What is the difference between the two Punic wars. General history. See what the "Punic Wars" are in other dictionaries

The Punic Wars were a series of military conflicts between the forces of ancient Carthage and Rome, roughly between 264 B.C. and 146 BC. e.

The name "Punic" comes from the word "Phoenician", "Punic" (in Latin). The word was applied to the inhabitants of Carthage, who were ethnically related to the Phoenicians.

Carthage grew from a small port to the richest and most powerful city in the Mediterranean.

He had a powerful Navy, a mercenary army and, thanks to trade, great accumulated wealth.

According to the agreement concluded with Rome, the inhabitants of Rome were forbidden to trade in the Western Mediterranean. Roman merchants who violated the terms of the agreement were put on trial and their ships were sunk.

First Punic War

The Punic Wars gave Rome the right to become greatest empire ancient world: the wealth and fleet of Carthage passed to the city, and the generals gained rich experience in military operations on land and sea.

The Second Punic War (218-201 BC) in terms of its scale, scope and historical significance was one of the largest wars of antiquity. The reason for it was the events associated with the seaside city Saguntom located in Iberia, south of the Iber River. Saguntus concluded an alliance treaty with Rome. In 219 BC. e. Hannibal, the new commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army, laid siege to Sagunt, captured and plundered it, and sold the inhabitants into slavery. The defeat of Saguntum was a direct challenge to Rome. The Roman Senate sent an embassy to Carthage demanding the extradition of Hannibal for violence against the allies of the Roman people. In case of refusal, Rome threatened Carthage with war.

The Roman Senate was preparing for a short war. One of the consuls was to sail from the coast of Sicily and land troops in Africa. Another consul Publius Cornelius Scipio- was heading to Iberia to fight Hannibal there. However, Hannibal forced the Romans to abandon their plans by undertaking an unexpected invasion of Italy from the north through the Alps, which until then were considered an insurmountable obstacle to the troops.

Hannibal in early spring 218 BC e. with the army and large quantity elephants left New Carthage and headed for Italy. He expected the sudden appearance of the Carthaginian army on the Apennine Peninsula to cause the collapse of the Roman Confederation. The Gauls of Northern Italy promised to help him.

With great difficulty, he crossed the Pyrenees and moved along the Mediterranean coast of Gaul, fighting with some tribes of the Gauls. When Hannibal approached the river Rodan (modern Rhone), the Roman commander Scipio arrived in Massilia (modern Marseille), allied with Rome. The Carthaginians decided to avoid the fight. They went up the river and transferred the main forces to the left bank of the Rodan, defeating the Gauls who tried to prevent them. The Roman consul refused to pursue the enemy. He sent part of the squadron to Iberia, where Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal commanded a rather large army, and he himself went to Italy.

Hannibal, after crossing the Rodan, turning east, began his famous 33-day passage through the Alps. Polybius writes that the Carthaginian army had to fight both enemies and unfavorable terrain at the same time. The army made its way along narrow steep paths, being subjected to unexpected attacks by the highlanders. Snow fell in the mountains. Warriors, horses and elephants died falling off the icy roads into the abyss. When the exhausted army passed the Alps and descended to the plains of Cisalpine Gaul, only 20 thousand infantry, 6 thousand cavalry and a few elephants remained in it. But the Celtic tribes joined Hannibal and joined the ranks of his army. In the first battles in Italy, the Carthaginians defeated the Roman consular armies. The most significant of these was the battle of the Trebia River (a tributary of the Padus) in northern Italy, in which Scipio and Sempronius were defeated.

The news of the defeat at Trebia caused an intensification of the struggle in Rome between aristocratic and democratic factions. In 217 BC. e. at the insistence of the plebs, a favorite of the people was elected consuls - Gaius Flaminius, supporter of decisive action. Roman troops took up positions near the city of Arretius in Etruria, blocking Hannibal's road from north to south. However, Hannibal moved with the army around the impregnable positions of the Romans. For four days his army marched through the impenetrable swamps formed by the flood of the Arnus River, waist-deep in water, resting on the corpses of fallen animals. Hannibal lost an eye. The only elephant he rode died. But the hardships were justified. Hannibal went to the rear and ambushed the army of Flaminius, who was in a hurry to catch up with him. On the shore trasimene lake the Carthaginians, having attacked from three sides the army of Flaminius, destroyed it. The consul died at the very beginning of the battle. Hannibal released the captured Italians, since, according to him, he came to fight only with Rome.

The Senate, using the fear of the inhabitants of Rome before the possible invasion of Hannibal into the city, decided to choose a dictator. They elected a senator Quint Fabius Maxim, an experienced military leader who belonged to conservative circles. He was given a nickname Cunctator(Slower) for very cautious and slow tactics of warfare. Fabius Maximus believed that the advantages of the Romans consisted in inexhaustible reserves and in a large amount of human material. Therefore, anticipating the possibility of losing major battles, Fabius Maximus avoided decisive battles, but constantly alarmed the Carthaginians with unexpected attacks by small detachments. He sought to wear down the forces of Hannibal, to leave his army without food supplies. Residents of rural areas, on the instructions of the dictator, were to destroy food supplies and move to cities. The tactics of Fabius Maximus were successful, but their consequences turned out to be very painful for the rural plebs, who could not come to terms with the ruin of farms and dwellings. Therefore, at the next election, 216 BC. e., consuls were again elected. One of them, an aristocrat, a protege of the senate, Lucius Aemilius Paul, considered the tactics of Fabius Maximus to be correct. another consul. Gaius Terentius Varro, the chosen one of the plebs, was a supporter of decisive action.

By 216 BC. e. Hannibal, bypassing Rome, went to Apulia. He hoped to establish ties with Carthage and win the support of the population of southern Italy. In the south of Italy, in Puglia, near the town Cannes, at the mouth of the Aufid River, in the summer of 216 BC. e. one of the most significant battles in the history of the ancient world took place. The Roman army consisted of 80 thousand infantry, 6-7 thousand cavalry. The Carthaginians, along with the detachments of the Gauls, had a little more than 40 thousand infantry, but more excellent cavalry - 14 thousand horsemen. Hannibal skillfully built his army in the form of a crescent, with the convex side towards the enemy. In its center were less reliable units, detachments of Iberians and Gauls. The flanks were made up of selected Carthaginian troops: infantry and cavalry. The battle began with auxiliary, lightly armed troops, then the horsemen entered the battle. The dense, compact ranks of the Roman infantry began to attack the center of the Carthaginian formation. The front line of Hannibal's troops turned out to be concave in the form of a crescent, in the center of which were the Romans. At the same time, the Libyan infantry and the Carthaginian cavalry were thrown onto the flanks of the Romans, which scattered the Roman horsemen and went behind the Romans. They were surrounded on all sides by the Carthaginians. The massacre of the Roman army began. 58 thousand Roman soldiers died, 18 thousand were captured. Consul Aemilius Paul was killed. When Terentius Varro returned to Rome with the remnants of his army, the Senate solemnly came out to meet him and thanked him for having gathered the surviving soldiers and did not despair of saving the fatherland.

The defeat of the Romans at Cannae caused the deposition of the Samnites, Lucans, and Bruttians from Rome. In the north, the uprising of the Gauls was expanding. The wealthy Capua and Syracuse went over to Hannibal's side. In addition, the king of Macedonia, Philip V, concluded an alliance with Hannibal. The Carthaginians also helped Hannibal: an army of 25 thousand people landed in Sicily.

Yet Hannibal's position was very difficult. The conduct of a long war over a large territory, the length of communications required the immediate replenishment of troops, the necessary human reserves and materiel. The Romans, after heavy losses at the Battle of Cannae, announced a general recruitment of all men into the troops, starting from the age of 17. The Senate of Rome decided on an extreme measure - slaves were drafted into the army, buying them from their owners. Those of them who killed at least one enemy were promised freedom. The Romans, following the tactics of Fabius Maximus, avoided major battles, exhausting the enemy forces with minor skirmishes.

During the war there was a turning point in favor of Rome. The Roman legions laid siege to Syracuse. The defense of the largest Sicilian city was led by the brilliant mathematician and engineer Archimedes. The machines he created threw huge shells and arrows at the besiegers, could grab the bows of ships, put ships upright and capsize. After a grueling siege in 211 BC. e. The Romans captured Syracuse and sacked the city. Archimedes was killed.

From 215 BC e. the Roman Senate, having concluded an agreement with the king of Pergamum Attalus I, with the Aetolian Union and a number of others Greek states, waged war with the king of Macedonia, Philip V, an ally of Hannibal. The First Macedonian War ended in 205 BC. e. complete defeat of Macedonia. At the same time, a young talented commander Publius Cornelius Scipio was sent to Iberia by the Senate. He captured New Carthage, the main stronghold of Carthage in Spain. After these successes, the Romans decided to take more active steps in Italy itself. They laid siege to Capua. In order to divert the forces of the Romans from Capua, Hannibal undertook the only campaign against Rome during the entire war, but, not daring to attack the well-defended city, he retreated. Hannibal did not provide effective assistance to Capua.

In 211 BC. e. the Capuans surrendered to the mercy of the conqueror. The reprisal was brutal. City officials were killed or executed, many residents were sold into slavery, land was confiscated. The city lost its autonomous rights.

Then the process of successive falling away from Hannibal of the Italian allies began. Campanian cities. Tarentum fell into the hands of the Romans. Hannibal was locked up in southern Italy. He placed his only and last hope in the help of his brother Hasdrubal, who was to bring troops from Iberia. Hasdrubal successfully passed through the Alps, but in Northern Italy in a battle on the Metavra River in 207 BC. e. the Romans defeated his troops. Hasdrubal was killed.

In 204 BC. e. The Romans transferred hostilities to the African territory of Carthage. The Roman army under the command of Scipio landed near utiki and began to devastate the fertile valley of the Bagrad River. Masinissa, the king of Numidia, neighboring Carthage, placed at the disposal of Scipio an excellent Numidian cavalry. By decision of the Carthaginian Council, Hannibal, after a fifteen-year war on Italian soil (where he did not experience a single defeat), arrived in Carthage.

In Africa in 202 BC. e. near the town Zama(south of Carthage) the last decisive battle took place. Hannibal was defeated for the first time in all the years of the war. The Carthaginian council came to the Roman camp and begged Scipio to start peace negotiations. In 201 BC. e. a peace treaty was signed, difficult for the Carthaginians. The city lost its possessions outside Africa, without the permission of the Roman Senate could not wage war with its neighbors. Carthage had to pay an indemnity of 10 thousand talents within 50 years, give Rome its fleet, with the exception of 10 patrol ships, all elephants, prisoners, booty, disband the army, maintain the Roman army in Africa at their own expense, give 100 hostages from especially revered families of Carthage. Hannibal in 195 BC e. fled from Carthage to Syria.

(Note: Scipio received the nickname "African" for his outstanding successes in the fight against Carthage. Since in half a century Rome will have another Scipio (his full name will be - P.K. Scipio Aemilian), who will also defeat Carthage and also receive the nickname of the African, to distinguish between these two historical characters the first of them is usually called "Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Older»; see his portrait here}.

The reasons for the victories of Rome were due to the numerical superiority of its troops, which were distinguished by high fighting qualities and the availability of material resources. Numerous Italian rural population, which constituted the main parts of the Roman army, fought for their own lands. The brilliant victories of the Carthaginian Hannibal were due to the talent of the commander, the suddenness of the invasion of Italy, and the temporary weakening of the Roman Confederation. But Hannibal did not have the means to consolidate his successes. Ethnically diverse mercenary units were not distinguished by high fighting qualities. The Council of Carthage, fearing the strengthening of the Barkid family, did not provide assistance to the commander, who was in dire need of replenishment of troops and material resources. Hannibal's hopes for a quick collapse of the Roman-Italian confederation did not come true.

After the second Punic War, Carthage finally lost any significance in the life of the Mediterranean world. Rome became the strongest slaveholding power in the Western Mediterranean. He owned vast possessions outside Italy: Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, the possessions of Carthage in Iberia.

In 241 BC. e. Sicily became the first Roman province. In 227 BC. e. were turned into the province of Sardinia and Corsica. In 197 BC. e. In the territory of Iberia, called Spain by the Romans, two provinces were formed. The provinces were viewed by the Romans as "the estates of the Roman people". They were transferred to the complete, almost uncontrolled disposal of the Roman governors.

The inclusion of new territories in the Roman Republic, the enslavement of their population contributed to the strengthening of slaveholding relations.

Long years of war affected the economic and political life of Roman society. The hostilities that took place directly on Italian soil, the rise in prices, the levying of taxes ruined the local population and led to the desolation of many regions of Italy. Some Italian cities that helped Hannibal lost part of their land, lost their autonomous rights and became subjects of Rome. During the war years in the Roman state there was a weakening of democratic principles. This was facilitated by the defeat of the Roman army, led by proteges of plebeian groups in the battles of Trasimene Lake and Cannae, the establishment of emergency magistracies necessary in wartime, and the strengthening of the power of officials.

THE EXPANSION OF THE ROMANS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC INTO THE STRONGEST MEDITERRANEAN POWER.

towards the middle 3rd century BC e. the strongest states of the western Mediterranean were the Carthaginian state, which had long dominated here, and the newly formed Roman slave-owning confederation.

Both Carthage and Rome pursued an aggressive foreign policy, due to the nature of the slave economy, for which military expansion was necessary condition its development. Each of them aspired to become the hegemon of the Western Mediterranean world. In the middle 3rd century BC e. the contradictions between them led to the beginning of the first Punic War (the Romans called the Carthaginians Punians).

The cause of the first Punic War was the struggle between Rome and Carthage over Sicily, most of which (west) was in the hands of Carthage, and the smaller (eastern) part of the island was owned by the Syracusan tyrant Agathocles.

The reason for the war was the capture of the Sicilian city of Messana by mercenaries from the campaign. After the death of the tyrant Agathocles of Syracuse, in whose service they were, the Mamertines took possession of Messana. The new ruler of Syracuse successfully opposed them. Hieron II who laid siege to Messana.

The twenty-three years' war had exhausted the forces of the warring parties. Therefore, the proposal of Carthage to start peace negotiations was accepted by the Roman Senate. By peace treaty of 241 BC. e. Carthage had to pay an indemnity of 3,200 talents to Rome for 10 years, issue tribal ones, agree not to hire tribal warriors into their army peninsula, and, most importantly, to give under the rule of Rome their possessions in Sicily.

Syracuse remained an independent city. The Romans adhered to the principle of "divide and rule" here too.

Second Punic War (218-210 BC) in terms of its scale, scope and historical significance, it was one of the largest wars of antiquity. The reason for it was the events related to the seaside city of Saguntum, which concluded an alliance treaty with Rome. AT 219 BC e. new commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army Hannibal besieged Sagunt, captured and plundered it, and sold the inhabitants into slavery.

Defining the essence of the first two Punic wars, we can say that the reasons for the victories of Rome were due to the numerical superiority of its troops, which were distinguished by high fighting qualities and the availability of material resources. Numerous Italian rural population, which constituted the main parts of the Roman army, fought for their own lands.

The brilliant victories of the Carthaginian Hannibal were due to the talent of the commander, the suddenness of the invasion of Italy, and the temporary weakening of the Roman Confederation. But Hannibal did not have the means to consolidate his successes. Hannibal's hopes for a quick collapse of the Roman-Italian confederation did not come true.

AT 19 BC e. Rome initiated the Third Punic War.

The reason for the war was the conflict between Numidia and Carthage. The Numidian king, with the support of Rome, began to seize the Carthaginian territory. There were armed clashes. Carthage did not have the right to start hostilities without the permission of Rome. Rome declared war on Carthage. The Carthaginians were ready to make peace on any terms. But the Romans offered the Carthaginians to leave the city and move to a distance of 15 km from the sea.

The Carthaginians decided to defend themselves to the end. The Romans eventually defeated the army of Carthage. On the lands belonging to Carthage, the Roman province of Africa was formed.

As a result of the wars of conquest, Rome became the strongest slave-owning power in the Mediterranean.

Before the beginning 3 in. Rome is constantly at war with its neighbors. There was a crop failure in Rome, the way out is to die or steal from the neighbors. Last var. preferred. But crop failures also happened to neighbors. Then it went so well, they stole in reserve. It is also interesting to subjugate, and they began to slowly unite the lands, but in a cunning way. In addition to Rome - beloved and unloved allies.

By the 3rd c. Rome claims the unification of Italy. They are hindered by the Greek. cities.

And then it turns out that there is Carthage (the western part of the Mediterranean basin) - the era of the Punic wars begins.

First Punic War (264–241). The expansion of the borders of Rome and its access to Sicily led to an aggravation of contradictions with the Carthaginian state.

By request Messana(city in Sicily) 264 Rome intervened in her internal war with Syracuse and took possession not only of Syracuse, but also of Messana itself. The west of the island was occupied by Carthage, who created fortified bases in cities Lilybey, Panorm and Drepana. The Romans advanced towards the Carthaginian cities and laid siege to them. AT 260 at Milah The Romans inflicted the first major defeat on Carthage at sea.

in 256 d. besieged Carthage, which was ready to surrender, but Rome was not satisfied with the peace conditions proposed by the besieged. The Punians began to defend themselves to the last, and the Romans, as close as ever to victory, were defeated. The fleet rushing to their aid was lost in a storm, and the defeat turned out to be worse than ever.

The world was enclosed in 241 Carthage liberated Sicily, paid a huge indemnity (almost 80 tons of silver) and handed over Roman prisoners.

Second Punic War (218–201). Revanchist sentiments turned out to be strong in Carthage, ideas arose for the violent return of the territories conquered by Rome, which led to second punic war(218–201 ). Carthage relied on an offensive war, moving troops to Rome through the Iberian Peninsula.

AT 219 the Carthaginians captured Sagunt. A brilliant military leader became the head of the Carthaginian troops Hannibal. The trip started from Spain. Hannibal with elephants and a huge army made a heroic transition through the Alps, losing almost all the elephants and three-quarters of the army in the mountains. Nevertheless, he invaded Italy and inflicted a series of defeats on the Romans in 218 city ​​(at the rivers Ticin and Trebia) and in 217 city ​​(ambush at trasimene lake). Hannibal bypassed Rome and moved further south. The Romans avoided big battles and wore down their enemies with small skirmishes.

The decisive battle took place near the city Cannes in 216 Hannibal, with much smaller forces, defeated the Roman army, led by two warring consuls: a plebeian and a patrician.

AT 211 in the war came a turning point. The Romans took the main stronghold of the Carthaginians in Italy, the city capuyu, and Hannibal was in complete isolation. FROM 210 at the head of the Roman troops became Publius Cornelius Scipio the Younger. He fought quite successfully with the Carthaginians in Spain and advocated the transfer of hostilities to North Africa, wanting to expel Hannibal from Italy. After the landing of Scipio in Africa in 204 G. Hannibal was hastily recalled to his homeland. At Zame in 202 The Carthaginian army was defeated, and Hannibal fled. In the next 201 Carthage capitulated. Under the new peace conditions, he was deprived of overseas possessions, had no right to maintain a navy, and had to pay an indemnity for fifty years. Behind him remained only a small territory in Africa.

Third Punic War (149–146). Carthage managed to recover from the defeat, and he launched a wide trade. Rome was wary of his new strengthening in the Western Mediterranean. "Carthage must be destroyed." Rome put forward a tough ultimatum to Carthage, all points of which were satisfied, with the exception of the clearly unfeasible one: the transfer of the city deep into the mainland. The Romans sent an army to North Africa, which, after a long siege, took Carthage in 146 The city was wiped off the face of the earth, and the place where it was located was plowed up. From now on, a Roman province was created here Africa, whose lands became the state property of Rome.

ThreePunic Warslasted intermittently from 264 to 146 BC. e. Wars were fought betweenRomeand North African public education - Carthage. In the middle - endIII century BC e. Carthage and Rome sought to extend their power to the Mediterranean peoples and states. At the same time, the Second Punic War occupies an important place in the history of military art and diplomacy.

Every war is like Patriotic

Let's say a few words about the First Punic War, which lasted 23 years (264-241 BC). Her puns (the distorted name of the Phoenicians - the ancestors of the Carthaginians who inherited this name) lost and paid huge indemnities to Rome, which, unlike Carthage, which was already powerful at that time, was only gaining strength in those days.

The following circumstances served as the cause of the war. In the middle of the III century BC. e. possessions of the Roman Republic reached the south of the Apennine Peninsula. Then Rome drew attention to a tidbit of land in the Mediterranean - the island of Sicily. The same island lay in the area of ​​​​interest of Carthage. The latter possessed a powerful fleet, while the Roman fleet at that time was very meager. In record time, the Romans built a fairly serious fleet (by 260 BC). In addition, the Romans, known for their engineering, decided to use the fighting qualities of their infantry at sea. They came up with the so-called corvus("raven") - a flip boarding bridge that could be rotated around an axis, hooked over the side of an enemy ship and turned a sea battle into a "land" one. Soon almost all enemy ships were captured. And for the remaining time of the First Punic War, the Carthaginians won only one naval battle. As a result, in addition to indemnities, Rome got Sicily.

Here it is worth making a reservation. In history, Rome waged each of its wars ideologically as a Patriotic War. Carthage, on the other hand, perceived the wars with Rome as colonial, distant, which can be won or lost, which, of course, is annoying, but the world would not have collapsed from this.

Second Punic War

The first reason for the start of the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) was diplomatic. Soon after the first war, an agreement was concluded on the division of spheres of influence between Carthage and Rome. In the southwest, the dividing line passed through the territory of Spain. One of the Spanish cities entered into an alliance with Rome, thus the agreement between Rome and Carthage was violated. Carthage sent troops led by Hannibal, who besieged and took the city. The inhabitants were killed. After fruitless negotiations, Rome declared war on Carthage. But in the meantime, Hannibal was already marching from Spain through the Alps towards Italy.

Hannibal made a big mistake - he did not reconnoiter the road through the Alps. As a result, out of a 60,000-strong army, only 26,000 soldiers survived the transition, and almost all of the war elephants were lost. Hannibal had to spend several weeks restoring the army and attracting the Gauls (in other words, the Celts, the old enemies of Rome) to his side.

Crossing of the Carthaginians through the Alps. Drawing by Heinrich Leutemann

In the first period of the war, Hannibal was completely successful. In heavy devastating battles, the Romans were convinced that they were fighting with a magnificent commander. Then the Senate appointed the aristocrat Quintus Fabius Maximus as dictator for six months. He began to use the tactics of scorched earth and lead guerrilla war against the troops of Hannibal. But this only allowed to drag out the war to restore the forces lost in the first period of the Second Punic War.

In 216 BC. e. the fight against Hannibal was led by new consuls, Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paul. A new army was raised. But at the Battle of Cannae in the same year, the outnumbered Romans were completely defeated thanks to the cunning and military talents of Hannibal. After that, the transition of many Italian cities to the side of the Carthaginian commander began, and Carthage decided to send support to Hannibal. However, Hannibal did not dare to go to the Eternal City, having made a fatal mistake. He offered Rome to go to peace, but he refused and put up a new army, mobilizing all his resources, because for him it was a Patriotic war.

Meanwhile, evidence came from Spain that the Romans had been defeated there as well. There the Senate sent Publius Scipio, the future Scipio Africanus. He quickly proved that he was a commander worthy of his ancestors, as well as a noble man, by taking New Carthage. In the person of Scipio, the Romans finally had a charismatic personality in this war. In 205 B.C. e. he was elected consul.

F. Goya. Hannibal looks down on Italy from the height of the Alps

Scipio offered to leave Hannibal and his army in Italy, and to throw the Roman army against Carthage. The Roman authorities did not support Scipio financially, allowing him to wage war in Africa at his own peril and risk. Scipio landed in Africa and inflicted a series of serious defeats on Carthage. Hannibal was urgently recalled to Africa. At the Battle of Zama, his troops were defeated by the forces of Scipio. As a result, Carthage lost the war and was forced to pay huge sums of money to the Roman Republic and hand over the hostages. Carthage was broken, but continued to live richer than the winners. Hannibal, in turn, became the first person in Carthage, engaged in political affairs in other countries, and the Romans were hunting for him, which ultimately led to the fact that Hannibal, wanting to avoid captivity, poisoned himself.

Carthage must be destroyed

For many years, Carthage forgot about its great-power politics and switched to the economy, and Rome temporarily forgot about the existence of its sworn rival, until one day a Senate commission went to Carthage, which included a veteran of the war with Hannibal, Mark Porcius Cato the Elder. He saw with pain that Carthage was flourishing, which he announced in the Senate.

The years between the Second and Third Punic Wars for Carthage were complicated by relations with Numidia. King Masinissa, taking advantage of the prohibition for Carthage to have an army, regularly made campaigns against him, robbed him, but Rome did not prevent this. It came to the point that Carthage could not stand it, gathered an army, but lost to Massinissa. For Rome, this was a signal: this situation was promoted and presented by the Roman authorities as if Carthage had actually raised an army not against the Numidians, but against the Romans. Fuel was constantly added to the fire by Cato, who ended his every speech in the Senate with the words: “And yet I believe that Carthage must be destroyed.” Although Cato had many opponents on this issue, including Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilian Africanus the Younger (the adopted grandson of the winner Hannibal), in 149 BC. e. war was declared.

A consular army of 80,000 soldiers landed in North Africa. Demands were presented to Carthage: to liquidate the army, pay indemnities, hand over 300 hostages from among the noblest Carthaginians and release all captives. This was the usual behavior for the Romans: first, "undress" the enemy, then put the squeeze on. Carthage complied. After all this, there was another requirement: to move to other places where it would be impossible to conduct maritime trade. Carthage decided to respond to this with armed (!) Resistance, but first asked for a month to think about resettlement. The Roman consuls, deciding that Carthage had nothing to defend themselves with, agreed to provide this time for preparations for resettlement. This oversight allowed the Carthaginians to prepare: women cut their hair to weave ropes for throwing weapons; workshops worked around the clock, preparing weapons; people were training. Doomed and desperate, Carthage will be under siege for three long years.

Until 147 B.C. e. the Romans could not get things off the ground. Everything changed when Scipio Aemilian Africanus the Younger was elected consul. He managed to restore order and establish discipline in the army, embankments and siege structures were erected. Famine reigned in Carthage. In the spring of 146 BC. e. the assault began. Street fighting went on for a week, the Carthaginians fought for every house, but their fate was sealed. The city was razed to the ground, the territory was plowed up, flooded sea ​​water so that nothing would ever grow here again and no one would settle. Rome rejoiced boundlessly, becoming the master of the entire Mediterranean.