Changes

By 151 BC the Carthaginians had fully repaid the indemnity that had been imposed on them by the victors of Zama. The oligarchy that ruled the city believed that the treaty was now expired. This alarmed those in Rome, who continued to fear the North African city. Moreover, they believed that Carthage it was re-building in secret its navy. There is some archaeological evidence to suggest that Carthage’s the Carthaginian shipyards were secretly building large war galleys despite the treaty. Moreover, many in Italy were covetous of the famously rich agricultural lands of Carthage and its trade network. By 151 BC there was a general agreement in among the city Roman elite that a final confrontation with their great rivals was inevitable and even desirable. The Numidians invaded Carthaginian lands and the North Africa city-state engaged in a brief war. Rome claimed that under the treaty that the city had to obtain its permission to wage war and that thereby Carthage had broken the peace agreement. The Senate declared war on their old enemies in 149AD. Carthage tried to placate the Romans, but they were intent on war. The Romans landed in modern Tunisia and they conquered Carthage’s outposts and defeated its army and besieged the city. The ever-resourceful Punic population turned their metropolis into a fortress and they resisted many fierce assaults from the legions. Such was the stubbornness of the defense of the inhabitants that many in Rome feared that they would have to abandon the siege. The legionnaires acclaimed Scipio Aemilianus as their leader and he changed the course of the siege<ref> Miles, p 345</ref>. He built a mole that cut the besieged city from the sea and soon the defenders supplies ran low. In desperation, the Carthaginians began to carry out large numbers of human sacrifices to enlist the support of the Gods in their hour of need. Scipio in the Spring of 146 BC launched a daring attack on the walls of the city and seized a section of it and this enabled his army to enter Carthage. There was vicious street fighting and Scipio ordered the city to be burnedno quarter was given by either side<ref>Appian, 130, 132</ref>. After nearly a week of fighting the Romans seized the city and the Carthaginians surrendered. Many of the city’s inhabitants refused to surrender and they committed suicide in mass by flinging themselves into the many firesin the devastated city<ref>Appian, 130, 133</ref>. It is estimated that of the surviving population, that nearly all of them were sold into slavery. Carthage once the greatest city of the Western Mediterranean was a ruin.