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<youtube>https__NOTOC__[[File://wwwCarthage One.youtube.com/watch?v=-1szAxQh6Go</youtube>jpg|250px|thumbnail|left|Ruins of Carthage]]
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[[File: Carthage One.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Ruins of Carthage]]
====Third Punic War====
[[File: Carthage.png|200px|thumb|left|Modern map of Carthage before its destruction 146 BC]]
====Conclusion====
Admin moved page How did Rome benefit from the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC? to How did Rome benefit from the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC
The final defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War transformed the history of Ancient Europe. For over a century, the Romans and the Carthaginians had fought for control of the Mediterranean. However, by 146 BC, the Romans had achieved a total victory over Carthage and had wiped the city from the face of the earth. This victory had significant repercussions on Roman politics and society.
The defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War allowed the Roman Republic to become the superpower of Europe and allowed its influence to expand to North Africa. North Africa become the breadbasket of Rome for centuries. The victory also ensured that Rome was the greatest naval power in the Mediterranean and aided its economic expansion over the next 500 years.
====Background==What were the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage? ==[[File: Carthage four.jpg|200px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|The prow of a Carthaginian Ship in a modern museum]]
Rome and Carthage came into conflict in the First Punic War of 264-241 BCE. They fought for the control of Sicily. The Romans, after a brutal struggle, emerged victoriously and gained possession of the island. This assured that Rome would be the dominant Italian power. The Second Punic War (218-201 BC), often known as Hannibal’s War, was the greatest challenge Rome faced.<ref> Chris Scarre, "The Wars with Carthage," The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome (London: Penguin Books, 1995), pp 24–25</ref>
After its defeat, Carthage was too weak to oppose Rome’s ambitions in the Mediterranean. Under the harsh terms of the treaty that ended the Second Punic War, the Carthaginians had been reduced to a dependency of the Italian city-state.<ref>Scullard, Howard Hayes: A History of the Roman World, 753 to 146 BC (New York, Routledge, 2002), p 316</ref> Not only had they been forced to relinquish their Empire and limit their navy, but the Punic state was also obliged to pay a massive indemnity to their old enemies’ treasury every year.
Furthermore, the Roman Republic oversaw the foreign relations of the city-state. The Romans also encouraged Numidians to raid Carthaginian areas frequently. The Romans also ruled in favor of the Numidians in their favor in their border disputes with Carthage. <ref> Scarre, p. 24</ref> The peace terms that the Romans had imposed on the North African city-state were onerous and framed in such a way as to weaken it permanently.
The descendants of the Phoenician settlers were a bold race of mariners, entrepreneurs, and traders. Despite the treaty, Carthage was able to pay the reparations and even to expand its trade network. The recovery of the city was remarkable, and it became, once more, an economic powerhouse, despite all the Romans' efforts.<ref>Miles, Richard. Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization (London, Allen Lane, 2010), p. 45</ref>
This alarmed some of the Senators, who were the ruling elite in the city on the Tiber. Many had fought in the Second Punic War and knew that Rome had come close to defeat and possible extinction at Hannibal's hands. The distinguished senator Cato the Elder demanded that ‘Carthage must be destroyed’ at the end of every speech he made in the Senate .</ref> Appian, History of Rome, v, iii</ref>. However, many Romans did not want war as they had come to rely upon Carthage's payments.
== What was the Third Punic War? ==
[[File: Carthage.png|250px|thumbnail|left|Modern map of Carthage before its destruction 146 BC]]
By 151 BC, the Carthaginians had fully repaid the indemnity imposed on them by the victors of Zama. The oligarchy that ruled the city believed that the treaty was now expired. This development alarmed Rome, who continued to fear the North African city. Moreover, they believed that it was re-building in secret its navy. There is some archaeological evidence to suggest that the Carthaginian shipyards were secretly building large war galleys despite the treaty.
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====Why did the defeat of Carthage make Rome masters the naval power of the Mediterranean==? ==[[File: Carthage two.jpg|200px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|Ruins of Carthage today]]
Carthage had always been a great maritime power and dominated the trade networks of the Mediterranean. Even after their defeat in the Second Punic War, they remained a formidable naval power.<ref>Goldsworthy, Adrian The Fall of Carthage (London, Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2010), p. 178</ref> Their naval technology was much more advanced than the Romans. While the Carthaginian navy was limited by the terms of the treaty that ended the Second Punic War, they could quickly build a powerful fleet of ships.<ref> Miles, p. 355</ref>
The control of the sea was essential to the growth of Rome. It gave it naval supremacy and allowed Italian merchants to dominate the sea’s trade routes, which significantly enriched the Republic. The destruction of their enemy allowed Rome to become the unchallenged power in the Mediterranean.
====Roman What did Rome do to North Africa==after it conquered Carthage? ==
In legend, the Romans wanted to eradicate everything Carthaginian, so much so that they sowed salt on its soil to make it a desert. This did not happen, and this legend was a 19th-century fabrication. The Romans were too pragmatic for that, and instead, they declared the lands around the ruins of the great Punic city to be public lands. They encouraged Italian settlers to farm this land, and much of it was also distributed to local farmers. The victors turned the area into a province and called it Africa. This eventually became the name of the entire continent.
Over a period of decades, the Romans expanded from Tunisia and dominated the entire coastline of North Africa. They first conquered Numidia (Algeria) under Marius and eventually established a client kingdom in present-day northern Morocco.<ref> Scullard, p. 189</ref> The victory over Carthage allowed Rome to dominate the North African coastline from the Sinai to Morocco.
====Roman Food Supply==How North Africa become the breadbasket of Rome? ==
Rome's population grew rapidly in the second century BC, and many Roman feared that food production would be insufficient. This shortage could limit Rome's growth or lead to social unrest. The vast city was placing an intolerable burden on the agricultural resources of Italy. One of the reasons Rome initiated the Third Punic War was to seize Carthage's rich farmlands. The Carthaginians were not just great mariners and traders but also accomplished farmers. The Romans' seizure of the lands of their enemies was significant. It allowed them to secure grain for their ever-expanding population.
The climate in North Africa in Antiquity was much wetter than today, and it was excellent for the growing of grains such as wheat. The Province of Africa became the breadbasket of the Roman Empire for centuries. Over this period, the Annonae system was established and allowed the free distribution of grain to Roman citizens.<ref>Erdkamp, Paul The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome. United Kingdom (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000), p 213</ref>. Most of this grain came from the province of Africa and the former territories of Carthage. The conquest of their bitter enemies' former lands allowed them to develop a secure and cheap food source for the city. This allowed the economy to grow in Rome and maintain social stability in the sprawling metropolis for over seven centuries.
The rivalry between Rome and Carthage was one of the greatest in Antiquity. The Romans' victory in the Third Punic War was total and led to the disappearance of the Carthaginian State. The destruction of Carthage was critical in Rome's rise and helped it become the superpower in the Mediterranean. The destruction of Carthage allowed Rome to become the only significant naval power in the sea, which was essential in the growth and maintenance of its Empire. The control of the Mediterranean allowed the Roman Republic to dominate trade, allowing it to grow rich.
