Third Punic War

The Third Punic War was the final conflict in a series of three major wars between Rome and Carthage. This war took place between 149 BC and 146 BC. Most of the fighting occurred within Carthaginian territory, located in what is now northern Tunisia.

At this time, Rome was the dominant power in the Mediterranean region. Carthage was a large, wealthy city-state. The previous two wars had already significantly weakened Carthage. After the Second Punic War ended in 201 BC, Carthage was politically subordinate to Rome. A peace treaty had stripped them of many overseas territories. It also required them to pay a massive indemnity of 10,000 silver talents over 50 years. Most importantly, Carthage could not wage war without Rome's express permission.

Conflict began to grow due to the actions of King Masinissa of Numidia. Masinissa was a ruler of the indigenous Numidian people and an ally of Rome. He used his relationship with Rome to repeatedly raid Carthaginian lands. Whenever Carthage asked Rome for help or permission to defend themselves, Rome backed Masinissa. This pressure eventually led Carthage to break the peace treaty. In 151 BC, Carthage raised an army led by a general named Hasdrubal. They attempted to counter-attack the Numidians, but the campaign ended in disaster at the Battle of Oroscopa. The Carthaginian army surrendered, and many people were killed during the fighting. This military action gave Roman politicians a pretext to launch a punitive expedition to destroy Carthage.

In 149 BC, a large Roman army arrived in North Africa. The Roman forces were led by two consuls, who were senior magistrates. Manius Manilius commanded the army, while Lucius Marcius Censorinus commanded the fleet. The Romans landed at the port of Utica. The Carthaginians attempted to appease the Romans through diplomacy. They surrendered an enormous amount of military equipment to avoid fighting. This included 200,000 sets of armour and 2,000 catapults.

Despite this surrender, the Romans did not stop. They besieged the city of Carthage and demanded that the citizens abandon their homes. The Carthaginians refused and prepared to defend their city.

The city of Carthage was a massive and heavily fortified location. Estimates of its population range from 90,000 to as many as 800,000 people. The city was protected by thick walls and three lines of land defenses. The strongest wall was a high, brick-built structure with a wide ditch in front of it. Within these walls, a barracks could hold over 24,000 soldiers. Because the area lacked reliable groundwater, the Carthaginians built a complex system of cisterns to catch and store rainwater. To defend the city, they used both citizens and freed slaves. They also formed a field army of at least 20,000 soldiers stationed at Nepheris.

The Roman siege was difficult and faced many setbacks during 149 BC. The Roman camps were sometimes located in unhealthy areas, causing sickness among the troops. During this period, a middle-ranking officer named Scipio Aemilianus began to distinguish himself. He showed great discipline and successfully defended his men against Carthaginian attacks. His leadership was so highly regarded that in 147 BC, the Roman government lifted age restrictions to allow him to become consul.

As consul, Scipio implemented a much stricter blockade. He built a large mole, which is a massive structure of stone or earth, to block the harbor. This prevented blockade runners from bringing supplies into the city.

Scipio's strategy eventually broke the Carthaginian resistance. The Carthaginians attempted to use their fleet to break the blockade, but they lost many ships during an indecisive engagement. The Romans then constructed a large brick structure in the harbor area that dominated the city walls.

This allowed the Romans to control the city more effectively. Scipio eventually led a strong force to storm the Carthaginian field army's camp. This victory forced many surrounding towns and cities to surrender to Rome. The Roman military machine had successfully isolated the capital.

The final stage of the war was violent and decisive. In early 146 BC, the Romans launched a final assault on the city of Carthage. The fighting lasted for six days as the Romans systematically destroyed the city.

On the final day, the Romans took 50,000 prisoners, who were sold into slavery. Following the destruction, the Carthaginian territories were organized into a new Roman province called Africa. The city of Utica became the capital of this province. It would take a full century before the site of Carthage was rebuilt as a Roman city.

Historians rely on several different sources to understand this war. The Greek historian Polybius is a primary source, as he accompanied Scipio Aemilianus in North Africa. However, because he was a friend of Scipio, some historians believe his accounts may be biased in favor of the Roman general. Other ancient writers include Livy, Appian, and Plutarch, though much of their specific writing on this war has been lost. Because of these gaps in the written record, the Third Punic War is actually the least reliably known of the three Punic Wars. Modern scholars must also use coins, inscriptions, and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the truth.