https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Warfare/. Masterfully blending his mixed mercenary army into a coherent and disciplined whole, taking full advantage of local terrain, and employing his troops in fast battlefield manoeuvres, Hannibal, for a while at least, was invincible. This victory was followed by an investment of the chief Punic base at Lilybaeum (Marsala), together with Drepanum (Trapani), by land and sea. First Punic War, also called First Carthaginian War, (264-241 bce) first of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire that resulted in the destruction of Carthage. 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. Boarding Troops Lacking the training and experience of the Carthaginians, the Roman sailors were at a disadvantage in terms of speed and manoeuvrability. Animal entrails were read too prior to battles, where omens were established which reassured the troops with their promise of victory. what did scipio do in response to hannibals campaign in italy? Please select which sections you would like to print: 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. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Help us and translate this article into another language! They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Eryx (modern Erice) (244242) in western Sicily, by which he effectually screened Lilybaeum from any attempt on it by the Roman land army. Thus, he could field only about 4,000 cavalry, the bulk of them from a minor Numidian ally named Tychaeus. Roman expansion in Italy from 298 to 201 bce What advantages did the Carthaginians have? Battle of Zama, (202 bce), victory of the Romans led by Scipio Africanus the Elder over the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal. 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. Nevertheless, access to the elite was open to anyone who could acquire the financial means. The rewards of military victory for Carthage were control of new territories with their natural resources, acquisition of slaves, sometimes the incorporation of parts of the defeated army into their own, and the state treasuries and granaries of conquered cities. One of the lesser punishments was a large fine whilst the worst case scenario was crucifixion. In addition to utilizing 80 war elephants that were not fully trained, Hannibal was also compelled to rely mostly upon an army of Carthaginian recruits that lacked much battle experience. This victory, by giving the Romans undisputed command of the sea, rendered certain the ultimate fall of the Punic strongholds in Sicily. Carthaginian society was composed of an eclectic mix of native citizens, North Africans. The Roman fleet of 145 ships defeated the Carthaginian fleet of 130 ships which had not even bothered to form battle lines, so confident were they of victory against the untested Roman sailors. Motivation for commanders was high too as those generals who failed in wartime were treated harshly. Scipio managed to persuade the Numidian cavalry to join his cause and he brilliantly arranged his infantry to form corridors which allowed Hannibal's 80 elephants to harmlessly charge through, then sent them back to cause havoc with the Carthaginian lines. In some sense this is the trouble with . They besieged and captured the Carthaginian base at Agrigentum in 262 but made little impression upon the Carthaginian fortresses in the west of the island and upon the towns of the interior. In 202 BCE, the Roman general Scipio Africanus famously defeated the great Hannibal and his elephants at the Battle of Zama in western Tunisia. 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. who did the romans fight against in the punic wars? Working for their livelihoods this class would have included women, slaves, and foreigners, as well as male citizens. This was the first of a priestly class at the city. 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. The naval fleet of Carthage was composed of large warships propelled by sail and oars which were used to ram enemy vessels using a bronze ram mounted on the prow below the waterline. World History Encyclopedia. Controlled by their driver (mahout), they were used in front of the infantry lines to disrupt enemy formations and to harass the enemy from the wings or rear. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Hannibal arrived too late to prevent Masinissa from joining up with Scipio, leaving Scipio in a position to choose the battle site. Polytheistic in nature, such important Phoenician gods as Melqart and Baal were worshipped in the colony alongside new ones such as Tanit. In 147, however, the command was given to Scipio Aemilianus, the adopted grandson of the former conqueror of Carthage. 2012-10-12 03:41:26. The elite class dominated the religious posts of Carthage too. Hannibal, he gathered 46,000 men, many horses, and 37 elephants. These conventions further confirm that Carthage, as with most other ancient societies, was a male-dominated society in every respect. 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. The most important goddess was Tanit, who represented a mother goddess, life, & fertility. World History Encyclopedia, 06 Jul 2016. The questions will require you to make decisions regarding the revision of the reading selection. The army of Carthage the city was composed of heavily armoured infantry drawn from the citizenry. "Carthaginian Society." (goal) was to show that romans could work together to create a compromise in the government. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Thedesigns\underline{\text{The designs}}Thedesigns of various colored stripes crossing at right angles is rightfully a tartan; many a plaid is a tartan design. 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. Copy. 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. In 260 the Romans built their first large fleet of standard battleships. Omissions? Food That Conquered the World: The Carthaginians - Medium 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. The Mamertini, a band of Campanian mercenaries, had forcibly established themselves within the town and were being hard pressed in 264 by Hieron II of Syracuse. A committee of 10 senators was responsible for state religious matters. There was a small elite Carthaginian army known as the Sacred Band and composed of 2,000 hoplites, but most of the city's military requirements were met by mercenary armies. 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. After one campaign they were ready to sue for peace, but the terms which the Roman commander Marcus Atilius Regulus offered were intolerably harsh. 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. Even in Phoenician/Punic mythology, where the god El sacrifices his son Ieud, it is to save his country from collapse. 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. 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. Similarly, some were promised the return of their land which had been taken from them by the Romans. On the open plain of Zama, the retreating Carthaginians had nowhere to run; chased down by horsemen, very few of these escaped. We also know that Carthage had a significant Greek community in the 4th century BCE. In response to this threat hundreds of noble children were sacrificed. The Roman Republic's biggest disadvantage was their lack of a strong navy and naval firepower. why were both Carthage and Rome wanting to control the mediterranean? no matter how powerful an empire, it will always come to an end. World History Encyclopedia. . View this answer. One of the rituals of the Phoenician and Punic religions was to sacrifice humans, especially children (but not only), according to ancient sources. Some 20,000 Carthaginians died in the battle, and perhaps 20,000 were captured, while the Romans lost about 1,500 dead. First Punic War | Definition, Summary, & Facts | Britannica One of the most distinctive Carthaginian weapons was the war elephant. 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. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. As part of the city beautification project, residents were asked to remove litter and___ from the roadsides and vacant lots. His plan was to take the war to Rome and cause an uprising in the Italian Peninsula. With the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal, it is likely that Zama awakened in Rome a vision of a larger future for itself in the Mediterranean. 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. Demeter and Persephone (Kore) were especially popular and were incorporated into the Punic pantheon following a series of military disasters which the Carthaginians ascribed to their unwise destruction of the goddesses' temple at Syracuse in 396 BCE. The larger ships were decked and would have carried complements of armed men, both archers and marines armed with spears, javelins, and swords, who could board enemy vessels given the opportunity. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/908/carthaginian-society/. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 13 July 2016. When not involved in head-to-head battles to break up formations and harass the enemy's flanks, the cavalry units were used to ambush enemy troops, lead them into ambush by infantry troops, or in guerrilla tactics to constantly harass enemy armies and their logistical support. 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. -news articles written by lower class plebeians, The Twelve Tables and Roman War Mechanics, Ways of the World AP World History: Chapter 11, Dahia Ibo Shabaka, Larry S. Krieger, Linda Black, Phillip C. Naylor, Roger B. Beck, L37-38: lipoprotein metabolism & disorders. Books Cartwright, Mark. Carthaginian Warfare. Cartwright, M. (2016, July 06). 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. Unlike in Greek city-states, most citizens were not expected to perform military service either in peacetime or war. 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. Carthaginian War ElephantThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). 01 May 2023. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. 01 May 2023. Please support World History Encyclopedia. The defending ships would try not to create any gaps in their formation and perhaps stagger their lines to counter the diekplous. Many of these professions are mentioned on Punic stelae. Last modified July 06, 2016. 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. War could not be conducted without divine sanction. 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. He supplemented his original landing force of some 25,000 with local recruits and amassed a 50,000-strong army which included 100 elephants. He had trained his men to move to the side when the elephants charged, locking their shields and facing the alleys as the elephants passed by. 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. -yes Nevertheless, despite this precaution, in several instances mercenary armies would prove to be disloyal and even cause in-fighting between the rival clans of Carthage's aristocracy, most famously during the Truceless War (aka Mercenary War, 241-237 BCE). Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264-146 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. The aristocracy of Carthage was not, as in many other ancient societies, based on land ownership but wealth, pure and simple. Omissions? There were also contingents of slingers and archers. Why did the carthaginians create a powerful navy? A serious consequence of the fear of failure inherent in the army command structure may have been that generals tended to be overcautious and conservative in battle. The cavalry slammed into Hannibal's rear, forcing a decisive end to a brutal battle. The majority of the city's religious positions seem to have been hereditary. Carthaginian Society - World History Encyclopedia Priests may have controlled education, of which we know very little, and also the libraries we know existed at the time of Carthage's destruction in 146 BCE. Some dedications were jointly inscribed with a father and daughter's names. 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. The absence of a large citizen army which had raised the collective political consciousness of citizens in other states such as those in Greece was, perhaps, another reason for the Carthaginians' seeming lack of interest in political power. Second Punic War | Carthage and Rome [218 bce-201 bce] 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. According to the ancient historians Clitarch and Diodorus, a hearth was set before a bronze statue of the god Baal (or El), who had outstretched arms on which the victim was placed before falling into the fire. Thousands of examples survive of these votive markers and are powerful evidence that the Carthaginian religion was practised by all levels of society. The larger workshops would have employed both citizens and slaves for their workforce. In 242 Rome resumed operations at sea. The failure of the elephant charge can likely be explained by a trio of factors, with the first two being well documented and most important. In ancient Rome, a member of the privileged upper class. This is similar to the percentage at other tophets such as on Tharros. Baal Hammon ('lord of the altars of incense') was another important god, inspired by the Baal who was supreme god at the Phoenician city of Sidon. This was primarily achieved by a cult of personality. Mago, who had sustained battle wounds during a losing engagement in Liguria (near Genoa), died at sea during the crossing. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "Hamilcar barca", means they could strike fast and attack from anywhere without warning. Corrections? We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. 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. ROME Flashcards | Quizlet Corbita SailingJan van der Crabben (CC BY-NC-SA). They hadn't reckoned with Hannibal's. Unfortunately for posterity, when Carthage was destroyed by the Romans so too was its history in many respects and details of how Carthaginian society functioned, the relations between classes, and the role of women especially, remain frustratingly elusive. Answer and Explanation: Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! 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. Help us and translate this definition into another language! 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. The great general Hamilcar Barca was particularly successful in Spain in the 230s BCE. At Mylae (Milazzo), off the north Sicilian coast, their admiral Gaius Duilius defeated a Carthaginian squadron of superior maneuvering capacity by grappling and boarding. It was first used in the 8th century BCE and continuously thereafter until the fall of Carthage in the Punic Wars. Carthage Under SiegeThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). There were female priests, but once again, the details of initiation and duties of the priestly class remain unknown. 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. crossing the alps with 40,000men and 37 elephants, almost all died. Further, on closer inspection, it is notable that all of the literary references to human sacrifice suggest that it was necessary only in times of great danger to the state such as wars, plagues, and natural disasters, and was not an everyday practice. There were cases of slaves becoming free, even if their new status is unlikely to have ever given them equal rights to ordinary citizens. The Romans crushed the soldiers of the first line and then those of the second. High ranking priests and priestesses were specifically assigned to serve the goddesses. from Libya and Tunisia) and mercenary armies from Greece, Iberia, Southern Italy, and Gaul. Their armies had different advantages: Carthage was a naval power and Rome was stronger in land battles. "Carthaginian Warfare." Please support World History Encyclopedia. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Related Content Thank you! 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. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. what disadvantage did Rome have when fighting the carthiginians? World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. There was intense competition between commanders, not helped by the fact that command was sometimes shared between two, or even three, generals. The Roman infantry legions then advanced and attacked Hannibals infantry, which consisted of three consecutive lines of defense. To avoid the threat that successful mercenary armies rebelled against the ruling elite of Carthage, the Carthaginians made sure that all senior and middle command positions were held by citizens of Carthage. This was possible largely because for much of its history Carthage only ever fought battles in foreign territory and the city itself was never threatened until Agathocles landed an army in 310 BCE and the Roman invasions of the Second and Third Punic Wars. The victim's ashes were then placed in an urn topped with a stone. Why was Carthage so powerful? - TimesMojo In the ancient world, the Phoenicians and Carthaginians earned a bloody reputation for frequent child sacrifice, but some historians have questioned the scale of this practice. Web. 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. 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. who was the audience of the twelve tables? Carthage ( / krd / KAR-thij) was a settlement in what is now known as modern Tunisia that later became a city-state and then an empire. First, the elephants were not well trained. Another, equally important role for armies was as an offensive means to expand the empire by taking control of new territories rich in natural resources such as the silver mines of Iberia. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Some of Scipios Roman forces were reinvigorated veterans from Cannae who sought redemption from that disgraceful defeat. The head of the priests (rb khnm) was also a member of the Senate and the influential Council of 104. what advantages did the carthaginians have? The victims were killed by fire, although it is not clear precisely how. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. What would have happened if they and not the Romans had risen to prominence and come to dominate the whole of the Carthaginian Religion. Carthage - National Geographic Society 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. 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. Bibliography The battle took place at a site identified by the Roman historian Livy as Naraggara . Punic Wars | Summary, Causes, Battles, & Maps | Britannica Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. but Rome did not. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Jun 2016. what innovation did they create, to overcome this disadvantage? Who was the leader of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war and what did he do? Operations began with a joint attack upon Messana, which the Romans easily repelled. The Carthaginians were quick to copy the Hellenistic inventions of catapult (for stones and incendiaries) and crossbows. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Zama-Roman-Carthaginian-history. Why did Sicily cause conflict between Rome and Carthage? The Carthaginian council upheld Hannibals action and drew upon itself a declaration of war. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Corrections? The Mamertini appealed to both Rome and Carthage, and the Carthaginians, arriving first, occupied Messana and effected a reconciliation with Hieron. Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. North Africa - Carthaginian supremacy | Britannica Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. What advantages did the Carthaginians have? He landed his forces in Spain and the Marched east to attack Italy. Polytheistic in nature, such important Phoenician gods as Melqart and Baal were worshipped in the colony alongside new ones such as Tanit. "Carthaginian Warfare." Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 06 July 2016. 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 the armies of Carthage were usually composite groups of foreign mercenary forces; their weapons and armour differed depending on the unit's origin or preferences. They did not have a navy and had no experience in fighting on the sea What innovation helped the Romans fight sea battles? Carthage's many advantages meant that Carthage was the capital of a prosperous coastal empire that dominated the western Mediterranean. Strongly linked to Baal and considered the consort of Baal Hammon, she was commonly referred to as 'Tanit face of Baal' (Tnt pn B'l) and represented in inscriptions, mosaics, pottery, and stelae as a symbol (a triangle with a straight line and circle above it) seemingly representing a stylised female figure with arms outstretched. Artisans also formed guilds and collectively provided the money to improve and maintain their area of the city. Priests made themselves even more distinguished by painting themselves with red ochre during ceremonies. Living an austere life and with distinctive shaved heads, the majority of their positions were hereditary. They also mention the victims wearing a smiling mask to hide their tears from the god to whom they were being offered. It was one of the greatest military feats in history. Citizenship was reserved for males indigenous to Carthage and gave the right to participate in the popular assembly of the city. 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 copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. 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. Updates? House by house he captured the streets that led up to the citadel. Positioning a fleet with one flank protected by a shoreline could also help counter a periplous manoeuvre, especially from a more numerous enemy. For the first time in decades, Hannibal was without a military command, and never again did he lead Carthaginians into battle. Although human sacrifice may have been practised, the high proportion of newborn babies in the tophets shows that these enclosures served as burial places for children who died at birth or had not reached the age of two.

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