africa. Then, the Romans
issued a series of cruel demands, giving the impression that they would not attack the city of Carthage if
the Carthaginians accepted certain conditions. First, they insisted that the Carthaginians turn over 300
children from noble families to be used as hostages during negotiations. The Carthaginians complied, but
negotiations never began, and the children were never returned. Then, the Romans demanded that all
weapons and machines of war be turned over to them. Again, Carthage agreed, and surrendered arms for
100,000 men and 2,000 catapults. Still the Romans were not satisfied. They summoned the Carthaginian
representatives, and announced that all citizens of Carthage would have to leave the city and rebuild 10
miles inland. This was too much. The Carthaginians refused and prepared to defend themselves.
-Carthaginians put up a valiant but unsuccessful effort to defend their homes. They freed all their slaves
and made them citizens so as to enlist their help for the war. The rich citizens gave up all of their wealth
so that the government could purchase materials to make weapons. Every open space was turned into a
workshop to produce armaments. Men and women worked all day and night to produce 100 shields, 300
swords, 1,000 missiles for catapults, and 500 darts and spears. Women cut off their hair to provide fiber
for ropes since no other material was available. Carthaginians held off the Romans for three years, but
finally their walls were breached, and after a bloody battle, the city fell in 146 B.C.E. The Roman army
torched the city, and it burned for 17 days. The ancient Greek writer, Appian, captured some of the
horrors of this even in his Roman History: "The fire spread and carried everything down... many fell dead
under the collapsing stones. Still others... were torn asunder into all kinds of horrible shapes, crushed and
mangled." When the fire died out, the Romans tore down all remaining buildings, sowed salt into the
earth so that it would never be fit for agriculture, and sold the 50,000 survivors into slavery.
-So complete was the destruction of Carthage that, even to this day, archaeologists have discovered only a
few ancient artifacts in the area. A few tombs, some badly ruined buildings, a number of coins, and a few
pieces of pottery are all that remain of this once-great civilization. No Carthaginian literature, major
sculptures, artistic works, or religious temples have been uncovered.
Conclusion:
Expansion of the Roman Empire after the Punic Wars
-The wars with Carthage had a momentous effect on Roman military expansion in the Mediterranean
region. Victory in the First Punic War (264 - 241 B.C.E.) left Rome with control of Sicily, and eventually
neighboring Sardinia and Corsica. During the Second Punic War (218 - 201 B.C.E.), in addition to
taking control of Spain, Roman armies began to acquire territory in the eastern Mediterranean. Philip V
of Macedon had entered into an alliance with Carthage during the Second Punic War and had plotted
with the king of Syria to divide Egypt between them. The Romans sent an army into the east to punish
Philip and to forestall the execution of his plans. The result led to the eventual Roman conquest of Greece,
Macedonia, Syria, Asia Minor, and Palestine in later years. Finally, victory in the Third Punic War (149
- 146 B.C.E.) left Rome with control of most of North Africa.
-Rome continued its expansion into the western Mediterranean in the years following the Punic Wars. In
the 50s B.C.E., the Romans sent Julius Caesar into Gaul (present-day France) to subdue the fierce tribes
there. Caesar spent 9 years in Gaul, during which time he turned the area now known as France,
Belgium, Switzerland, and parts of southern Holland and western Germany into a single Roman
province. He also led two invasions of Britain, laying the foundation for future conquest there. By the
time of Caesar's death in 44 B.C.E., Rome controlled nearly all of the land surrounding the
Mediterranean Sea. These conquests made Rome the most powerful nation in the western world.
However, territorial expansion created tremendous social and economic problems for the leaders of the
Roman Republic.