On the open plain of Zama, the retreating Carthaginians had nowhere to run; chased down by horsemen, very few of these escaped. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Jun 2016. what was the punishment for treason in Rome? Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. Why did Carthage want Sicily? - Heimduo It was one of the greatest military feats in history. This aggression provoked war with Carthage and Syracuse. Just how many slaves were at Carthage can only be guessed at as richer citizens would have had many and poor citizens probably not even one. Related Content However, by that time the legionnaires had become nearly exhaustedand they had yet to close with the third line, which consisted of Hannibals veterans from his Italian campaign (i.e., his best troops). Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 06 July 2016. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. We know that Carthage itself was equipped with artillery machines for defence. Some of Scipios Roman forces were reinvigorated veterans from Cannae who sought redemption from that disgraceful defeat. Books Although both countries were comparable in military power and economic strength the two nations had different military advantages: Carthage had a strong naval power while Rome had almost no naval power, but had a stronger ground force. what was the perspective of the author in the twelve tables? He sought to compensate for the loss of Sicily by acquiring a dominion in Spain where Carthage might gain new wealth and form a fresh base of operations against Rome. Carthaginian society was composed of an eclectic mix of native citizens, North Africans. The most important positions in the Carthaginian government such as the Senate and its committees were not salaried, and so, by necessity, only those with a private income could afford to hold public office. This is similar to the percentage at other tophets such as on Tharros. -showed how they were unequal, but tried to be equal. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Indeed, this was a criticism of Aristotle when commentating on Carthage that such a preoccupation with wealth would lead inevitably to a self-interested oligarchy dominating society. World History Encyclopedia. During a siege, they also employed battering rams, mobile siege towers, mounds, and mining to overcome enemy fortifications. Cartwright, Mark. What advantage did the Carthaginians have over the Romans? They didn't revolt. Third Punic War, also called Third Carthaginian War, (149146 bce), third of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) Empire that resulted in the final destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its population, and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. National Geographic Societys Expedition Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Just like in any large city, there were all the professions needed for a thriving population with money to spend: teachers, doctors, architects, cooks, shopkeepers, cobblers, fishermen, scribes, chariot-makers, and so on. Carthage, on the other hand, had long been anxious to conquer Sicily and so to complete the chain of island posts by which it controlled the western Mediterranean. War could not be conducted without divine sanction. Scipios cavalry then charged the opposing Carthaginian cavalry on the wings; the latter fled and were pursued by Masinissas forces. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. View this answer. The larger ships were decked and would have carried complements of armed men, both archers and marines armed with spears, javelins, and swords, who could board enemy vessels given the opportunity. Best Answer. Once his allies had arrived, Scipio had about the same number of troops as Hannibal (around 40,000 men), but his 6,100 cavalrymen, led by the Numidian ruler Masinissa and the Roman general Gaius Laelius, were superior to the Carthaginian cavalry in both training and quantity. The first and second Punic wars (264241 bce and 218201 bce) had effectively deprived Carthage of its political power. According to Livy, Hannibal told Scipio, What I was years ago at Trasimene and Cannae, you are today. Scipio is said to have replied with a message for Carthage: Prepare to fight because evidently you have found peace intolerable. The next day was set for battle. Inscriptions on Punic stelae describe many temples to many different deities at Carthage, but unfortunately, very little remains of them exist in the archaeological record due to the destruction of the city by the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE. why? Thousands of examples survive of these votive markers and are powerful evidence that the Carthaginian religion was practised by all levels of society. Some women's names crop up as inscriptions on religious dedications where they are referenced to by either their husband's or father's name. -yes License. Demeter and Persephone (Kore) were especially popular and were incorporated into the Punic pantheon following a series of military disasters which the Carthaginians ascribed to their unwise destruction of the goddesses' temple at Syracuse in 396 BCE. Despite the importance of such goddesses as Tanit/Astarte in the Carthaginian religion and the myth of the city's founding by Queen Dido (Elissa), women were not granted citizenship and so could not participate in the political life of the city.