what advantages did the carthaginians have?

Of a city population that may have exceeded a quarter of a million, only 50,000 remained at the final surrender. 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. The most important goddess was Tanit, who represented a mother goddess, life, & fertility. World History Encyclopedia. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. It must also be mentioned, though, that the Carthaginians had a healthy respect for genealogy and political leaders were often recorded with not only their own names but also those of several previous generations. 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. Carthage was a sea power so therefore it had a naval advantage over Rome, until the Romans caught up, that is. Inscriptions inform us that a chief priest was responsible for a particular temple and assisted by a lower category of priests (khnm). Catapults could be mounted on the deck of these large vessels but were probably limited to siege warfare and not used in ship-to-ship battles. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. This is similar to the percentage at other tophets such as on Tharros. -yes Carthage was an accomplished practitioner of warfare for centuries acquiring new territories & resources, & safeguarding ITs vast trade network. 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. In 202 BCE, the Roman general Scipio Africanus famously defeated the great Hannibal and his elephants at the Battle of Zama in western Tunisia. Even in Phoenician/Punic mythology, where the god El sacrifices his son Ieud, it is to save his country from collapse. There were also contingents of slingers and archers. Just like in any large city, there were all the professions needed for a thriving population with money to spend: teachers, doctors, architects, cooks, shopkeepers, cobblers, fishermen, scribes, chariot-makers, and so on. In another example, Diodorus describes the Carthaginian general Hamilcar sacrificing a child during the siege of Agrigento in the 5th century BCE when the defenders were suffering from a fatal outbreak of disease. There was intense competition between commanders, not helped by the fact that command was sometimes shared between two, or even three, generals. Accordingly, sacrifices were made to the Punic gods before key battles in order to ensure their favour and ultimate victory. Nevertheless, access to the elite was open to anyone who could acquire the financial means. Troops were coordinated during battle using standards. First Punic War | Definition, Summary, & Facts | Britannica 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 . Soldiers, Citizens, And The Symbols Of War: From Classical Greece To Rome: Empire of the Eagles, 753 BC AD 476, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Hannibal returned to Africa with his 12,000-man veteran army and soon gathered a total of 37,000 troops with which to defend the approaches to Carthage. What disadvantages did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? In some theatres the Carthaginian army enjoyed great successes, notably in North Africa, Sicily, and Spain. These conventions further confirm that Carthage, as with most other ancient societies, was a male-dominated society in every respect. World History Encyclopedia. It was a handy propaganda tool with Greek contingents in the Carthaginian army and when fighting in such places as Magna Graecia where the cult was as strong as anywhere. Hannibal was a military leader from Carthage. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Several commanders, following defeat, committed suicide to avoid the latter penalty. More certain is that the Carthaginian religion continued, beyond the Roman destruction of the city, to be practised, sometimes under different names, perhaps more clandestinely than previously, but very often at the same temple sites as before. Help us and translate this article into another language! Please support World History Encyclopedia. Carthage was, then, an accomplished practitioner of warfare for centuries but eventually, and despite a heroic effort which several times almost brought victory, more than met its match in Rome with its professional and well-trained army backed by a seemingly endless pool of replacements and financial support. World History Encyclopedia, 06 Jul 2016. In response to this threat hundreds of noble children were sacrificed. At some point also Rome entered into relations with Saguntum (Sagunto), a town on the east coast, south of the Ebro. The Carthaginians hastily collected a relief force, but in a battle fought off the Aegates Insulae (Egadi Islands), west of Drepana, their fleet was caught at a disadvantage and mostly sunk or captured (March 10, 241). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Related Content View Hannibal's campaign against Rome with the siege of Saguntum, The interval between the First and Second Punic Wars (241218, https://www.britannica.com/event/Punic-Wars, Humanities LibreTexts Library - The Punic Wars, UNRV History - The Punic Wars and Expansion, Khan Academy - Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, Punic Wars - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Priests would have enjoyed a high status but lived an austere life, symbolised by their distinctive shaved heads. The more successful commanders not only possessed the military skills to exploit the unique situations of individual battles and the weaknesses of their enemies but also the ability to mould their own mercenary fighting force into a homogenous unit. 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. crossing the alps with 40,000men and 37 elephants, almost all died. Less important Phoenician gods surviving in Punic religion included Hawot (god of the dead), Hudis (the new moon), Kese (the full moon), Kusor/Kusorit (god/goddess of intelligence), and Semes (the sun goddess). Web. Religious ceremonies could also take place at natural features like rivers and springs as these were often held as sacred by the Carthaginians. 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. While Pyrrhus was still fighting battles in Sicily and facing heavy losses, he received information from Tarentum that it was difficult to defend the city on their own and that they needed assistance. Corrections? 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. Thank you! What advantages did the Carthaginians have? Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 13 July 2016. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The head of the priests (rb khnm) was also a member of the Senate and the influential Council of 104. Last modified July 13, 2016. At the same time, the Carthaginians, who felt no less severely the financial strain of the prolonged struggle, reduced their forces and made no attempt to deliver a counterattack. Attempts to ram enemy ships could be made in two ways. The army of Carthage the city was composed of heavily armoured infantry drawn from the citizenry. It was first used in the 8th century BCE and continuously thereafter until the fall of Carthage in the Punic Wars. In land battles, after an initial round of skirmishes involving light cavalry, the Carthaginian army attacked the enemy head-on with heavy infantry, much like the Greeks had been doing for centuries with the phalanx (a line of tightly grouped hoplites protecting each other with their shields). Tusked and reaching a height of 2.5 metres, the elephants were made even more fearsome by adding armour to the head, trunk, and sides, and blades or spears to the tusks. Hannibal, for example, went one step further than his father Hamilcar Barca (who had used such imagery on his coins) and identified himself as Hercules-Melqart, the figure who was a mix of the invincible Greek hero and the Phoenician-Punic god. This meant that enterprising individuals, able to exploit the market conditions of the city where goods were imported, exported, and manufactured or cultivated on site, or those who were able to fund their own private trading expeditions to such rich lands of opportunity as Sicily and Spain, could rise to the very top of society and politics. Tanit was also associated with the palm tree, dove, the moon, fish, and pomegranate, all of which appear with her on Carthaginian coins and stelae dedicated to her. View this answer. Cite This Work Carthaginian Society - World History Encyclopedia In addition, after a battle or war, the commanders were subjected to a tribunal which investigated their competence or otherwise. Cite This Work Help us and translate this definition into another language! License. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Hannibal, he gathered 46,000 men, many horses, and 37 elephants. He sought to compensate for the loss of Sicily by acquiring a dominion in Spain where Carthage might gain new wealth and form a fresh base of operations against Rome. Omissions? As the two armies approached each other, the Carthaginians unloosed their 80 elephants into the ranks of the Roman infantry, but the great beasts were soon dispersed and their threat neutralized. 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. Despite the importance of such goddesses as Tanit/Astarte in the Carthaginian religion and the myth of the city's founding by Queen Dido (Elissa), women were not granted citizenship and so could not participate in the political life of the city. Mago, who had sustained battle wounds during a losing engagement in Liguria (near Genoa), died at sea during the crossing. We also know that Carthage had a significant Greek community in the 4th century BCE. What African king took over Italy? Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Updates? 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. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Did Rome or Carthage have a better navy? The great general Hamilcar Barca was particularly successful in Spain in the 230s BCE. World History Encyclopedia. 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 and expand its vast network of colonies and trading posts from the 9th to 3rd centuries BCE. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 June 2016. what does he mean in your own words? 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. What disadvantage did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? ), and even human sacrifice (molk). He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. Sometimes during a long conflict even new temples were built to such important deities as Tanit, Melqart, and Baal Hammon to please them and make sure their support did not waver. https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Warfare/. 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 last and decisive battle of the Second Punic War, it effectively ended both Hannibal's command of Carthaginian forces and also Carthage's chances to significantly oppose Rome. 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. 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. The aristocracy of Carthage was not, as in many other ancient societies, based on land ownership but wealth, pure and simple. Although the Carthaginians consented to make reparation by giving 300 hostages and surrendering their arms, they were goaded into revolt by the further stipulation that they must emigrate to some inland site at least 10 miles (16 km) from the sea, making impossible the commerce by sea that drove the citys economy. what was the perspective of the author in the twelve tables? World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. 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. Tophet of CarthageDennis Jarvis (CC BY-SA). Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. 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. hannibal Flashcards | Quizlet "Hamilcar barca", means they could strike fast and attack from anywhere without warning who did the romans fight against in the punic wars? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The head of the priests (rb khnm) was also a member of the Senate and the influential Council of 104. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. It was the battle which would end the Second Punic War and, effectively, Carthage's position as a major power. First, the elephants were not well trained. Updates? This brutality did sometimes serve a political purpose for canny generals could then seem especially generous when they treated the defeated well, they could encourage enemy cities to capitulate without much bloodshed and avoid the same fate and, perhaps not least, persuade their own troops of what they could expect in retaliation themselves from the enemy if they were captured, and so they became even more motivated to fight well. Ancient Carthage - Wikipedia After one campaign they were ready to sue for peace, but the terms which the Roman commander Marcus Atilius Regulus offered were intolerably harsh. what was the punishment for treason in Rome? Corrections? Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Their armies had different advantages: Carthage was a naval power and Rome was stronger in land battles. 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. Books Cartwright, M. (2016, July 13). The elite class dominated the religious posts of Carthage too. What advantages did the carthaginians have See answer Advertisement Mathunga - Carthage had a much better naval force at the beginning of the Punic wars. 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. 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. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Cite This Work Having staged a successful invasion of Africa and having vanquished its canniest and most-implacable foe, Rome began its vision of a Mediterranean empire. The military of Carthage was one of the largest military forces in the ancient world.Although Carthage's navy was always its main military force, the army acquired a key role in the spread of Carthaginian power over the native peoples of northern Africa and southern Iberian Peninsula from the 6th century BC and the 3rd century BC. 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. (goal) was to show that romans could work together to create a compromise in the government. Operations began with a joint attack upon Messana, which the Romans easily repelled. Phoenician-Punic Grinning MaskCarole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA). This left Rome free to land a force on Corsica (259) and expel the Carthaginians but did not suffice to loosen their grasp on Sicily. Before the battle, Hannibal and Scipio met personally, possibly because Hannibal, perceiving that battle conditions did not favour him, hoped to negotiate a generous settlement. The Carthaginian council upheld Hannibals action and drew upon itself a declaration of war. Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. Less skilled workers but no less important to the city's industry were the dockworkers, porters, and sailors. Tradesmen lived in specific areas with potters and metalworkers congregating outside the city walls to the south and along Lake Tunis, for example. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Indeed, this was a criticism of Aristotle when commentating on Carthage that such a preoccupation with wealth would lead inevitably to a self-interested oligarchy dominating society. We care about our planet! The Romans now directed their efforts once more against Sicily. Carthaginian Religion. Carthage | History, Location, & Facts | Britannica The situation is made more complex by the sometimes indiscriminate use of Greek and Latin names by ancient writers of those cultures when describing Carthage's religious practices, not to mention their bias against foreign practices. Priests made themselves even more distinguished by painting themselves with red ochre during ceremonies. In 219 Hannibal laid siege to Saguntum and carried the town in spite of a stubborn defense. Cartwright, Mark. Best Answer. why were both Carthage and Rome wanting to control the mediterranean? There are also tales of prisoners being executed en masse, sometimes imaginatively as in one case where elephants were used to trample the unarmed captives. The victims were killed by fire, although it is not clear precisely how. Some of Scipios Roman forces were reinvigorated veterans from Cannae who sought redemption from that disgraceful defeat. 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. The battle took place at a site identified by the Roman historian Livy as Naraggara (now Sqiyat Sd Ysuf, Tunisia). Cartwright, Mark. In 260 the Romans built their first large fleet of standard battleships. if you were an emperor thinking about going to war against rome, how might this description make you feel? The First Punic War was fought to establish control over the strategic islands of Corsica and Sicily. At that crucial juncture, Masinissas Numidian cavalry returned from their rout of the enemy cavalry and attacked the rear of the Carthaginian infantry, who were soon crushed between the combined Roman infantry and the cavalry assault. Light infantry was stationed on the wings and protected the flanks of the phalanx which might draw in the enemy lines. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/908/carthaginian-society/. 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. A committee of 10 senators was responsible for state religious matters. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. However, the scheme of preparing for a fresh conflict found a worthy champion in Hamilcar Barca. Because Hannibal could not transport the majority of his horses from Italy, he was forced to slaughter them to keep them from falling into Roman hands. Significance What advantages did the Carthaginians have over Romans? This was in direct contrast to Roman commanders who had their command for one year, only leading to a more aggressive approach to warfare as they tried to win total victory before being removed from office. Punic Wars | Summary, Causes, Battles, & Maps | Britannica After the Roman Republic beat Carthage in the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), the Carthaginians looked for ways to strengthen themselves militarily and economically. Hannibal Barca BustCarole Raddato (CC BY-SA). Priestess of Isis on a Carthaginian Sarcophagus Lid. His victories at the Ticinus (Ticino) River near Pavia and the Trebia River in December 218 BCE, Lake Trasimene in June 217 BCE, and at Cannae in Apulia in August 216 BCE rocked the Roman world. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Zama-Roman-Carthaginian-history. Eryx (modern Erice) (244242) in western Sicily, by which he effectually screened Lilybaeum from any attempt on it by the Roman land army. What advantages did Carthage have over Rome? - Answers Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). On the open plain of Zama, the retreating Carthaginians had nowhere to run; chased down by horsemen, very few of these escaped. what were the advantages the carthaginians had large empire including areas that surrounded carthage such as sicily, corsica, balearic islands carthage was situated in the mediterranean with access to the sea and islands they owned had lots of money and men from their empire what were the disadvantages the carthaginians had The inherent weaknesses in the Carthaginian army - disparate groups of sometimes disloyal mercenaries, confused command structures, and an over-reliance on heavy infantry and war elephants - meant that Carthage was, ultimately, unable to maintain its position as a Mediterranean superpower and keep pace with mighty Rome. Similarly, the Phoenician gods Eshmun (an equivalent of Adonis but also identified as Asclepius by the Greeks, suggesting he had an association with healing at Carthage), Reshef (the god of fire and lightning, linked to Apollo by the Greeks), and Rasap (associated with warfare) were worshipped at Carthage but again with slightly different connotations such as Reshef (a form of Rasap) and Shadrap (associated with snakes and healing). Defeated leaders could expect no better and were often cruelly executed. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Baal had many other incarnations, or perhaps even separate deities under that name: Baal Iddir, Baal Marqod, Baal Oz, Baal Qarnem, Baal Sapon, and Baal Shamin. The origin of these conflicts is to be found in the position which Rome acquired, about 275 bce, as leader and protector of all Italy. Most Carthaginian gods were inherited from the Phoenicians, but these were adapted, and their names and functions evolved over time. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Warfare/. Books Corrections? Patrick Hunt (Ph.D., Institute of Archaeology, UCL, University of London, 1991) is an archaeologist and historian who has taught at Stanford University since 1993. In 254 they captured the important fortress of Panormus (Palermo), but when Carthage threw reinforcements into the island the war again came to a standstill. Of his three battle lines, only his seasoned veterans from Italy (between 12,000 to 15,000 men) were accustomed to fighting Romans; they were positioned at the rear of his formation. Carthaginian Society. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Military of Carthage - Wikipedia They had a general, unlike the Romans Copy. These conquests aroused the suspicions of Rome, which in a treaty with Hasdrubal confined the Carthaginians to the south of the Ebro. At its largest extent, it covered 6,000 square meters and has nine descending levels. Founded by the Phoenicians in the ninth century BC, Carthage reached its height in the fourth century BC as one of the largest metropolises in the world [4] and the centre of the . A committee of 10 senators was responsible for state religious matters. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. 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. We care about our planet! the battle in 202 BC in which Scipio decisively defeated Hannibal at the end of the second Punic War. The quinquereme, so called for its arrangement of five rowers per vertical line of three oars (a total of 300 rowers), became the most widely used in the Punic fleet. what did scipio do in response to hannibals campaign in italy? Carthage's many advantages meant that Carthage was the capital of a prosperous coastal empire that dominated the western Mediterranean. 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. What does Kennedy state are the two main reasons immigrants come to the United States? In 147, however, the command was given to Scipio Aemilianus, the adopted grandson of the former conqueror of Carthage. Why did Sicily cause conflict between Rome and Carthage? https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Religion/. Their numbers advantage was lost because the Carthaginians limited their frontage as they enveloped them, and their advantage as heavily armed and armoured infantry was also negated by being compressed into such a small area. Battle of Zama | Biography & Facts | Britannica The most notorious example of this, recounted by the ancient historian Diodorus, was when Agathocles, the tyrant of Syracuse, invaded North Africa in 310 BCE. What advantage did the Carthaginians have over the Romans?
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