Oarsmen were expected to fight in landing operations and help build siege engines but not in ship-to-ship battles. One Hasdrubal is known to have crucified the Iberian prince Tagua, a Celtic leader named Indortes was blinded before he was crucified, and the Roman general Regulus was put inside a barrel lined with spikes and then rolled through the streets of Carthage. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Religion/. Ancient Carthage. The elite class of Carthage dominated the important religious posts. Defeated leaders could expect no better and were often cruelly executed. They had a general, unlike the Romans This left Rome free to land a force on Corsica (259) and expel the Carthaginians but did not suffice to loosen their grasp on Sicily. Up to the 3rd century BCE war chariots were used, but their limitation of requiring good terrain saw their eventual abandonment in favour of more mobile cavalry. Cite This Work Each ethnic group would have had their own, such as the Celtic wild boar image, and shield blazons were also used to identify who was who. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. The Battle of Zama left Carthage helpless, and the city accepted Scipios peace terms whereby it ceded Spain to Rome, surrendered most of its warships, and began paying a 50-year indemnity to Rome. Priestess of Isis on a Carthaginian Sarcophagus Lid. We can imagine they were similar to Phoenician temples such as Solomon's described in the Bible as designed by Phoenicians and Melqart's temple at Tyre, described by Herodotus. The oldest such structures date to the 7th century BCE and so illustrate Carthage's prosperity and booming population early in the city's history. The Roman commander, nevertheless, persisted in throwing troops into the city, and, by seizing the Carthaginian admiral during a parley, induced him to withdraw. Web. Some of Scipios Roman forces were reinvigorated veterans from Cannae who sought redemption from that disgraceful defeat. what innovation did they create, to overcome this disadvantage? Their loyalty, rather, was expected and received in times of dire stress during the Second Punic War and the siege of Carthage in the Third Punic War when slaves were granted their freedom in return for military service. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The army of Carthage the city was composed of heavily armoured infantry drawn from the citizenry. (252). We care about our planet! Their armies had different advantages: Carthage was a naval power and Rome was stronger in land battles. World History Encyclopedia. Catapults could be mounted on the deck of these large vessels but were probably limited to siege warfare and not used in ship-to-ship battles. Battle of Zama, (202 bce), victory of the Romans led by Scipio Africanus the Elder over the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal. The Carthaginians are one of history's greatest what-if civilizations. Cartwright, M. (2016, June 16). The Romans had presumed that the Alps created a secure natural barrier against invasion of their homeland. A committee of 10 senators was responsible for state religious matters. Nevertheless, access to the elite was open to anyone who could acquire the financial means. The loss of naval supremacy not only deprived the Carthaginians of their predominance in the western Mediterranean but exposed their overseas empire to disintegration under renewed attacks by Rome. Punic Stele with Goddess TanitCarole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA). Cartwright, Mark. Carthaginian MercenariesThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). Religious ceremonies could also take place at natural features like rivers and springs as these were often held as sacred by the Carthaginians. The Carthaginian generals Hannibal and his brother Mago were accordingly recalled from their campaigns in Italy. The inherent weaknesses in the Carthaginian army - disparate groups of sometimes disloyal mercenaries, confused command structures, and an over-reliance on heavy infantry and war elephants - meant that Carthage was, ultimately, unable to maintain its position as a Mediterranean superpower and keep pace with mighty Rome. Citizens were organised into memberships (mizrehim) or family clubs which were distinguishable from each other via their devotion to a specific god, the profession of their members, or perhaps even composed of those who had fought together in battle. The inhabitants of Carthage were known to the Romans as Poeni, a derivation from the word Phoenikes (Phoenicians), from which the adjective Punic is derived. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In 263 the Romans advanced with a considerable force into Hierons territory and induced him to seek peace and alliance with them. Hannibal, however, showed a willingness to adapt superior enemy tactics and formations such as after the Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 BCE) when he likely adapted the more flexible Roman maniple troop deployment as opposed to the more static phalanx. In ancient Rome, a member of the privileged upper class. Temples were built in their honour, ceremonies were overseen by a priestly class, sacrifices were made to appease them, and their imagery appeared on ships, coins, and in the arts. Most Carthaginian gods were inherited from the Phoenicians, but these were adapted, and their names and functions evolved over time. At Mylae (Milazzo), off the north Sicilian coast, their admiral Gaius Duilius defeated a Carthaginian squadron of superior maneuvering capacity by grappling and boarding. The temper of the Roman people was soon made manifest during a conflict which broke out between the Carthaginians and their discontented mercenaries. The battle took place at a site identified by the Roman historian Livy as Naraggara (now Sqiyat Sd Ysuf, Tunisia). Mago, who had sustained battle wounds during a losing engagement in Liguria (near Genoa), died at sea during the crossing. The size of the Carthaginian fleet changed depending on the period, but according to the ancient historian Polybius, Carthage had a fleet of 350 ships in 256 BCE. Corrections? Carthaginian Warfare has been overshadowed by defeat to Rome in the Punic Wars, but for six centuries before that Carthage was remarkably successful in conquering lucrative territories in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and Sicily.By combining the finest mercenary armies with their own elite forces and huge naval fleet, Carthage was able to dominate the western Mediterranean and protect . The name Zama was given to the site (which modern historians have never precisely identified) by the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos about 150 years after the battle. Polybius and Livy claim 20,000 Carthaginian killed and an equal number of prisoners; of the Romans, 1500 died at Zama. who did the romans fight against in the punic wars? What disadvantage did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? Corrections? 12,000 Romans were killed against 800 Carthaginians. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Cartwright, Mark. Books Sometimes during a long conflict even new temples were built to such important deities as Tanit, Melqart, and Baal Hammon to please them and make sure their support did not waver. Of his three battle lines, only his seasoned veterans from Italy (between 12,000 to 15,000 men) were accustomed to fighting Romans; they were positioned at the rear of his formation. All of these ploys helped to reassure the common soldier that they were fighting on the right side with the best general. The elite class dominated the religious posts of Carthage too. The Carthaginian council upheld Hannibals action and drew upon itself a declaration of war. 01 May 2023. Aside from naval battles, the Carthaginian fleet was also vital for transporting armies, resupplying them by providing an escort for transport ships, coastal raids, attacking enemy supply ships, blockading enemy ports, and relieving Carthaginian forces when they were themselves besieged. The ships were the trireme with three banks of rowers, the quadrireme, and quinquereme. Punic Wars: Definition, Scipio & Carthage - HISTORY Hannibal, he gathered 46,000 men, many horses, and 37 elephants. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 June 2016. These conventions further confirm that Carthage, as with most other ancient societies, was a male-dominated society in every respect. In addition, the Carthaginians were not averse to equipping themselves with the arms and armour of their fallen enemies. Polytheistic in nature, such important Phoenician gods as Melqart and Baal were worshipped in the colony alongside new ones such as Tanit. "Hamilcar barca", means they could strike fast and attack from anywhere without warning. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. 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. What advantage did the Carthaginians have over the Romans? 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. if you were a roman citizen reading this description, how would you feel? World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. going roof to roof, collecting their power as they take over house by house until they are left with all power in that specific location. The prolonged prosperity of the city during much of its history, based as it was on the labour of others, was probably the most significant reason why the citizens of Carthage acquiesced to rule by an elite aristocracy. Similarly, the Phoenician gods Eshmun (an equivalent of Adonis but also identified as Asclepius by the Greeks, suggesting he had an association with healing at Carthage), Reshef (the god of fire and lightning, linked to Apollo by the Greeks), and Rasap (associated with warfare) were worshipped at Carthage but again with slightly different connotations such as Reshef (a form of Rasap) and Shadrap (associated with snakes and healing). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). so that all people, no matter the social class, could be treated equally, no, they treat slaves with lesser value, so there is not total equality. He supplemented his original landing force of some 25,000 with local recruits and amassed a 50,000-strong army which included 100 elephants. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Warfare/. By a magnificent effort on the part of private citizens a fleet of 200 warships was equipped and sent out to renew the blockade of Lilybaeum. -showed how they were unequal, but tried to be equal. 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. Hannibal was a military leader from Carthage. It is possible that citizens of allied city-states and those from Sidon and Tyre had certain privileges above those of other foreigners, and they would have enjoyed equality before the law, if not the political status, of Carthage's citizens proper. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. 01 May 2023. His work was continued by his son-in-law Hasdrubal and his son Hannibal, who was placed at the head of the army in 221. To avoid complete humiliation Carthage had no resource but to humiliate its adversary. Hannibal, too, was not the only Carthaginian general that deified himself and took on the appearance of the god. View this answer. First, the elephants were not well trained. They lived in the large residential areas of the city in tightly-packed modest homes built of adobe brick, some even multi-storied (up to six floors) to house several families. He landed his forces in Spain and the Marched east to attack Italy. These conquests aroused the suspicions of Rome, which in a treaty with Hasdrubal confined the Carthaginians to the south of the Ebro. Carthaginian War ElephantThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). The Romans crushed the soldiers of the first line and then those of the second. In 219 Hannibal laid siege to Saguntum and carried the town in spite of a stubborn defense. Cartwright, Mark. Carthage - National Geographic Society In 251 or 250 the Roman general Lucius Caecilius Metellus at last brought about a pitched battle near Panormus in which the enemys force was effectively crippled. Tradesmen lived in specific areas with potters and metalworkers congregating outside the city walls to the south and along Lake Tunis, for example. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Slaves were either conquered peoples or brought from slave markets and were used for all manner of tasks, professional or menial, in the city and in the countryside, as well as in the Carthaginian navy during the Punic Wars. This would suggest that a handful of families who could trace their lineage back to the founding of the city and the original colonisers from Tyre had a distinct advantage in running for public office. what advantages did the carthaginians have? While Pyrrhus was still fighting battles in Sicily and facing heavy losses, he received information from Tarentum that it was difficult to defend the city on their own and that they needed assistance. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Priests would have enjoyed a high status as they performed rituals and sacrifices (both animal and human) in honour of the Punic gods. 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). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. While this was the Romans only naval defeat in the war, their fleet had suffered a series of grievous losses by storm, and now it was so reduced that the attack upon Sicily had to be suspended. The head of the priests (rb khnm) was also a member of the Senate and the influential Council of 104. From this episode it became clear that Rome intended to use the victory to the utmost. As with most other ancient cultures warfare for the Carthaginians was, like any other state activity, inseparable from religious beliefs. Hannibal famously swore an oath to the god in 237 BCE when, aged 9, he stated that he would forever be the enemy of Rome. World History Encyclopedia. Such a large geographical spread of interests required a naval fleet to safeguard both the ships which plied their trade across the seas and the ports which gave them protection and access to lucrative hinterlands. There are also tales of prisoners being executed en masse, sometimes imaginatively as in one case where elephants were used to trample the unarmed captives. C. paid soldiers to force the Carthaginians out of the city. Although the Carthaginians consented to make reparation by giving 300 hostages and surrendering their arms, they were goaded into revolt by the further stipulation that they must emigrate to some inland site at least 10 miles (16 km) from the sea, making impossible the commerce by sea that drove the city's economy. After the Roman Republic beat Carthage in the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), the Carthaginians looked for ways to strengthen themselves militarily and economically. The victim's ashes were then placed in an urn topped with a stone. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Jun 2016. Hannibal arrived too late to prevent Masinissa from joining up with Scipio, leaving Scipio in a position to choose the battle site. Artisans also formed guilds and collectively provided the money to improve and maintain their area of the city. This aggression provoked war with Carthage and Syracuse. Further, human sacrifices in ancient sources are almost always the children of rulers and the ruling class, as the gods, apparently, were not to be moved by the sacrifice of the common people. This strategy could be countered by spreading one's ships as wide as possible but not too much so as to allow a diekplous attack. 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. Besides two slave revolts at the beginning and middle of the 4th century BCE, when slaves joined the rebel Libyans and then the Carthaginian leader Hanno in wider uprisings, there is no mention of any other unrest over the centuries. The most notorious example of this, recounted by the ancient historian Diodorus, was when Agathocles, the tyrant of Syracuse, invaded North Africa in 310 BCE. The more successful commanders not only possessed the military skills to exploit the unique situations of individual battles and the weaknesses of their enemies but also the ability to mould their own mercenary fighting force into a homogenous unit. License. The commander of a Carthaginian army or naval force (rab mahanet) was selected for the duration of a specific war, usually from the ruling family. (like the persian emipire) its how the earth balances itself out, writing and publicly displaying laws (twelve tables), republican government, but the plebeians demanded it. The only reason they won this was because a storm sank a Carthaginian vessel, which the Romans copied. Founded by the Phoenicians in the ninth century BC, Carthage reached its height in the fourth century BC as one of the largest metropolises in the world [4] and the centre of the . Carthage was an accomplished practitioner of warfare for centuries acquiring new territories & resources, & safeguarding ITs vast trade network. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Hannibal escaped from the battle and went to his estates in the east near Hadrumetum for some time before he returned to Carthage. Thank you! -suffering capital punishment Cartwright, M. (2016, July 06). In 260 the Romans built their first large fleet of standard battleships. His main attack was delivered on the harbour side, where he effected an entrance in the face of a determined and ingenious resistance. This brutality did sometimes serve a political purpose for canny generals could then seem especially generous when they treated the defeated well, they could encourage enemy cities to capitulate without much bloodshed and avoid the same fate and, perhaps not least, persuade their own troops of what they could expect in retaliation themselves from the enemy if they were captured, and so they became even more motivated to fight well. Third Punic War | Carthage and Rome [149 bce- 146 bce] As the two armies approached each other, the Carthaginians unloosed their 80 elephants into the ranks of the Roman infantry, but the great beasts were soon dispersed and their threat neutralized. "Carthaginian Society." what other sources would help you to better understand the roman republic? In later sculpture, she is most often portrayed with a lion's head and wings, and a second symbol of her is the bottle shape prevalent on votive stelae. Why did Carthage want Sicily? - Heimduo stable before this time, with Carthage being most powerfull, the romans wanted more power and recognition, so they used war to get this. Priestess of Isis on a Carthaginian Sarcophagus LidPre Delattre (Public Domain). Nevertheless, its commercial enterprises expanded rapidly in the 2nd century bce, exciting the envy of Romes growing mercantile community. The attendant new obligation to safeguard the peninsula against foreign interference made it necessary not to allow the neighbouring island of Sicily to fall into the hands of a strong and expansive power. The presence of professional interpreters, as mentioned in stelae, is evidence of the cosmopolitan nature of Carthage. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Create your account. When enemy forces became used to them and trained their horses not to panic or if the terrain was unsuitable, then their effectiveness was greatly reduced. Aubet also notes that the cemeteries of Punic cities do not contain the remains of young children, suggesting that all children, no matter the cause of death, were buried within the tophet. a war might begin, due to them each wanting the territory. License. There were also contingents of slingers and archers. Carthage's greatest loss was nothing less than total destruction at the hands of the Romans in the Third Punic War (149-146 BCE). why were both Carthage and Rome wanting to control the mediterranean? No temples survive, no texts on the Punic mythology have come down to us, and we are left only with a number of inscribed stelae and certain art objects to piece together the details. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. Carthaginian Religion - World History Encyclopedia Who was the leader of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war and what did he do? Many of these professions are mentioned on Punic stelae. Some dedications were jointly inscribed with a father and daughter's names. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Thousands of examples survive of these votive markers and are powerful evidence that the Carthaginian religion was practised by all levels of society. but Rome did not. The Carthaginian North: Semitic influence on early Germanic. Some urns were buried in shaft tombs and the dedicated sacred open space for these urns was surrounded by walls and known as a tophet. The Carthaginians accordingly opened negotiations and consented to a peace by which they ceded Sicily and the Lipari (Eolie) Islands to Rome and paid an indemnity of 3,200 talents. On the open plain of Zama, the retreating Carthaginians had nowhere to run; chased down by horsemen, very few of these escaped. Certainly, though, sometimes war prisoners were sacrificed to honour the Punic gods and give thanks for victory. Battle of Zama, (202 bce), victory of the Romans led by Scipio Africanus the Elder over the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal. One of the most important Punic deities that were not worshipped in Phoenicia was Tanit (Tnt), although she may have been considered an attendant of Astarte there. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. In 255, under Xanthippus command, they offered battle to Regulus, who had taken up position with an inadequate force near Tunis, outmaneuvered him, and destroyed the bulk of his army. 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. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 13 July 2016. "Carthaginian Warfare." which regions of the Mediterranean did Carthage control? Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. 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. Hannibal vs. Rome: Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Cite This Work The indemnity Rome set as payment from Carthage was 10,000 silver talents, more than three times the size of the indemnity demanded at the conclusion of the First Punic War. Carthage's military also allowed it to expand into Sardinia and . High ranking priests and priestesses were specifically assigned to serve the goddesses. Using a blend of terror and diplomacy, Hamilcar relentlessly expanded his control over southern Spain, and the riches from these campaigns were channelled back to Carthage to make it the wealthiest city in the ancient world. Having staged a successful invasion of Africa and having vanquished its canniest and most-implacable foe, Rome began its vision of a Mediterranean empire. Best Answer. World History Encyclopedia. Carthaginian Society. In response to this threat hundreds of noble children were sacrificed. The battle took place at a site identified by the Roman historian Livy as Naraggara . See full answer below. Just how this might have been achieved is not known. Tanit came to prominence only from the 5th century BCE at Carthage, but she would eventually supersede Melqart and Baal Hammon in importance. The only noteworthy feature of the ensuing campaigns is the skillful guerrilla war waged by a new Carthaginian commander, Hamilcar Barca, from his strong positions on Mt. Cite This Work He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. Bibliography Significance The society of Carthage was dominated by an aristocratic trading class who held all of the important political and religious positions, but below this strata was a cosmopolitan mix of artisans, labourers, mercenaries, slaves, and foreigners from across the Mediterranean. World History Encyclopedia. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. In addition, a land army was sometimes required in order to defend Carthage's trading interests from local tribes and rival powers, especially the tyrants of Sicily and later Rome. Less important Phoenician gods surviving in Punic religion included Hawot (god of the dead), Hudis (the new moon), Kese (the full moon), Kusor/Kusorit (god/goddess of intelligence), and Semes (the sun goddess). Scipio may have been curious to meet Hannibal, but he refused the proposed terms, stating that Carthage had broken the truce and would have to face the consequences. Artillery was a component of Carthaginian armies in Sicily where the cities were well-fortified. The Greek historian Polybius states that Hannibal had done all that he could as a general in battle, especially considering the advantage held by his opponent. Yes, you're reading this right. To bolster his divine claims Hannibal once recounted a dream he had had where Melqart specifically instructed him to invade Italy and even gave him a guide to get there in the most efficient way. Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. "Carthaginian Warfare." What African king took over Italy? Inscriptions inform us that a chief priest was responsible for a particular temple and assisted by a lower category of priests (khnm). Cartwright, M. (2016, July 13). Attempts to ram enemy ships could be made in two ways. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. What does Kennedy state are the two main reasons immigrants come to the United States?

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