HANDOUT FOR NOVEMBER 2: ROME AND CARTHAGE
Carthage, from Phoenician Kart-Hadasht, "New City."
Geographical terms used by ancients: "Africa" refers to Carthage and hinterland (modern Tunisia); "Numidia" is modern Algeria; "Libya" refers to whole Sahara region; "Ethiopia" to sub-Saharan Africa.
Tophet: place for child-sacrifice.
Gods: Baal, Tanit, Melkart. Thus Hanni-bal, "favored of Baal"; Ha-milcar, "friend of Melkart."
Punic: what the Romans call Carthaginians, from "Phoenician." Hence "Punic" wars.
Chronology:
c.900-700 BC: Extensive Phoenician colonization in western Mediterranean.
814: Carthage founded by Phoenician colonists from Tyre.
733: Syracuse founded by Greek colonists from Corinth.
264-241: First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Carthaginian fleet commanded by Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal.
236-183: Publius Cornelius Scipio, surnamed "Africanus" after his victory in Africa: Rome’s best general.
218: Second Punic War breaks out. Hannibal raises army in Spain, marches elephants over Alps, invades Italy.
216: Battle of Cannae: Rome’s most catastrophic defeat. Desperate Romans resort to human sacrifice to appease gods.
202: Final defeat of Hannibal’s army by Scipio at Zama, near Carthage.
200-196: War in Greece: Philip V of Macedon takes on Rome and loses. Rome proclaims "Freedom" for the Greek cities. What the Romans really mean: "freedom from democracy."
195: Hannibal takes refuge with Antiochus III of Syria, argues for invasion of Italy. Antiochus takes on Rome and loses.
188: Antiochus of Syria makes peace with Rome. Their demand: hand over Hannibal. He escapes.
183: Hannibal, in Bithynia (on Black Sea), commits suicide to escape capture by Romans. In same year, Scipio Africanus also commits suicide, after being accused of corruption by his political enemies in the Senate.
149: Marcus Cato ("Cato the Elder"), famous moralist, begins filibustering the Senate: to every piece of legislation, on any subject, he adds: delenda est Carthago, "Carthage must be destroyed."
146: Third Punic War. Rome destroys Carthage, massacres or enslaves population, sows ground with salt. Africa becomes a Roman province.
46 BC: Julius Caesar re-founds Carthage as a Roman colony, settles military veterans there. Carthage eventually becomes one of the most prosperous cities of the Roman Empire.