what advantages did the carthaginians have?

Cartwright, M. (2016, June 16). Copy. 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. Please support World History Encyclopedia. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia. The besiegers met with a gallant resistance and in 249 were compelled to withdraw by the loss of their fleet in a surprise attack upon Drepanum, in which the admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher was repulsed with a loss of 93 ships. 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. After a lengthy siege and staunch resistance, the city finally fell to the siege engines of Scipio Africanus the Younger. 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. Related Content Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264146 bce), a series of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire, resulting in the destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its population, and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. 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. 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. 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. Hannibal, for example, went one step further than his father Hamilcar Barca (who had used such imagery on his coins) and identified himself as Hercules-Melqart, the figure who was a mix of the invincible Greek hero and the Phoenician-Punic god. Carthage was an accomplished practitioner of warfare for centuries acquiring new territories & resources, & safeguarding ITs vast trade network. Corrections? The army of Carthage the city was composed of heavily armoured infantry drawn from the citizenry. "Carthaginian Religion." Learn about the history of Hannibal and his ultimate defeat at the battle of Zama. Carthaginian Warfare. 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. Carthage was founded by the Phoenician city of Tyre in 813 BCE as a handy location along western Mediterranean trade routes, and the colony would go on to prosper and found its own colonies, eventually taking over the old Phoenician network too. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Its name means "new city" or "new town." Before the rise of ancient Rome, Carthage was the most powerful city in the region because of its proximity to trade routes and its impressive harbor on the Mediterranean. In the founding legend of Carthage, Dido (Elissa), the queen who fled from Tyre, picked up the High priest of Astarte in Cyprus on her way to North Africa, promising him that he and his descendants would hold the position of High Priest in the new city. Punic Stele with Goddess TanitCarole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA). Attempts to ram enemy ships could be made in two ways. Carthage's greatest loss was nothing less than total destruction at the hands of the Romans in the Third Punic War (149-146 BCE). The recent complications of foreign and internal strife had indeed so weakened Punic power that the prospect of renewing the war under favourable circumstances seemed remote enough. At that crucial juncture, Masinissas Numidian cavalry returned from their rout of the enemy cavalry and attacked the rear of the Carthaginian infantry, who were soon crushed between the combined Roman infantry and the cavalry assault. The bulk of the Carthaginian army which fought across the empire was, though, composed largely of mercenary units both paid local allies (e.g. In practice just how many ordinary citizens could afford not to work and participate in politics is debatable, and there may even have been a minimum wealth qualification. The last and decisive battle of the Second Punic War, it effectively ended both Hannibal's command of Carthaginian forces and also Carthage's chances to significantly oppose Rome. Artillery was a component of Carthaginian armies in Sicily where the cities were well-fortified. The Carthaginians were quick to copy the Hellenistic inventions of catapult (for stones and incendiaries) and crossbows. Hannibal arrived too late to prevent Masinissa from joining up with Scipio, leaving Scipio in a position to choose the battle site. The defending ships would try not to create any gaps in their formation and perhaps stagger their lines to counter the diekplous. The tophet at Carthage was known as the 'precinct of Tanit' and located to the south of the city at Salammbo. what problems might arise between Carthage and rome? The questions will require you to make decisions regarding the revision of the reading selection. World History Encyclopedia. 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. Nevertheless, descriptions by Roman authors and surviving inscriptions from Punic stelae help reconstruct at least a partial picture of the social makeup of one of the ancient Mediterranean's most important cultures. Answer and Explanation: Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! What disadvantages did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia. Tribes that used to roam from province to province were a threat to the continued existence of Rome. if you were a roman citizen reading this description, how would you feel? The Carthaginians, whose citizen levy was utterly disorganized, could neither keep the field against the invaders nor prevent their subjects from revolting. As Carthage employed mercenaries, one of the first priorities after a victory was to pay them, and this was done with coinage or by allowing the soldiers to take any booty they could get their hands on from the defeated weapons, armour, jewellery, foodstuffs, and so on. When the Carthaginians in 150 resisted Masinissas aggressions by force of arms, thus formally breaking the treaty with Rome, a Roman army was dispatched to Africa. 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 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. The Carthaginian council upheld Hannibals action and drew upon itself a declaration of war. Thank you! We also know that temples were off-limits to women and pigs, although there were some priestesses who served certain deities and their temples. Roman expansion in Italy from 298 to 201 bce Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 06 July 2016. In 242 Rome resumed operations at sea. Corrections? 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. As with most other ancient cultures warfare for the Carthaginians was, like any other state activity, inseparable from religious beliefs. One particular inscription, which notes a slave paying for his own dedication at a temple, implies that some slaves, at least, were able to accumulate their own money from their activities. 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. Why did Carthage want Sicily? - Heimduo His plan was to take the war to Rome and cause an uprising in the Italian Peninsula. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In 219 Hannibal laid siege to Saguntum and carried the town in spite of a stubborn defense. He supplemented his original landing force of some 25,000 with local recruits and amassed a 50,000-strong army which included 100 elephants. It is a debatable point whether his attack contravened the new treaty. The only reason they won this was because a storm sank a Carthaginian vessel, which the Romans copied. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Third-Punic-War, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Third Punic War. 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 and expand its vast network of colonies and trading posts from the 9th to 3rd centuries BCE. 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. 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. More certain is that the Carthaginian religion continued, beyond the Roman destruction of the city, to be practised, sometimes under different names, perhaps more clandestinely than previously, but very often at the same temple sites as before. One of the goddess' priestesses is depicted on a stunning marble sarcophagus lid from the St. Monique tomb. 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. It was the battle which would end the Second Punic War and, effectively, Carthage's position as a major power. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Foreigners in the city came from the original founding city of Tyre in Phoenicia, from the conquered areas of North Africa (especially Libya and Numidia), Spain, Italy, and Sardinia. This victory, by giving the Romans undisputed command of the sea, rendered certain the ultimate fall of the Punic strongholds in Sicily. Thousands of examples survive of these votive markers and are powerful evidence that the Carthaginian religion was practised by all levels of society. See full answer below. No doubt the appearance and noise of elephants caused panic amongst the enemy's men and horses, but they were wildly unpredictable in battle and could cause as much damage to their own side as the opposition. Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. There were female priests, but once again, the details of initiation and duties of the priestly class remain unknown. This appealed to both Carthaginians and Greeks. Thank you! World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. This is similar to the percentage at other tophets such as on Tharros. 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. It was a handy propaganda tool with Greek contingents in the Carthaginian army and when fighting in such places as Magna Graecia where the cult was as strong as anywhere. The military of Carthage was one of the largest military forces in the ancient world.Although Carthage's navy was always its main military force, the army acquired a key role in the spread of Carthaginian power over the native peoples of northern Africa and southern Iberian Peninsula from the 6th century BC and the 3rd century BC. 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. Inscriptions inform us that a chief priest was responsible for a particular temple and assisted by a lower category of priests (khnm). We want people all over the world to learn about history. -suffering capital punishment Nevertheless, access to the elite was open to anyone who could acquire the financial means. These could take the form of the pouring of libations, food offerings, flowers, animal sacrifice (bulls, lambs, poultry, birds etc. 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.

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