1 The Romans Destroyed Carthage and Plowed Salt into the Soil What People Think Happened Ancient Carthage dominated the Mediterranean during the first mil- lennium BCE and was Rome’s enemy in the Punic Wars (264–146 BCE). The Romans believed Carthage had to be permanently destroyed, so in 146 BCE (so people think), the site of Carthage was sown with salt to make it uninhabitable. After Rome won the First Punic War (264–241 BCE), thereby acquir- ing Sicily, Carthage was forced to pay a large indemnity. Thanks to Hanni- bal’s family, though, Carthage rebounded to form a new empire in Spain. Hannibal supposedly swore an oath of hatred upon Rome. Eventually, the two states fought the Second Punic War (218–202 BCE). Hannibal marched across the Alps with his war elephants, terrorizing Italy for fif- teen years. Although Hannibal was recalled to Carthage in 203 BCE to defend his city, the Carthaginians lost the war in 202 BCE. Rome thus acquired Spain and forced Carthage once again to pay huge indemnities. As the story goes, Hannibal nearly brought Rome to its knees to the point that long after his demise his memory still wreaked havoc on the Romans who would say, “Hannibal is at the gates” (­Cic​.­Orat​.­1​.­5, ­ Livy​ . ­ Ab​.­Urbe. Cond​ . ­ 26​.­14​.­12) in times of danger. Why did Carthage receive such harsh treatment from Rome? Cato the Elder despised and distrusted Carthage because of his experiences in the Second Punic War. He led a senatorial delegation sent to monitor Carthage
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