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The struggle to the death between the Carthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of the ancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, both sides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finally succumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almost utterly erased. Drawing on a wealth of new archaeological research, Richard Miles vividly brings to life this lost empire--from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as the greatest sea power in the Mediterranean. And at the heart of the history of Carthage lies the extraordinary figure of Hannibal--the scourge of Rome and one of the greatest military leaders, but a man who also unwittingly led his people to catastrophe.--From publisher description.… (more)
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This book is truely a great read. It's remarkable that this amount of analysis and historiography has been combined with the
In my opinion, Richard Miles style is as easy to follow as the much acclaimed Tom Holland, albeit with less humour. I'll be pre-ordering his next title 'Ancient Worlds' on the strength of this.
This book takes a long look, starting with the history of the early Phoenicians and ending with the beginnings of Rome's empire, well after the final Punic war.
One wonders how the course of history would change if the Carthaginians had won. Our world would be changed beyond recognition.
The previous book I read covering the history of the Greeks and Romans (Thoneman and Price's The Birth of Europe--my review) over this period left out much about Carthage and the Punic Wars. Much of the history about Carthage
Whereas Thoneman and Price, and other authors, write that Greek and Roman generals looked to Homer's Iliad for their heroes and standards, Miles writes that Greeks, Romans, and Carthaginians syncretically all claimed Heracles. This led to a synthesis of culture between Greece and Carthage, particularly on Sicily where both sides fought prolongued battles and established colonies which were constantly being re-occupied. As another commenter writes:
"This is the major thrust of the book and is itself sufficient justification for reading it. Regrettably, this important contribution is diminished by long and persistent digressions into the syncretism between the Greco/Roman Heracles/Hercules and the Punic deity Melquart (Melkart--the basis of given names such as Hamilcar). Miles argues at length that the great general Hannibal and his aides consciously used the parallel with Heracles as a religious accompaniment to warfare in the campaign to undermine Roman pride. These are appealing arguments to an archeologist, as they can be supported to some extent by surviving coinage. This is an inherently provocative thesis and could be the subject of a separate book (though one that would be less appealing to a publisher)."
Miles starts with the development and migration of the Phoenecians (from which we get the Latin term Punic) out of Tyre. No biblical references are given even though Tyre played various roles in Israel's development. I found Miles' treatment very helpful-- what were Tyre and Sidon, why did they matter? How did the center of Phoenecian life move across the see from Tyre to Carthage? (Fleeing Assyrians and Babylonians).
Miles gives a helpful account of the evolution of religion and culture in Carthage. Baal and Astarte (Ashterah) were worshipped. Child sacrifice is documented but its importance is debated.
Carthage occupied territories in Spain and relied on silver from Spanish minds to fuel its trade and fund its armies. Carthaginian armies were diverse and made up of mercenaries. This created some logistical problems-- companies speaking different languages -- but also some benefits like diverse fighting styles and flexibility.
The First Punic War (264-241 B.C.) was largely fought on Sicily. Carthage had long occupied territories and fought prolonged conflicts against Syracusans while maintaining peace with the fledgling Roman republic. However, when another Roman ally was attacked by Carthage, Rome eventually chose to enter war with its new rival. After a failed Roman invasion of North Africa, Rome was eventually able to best Carthage on Sicily and at sea to win the war. Rome had expanded its territory and ambitions, and Carthage would be able to rebuild.
The Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) was one where strategy was important. Hannibal marched from Spain across two mountain ranges into the heart of Italy. Imagine African elephants marching through the forests of Europe. Hannibal's army occupied parts of Italy for 15 years. At the Battle of Cannae, Rome lost maybe 70,000 troops. Miles writes that Hannibal did not want to destroy Rome, but simply hoped to reduce its power and give independence to Italian city-states. His assumption that Rome would negotiate a peace proved false, and Rome fought on.
One interesting note about these ancient wars are the ways that both sides appeal to their gods and oracles for divine wisdom and favor. Both Hannibal and the Roman Senate appealed to gods in such a way as to try and show the native populations that they would be the favored ones.So, the appeals were often very calculated and for morale as much as actual divine favor.
Hannibal met his match in the Roman general Scipio, and as a Roman counterattack took the battle to Africa, Hannibal and Carthage were forced to sue for peace. Although stripped of its army, navy, and forced to pay a heavy tribute, Carthage again grew economically and was able to rebuild. By 251 it had repaired its war reparations and began rebuilding its forces.
This led to both jealousy and fear among the Roman elite. The title of the book comes from words attributed to Cato the Elder, who often finished his Senate oratories urging the elimination of Carthage once and for all: "Carthago delenda est." There was a debate in the Senate because there was a fear that if Rome's chief rival was eliminated then it would be harder to keep the Roman masses in check. Eventually, the Roman war-hawks got what they wanted-- Carthage began to behave beligerently and the Senate raised an expedition force to destroy Carthage. The Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.) was a brief and relatively one-sided affair. The once-mighty city of 700,000 people was razed to the ground, never to be rebuilt.
Miles looks at how Roman historians looked back on Carthage. Its fall was later seen as something of a prelude to the fall of the Roman empire-- its leaders became corrupt and "irrational," and it crumbled from within before being conquered from without.
I enjoyed this book, learned a lot, and will leave it to the experts to figure out the controversies. 4 stars out of 5.
Carthage's commercial success after the Second Punic War was its undoing. Warmongers like Cato the Elder successfully lobbied the Roman Senate to view Carthage as a new threat. In fact Cato the Elder would reportedly end any speech in the Senate with the warning "Carthage must be destroyed" or Carthago delenda est.
Rome did have a pretext. It's old ally from the Second Punic War, Numidia, was constantly raiding Carthage's North African lands. When Carthage would protest to Rome, Rome would always side with Numidia. Finally, Carthage had enough. It defended itself when Numidia launched another raid. Rome saw its chance and gave Carthage an ultimatum -- evacuate Carthage and move 15 kilometers from the sea. Of course, this would have destroyed Carthage's mercantile empire and Carthage refused to do it. Thus, began the Third Punic War and the destruction of Carthage.
Much of this same material is covered in Adrian Galsworthy The Punic Wars.
For this reason, there is not much new here for the First and Second Punic Wars. But this book does show how Carthage grew from a minor colony of the Phoenician city of Tyre to be the commercial giant of the ancient world. The author does cover the latest research on whether or not Carthangians sacrificed their babies to the gods. For me, the best part of the book is the coverage of Rome's motives for attacking Carthage and starting the Third Punic War.
And they all die in the end. Spoiler!