what advantages did the carthaginians have?

North Africa - Carthaginian supremacy | Britannica Battle of Zama, (202 bce), victory of the Romans led by Scipio Africanus the Elder over the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal. . Such a large geographical spread of interests required a naval fleet to safeguard both the ships which plied their trade across the seas and the ports which gave them protection and access to lucrative hinterlands. The cavalry slammed into Hannibal's rear, forcing a decisive end to a brutal battle. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. 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. One of the most distinctive Carthaginian weapons was the war elephant. 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. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! 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. 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. Carthaginian society was composed of an eclectic mix of native citizens, North Africans. which regions of the Mediterranean did Carthage control? The first, the diekplous or breakthrough, was when ships formed a single line and sailed right through the enemy lines at a selected weak point. 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. 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. See full answer below. 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. World History Encyclopedia. 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. -bad navy and lack of knowledge in sea battle. 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. 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). Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. There are cases of slaves being allowed to run businesses for their master with relative autonomy and slaves returning to work for their former master after they had gained their freedom (although this may have been a legal obligation). In the founding legend of Carthage, Dido (Elissa), the queen who fled from Tyre, picked up the High priest of Astarte in Cyprus on her way to North Africa, promising him that he and his descendants would hold the position of High Priest in the new city. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Carthage and its HarbourThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Romans had presumed that the Alps created a secure natural barrier against invasion of their homeland. so that all people, no matter the social class, could be treated equally, no, they treat slaves with lesser value, so there is not total equality. Hannibal was a military leader from Carthage. The failure of the elephant charge can likely be explained by a trio of factors, with the first two being well documented and most important. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. -they dont want rome to fall apart or house enemies, they need to be convicted in a court of law first. 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. License. What advantages did the Carthaginians have? 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. The Carthaginians accordingly opened negotiations and consented to a peace by which they ceded Sicily and the Lipari (Eolie) Islands to Rome and paid an indemnity of 3,200 talents. World History Encyclopedia. At its largest extent, it covered 6,000 square meters and has nine descending levels. Thousands of examples survive of these votive markers and are powerful evidence that the Carthaginian religion was practised by all levels of society. How The Romans Beat The Best Navy Of The Time This was the first of a priestly class at the city. 2012-10-12 03:41:26. The Battle of Zama left Carthage helpless, and the city accepted Scipios peace terms whereby it ceded Spain to Rome, surrendered most of its warships, and began paying a 50-year indemnity to Rome. Thus, he could field only about 4,000 cavalry, the bulk of them from a minor Numidian ally named Tychaeus. "Carthaginian Religion." The battle took place at a site identified by the Roman historian Livy as Naraggara . We care about our planet! This would suggest that a handful of families who could trace their lineage back to the founding of the city and the original colonisers from Tyre had a distinct advantage in running for public office. 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. it is strongly divided into the poor and the wealthy. Why was Carthage so powerful? - TimesMojo What disadvantage did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? which regions of the Mediterranean did Rome and its allies control? World History Encyclopedia. That caused the elephants to run unimpeded through the lines with little, if any, engagement. Motivation for commanders was high too as those generals who failed in wartime were treated harshly. Undoubtedly, there were large estate owners in Carthaginian lands beyond the city proper, but property was not the exclusive ticket to power that it was in other ancient cultures. Punic Wars, also called Carthaginian Wars, (264146 bce), a series of three wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire, resulting in the destruction of Carthage, the enslavement of its population, and Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Submitted by Mark Cartwright, published on 13 July 2016. "Carthaginian Society." 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. what was the perspective of the author in the twelve tables? The absence of a large citizen army which had raised the collective political consciousness of citizens in other states such as those in Greece was, perhaps, another reason for the Carthaginians' seeming lack of interest in political power. The Greek hoplite was perhaps the most common model heavy armour, large shield, spear, and sword. In 264 the Carthaginians intervened in a dispute between the two principal cities on the . What advantages did the Carthaginians have? These had two large columns, one either side of the entrance which led to three chambers within which was not a representation of the god but a large bronze bowl with an eternal flame. As with most other ancient cultures warfare for the Carthaginians was, like any other state activity, inseparable from religious beliefs. It was first used in the 8th century BCE and continuously thereafter until the fall of Carthage in the Punic Wars. Not large enough to carry a superstructure (howdah), the type of elephant used by Carthage may have permitted a second rider armed with a bow or javelins. As part of the city beautification project, residents were asked to remove litter and___ from the roadsides and vacant lots. While all this chaotic ramming was going on, smaller vessels were used to haul stricken ships away from the battle lines or even to tow away captured vessels. what advantages did the carthaginians have? Further, on closer inspection, it is notable that all of the literary references to human sacrifice suggest that it was necessary only in times of great danger to the state such as wars, plagues, and natural disasters, and was not an everyday practice. https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Warfare/. This Roman-Carthaginian alliance against Pyrrhus caused him great trouble as he had to both fend off the Roman army and the Carthaginian navy. Cite This Work The presence of professional interpreters, as mentioned in stelae, is evidence of the cosmopolitan nature of Carthage. Some urns were buried in shaft tombs and the dedicated sacred open space for these urns was surrounded by walls and known as a tophet. These could take the form of the pouring of libations, food offerings, flowers, animal sacrifice (bulls, lambs, poultry, birds etc. When enemy forces became used to them and trained their horses not to panic or if the terrain was unsuitable, then their effectiveness was greatly reduced. This was possible largely because for much of its history Carthage only ever fought battles in foreign territory and the city itself was never threatened until Agathocles landed an army in 310 BCE and the Roman invasions of the Second and Third Punic Wars. By the year 203 Carthage was in great danger of attack from the forces of the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio, who had invaded Africa and had won an important battle barely 20 miles (32 km) west of Carthage itself. Invested with an unrestricted foreign command, he spent the rest of his life in founding a Spanish empire (237228). Buildings were destroyed, the people were sold into slavery, and the land officially cursed. Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Cartwright, M. (2016, July 13). why or why not? The questions will require you to make decisions regarding the revision of the reading selection. Last modified July 13, 2016. Nevertheless, descriptions by Roman authors and surviving inscriptions from Punic stelae help reconstruct at least a partial picture of the social makeup of one of the ancient Mediterranean's most important cultures. (barricades; debris). 01 May 2023. Such memberships regularly bonded through shared banquets. The city's population at its peak was somewhere around 400,000, and the international blend of skills and cultures was a recipe for success which led Roman writers to describe Carthage as the richest city in the world. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Definition. Hannibal was a military leader from Carthage. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Cartwright, Mark. Carthage, on the other hand, had long been anxious to conquer Sicily and so to complete the chain of island posts by which it controlled the western Mediterranean. Light infantry was stationed on the wings and protected the flanks of the phalanx which might draw in the enemy lines. The Mamertini appealed to both Rome and Carthage, and the Carthaginians, arriving first, occupied Messana and effected a reconciliation with Hieron. Corbita SailingJan van der Crabben (CC BY-NC-SA). Military of Carthage - Wikipedia Temples were built in their honour, ceremonies were overseen by a priestly class, sacrifices were made to appease them, and their imagery appeared on ships, coins, and in the arts. While this was the Romans only naval defeat in the war, their fleet had suffered a series of grievous losses by storm, and now it was so reduced that the attack upon Sicily had to be suspended. Last modified July 06, 2016. Second Punic War, also called Second Carthaginian War, second (218-201 bce) in a series of wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian (Punic) empire that resulted in Roman hegemony over the western Mediterranean. Another, equally important role for armies was as an offensive means to expand the empire by taking control of new territories rich in natural resources such as the silver mines of Iberia. Significance Another foreign import was Isis, who had a temple in the city. World History Encyclopedia. There were probably as many temples at Carthage as at the contemporary cities of Rome and Athens. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Third-Punic-War, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Third Punic War. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Artisans also formed guilds and collectively provided the money to improve and maintain their area of the city. 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. Second Punic War | Carthage and Rome [218 bce-201 bce] First, the elephants were not well trained. When the Carthaginian flagship was captured, the commander was forced to ignominiously flee in a rowing boat. By 265 B.C., Carthage was the wealthiest and most advanced city in the region, as well as its leading naval power. 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. 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. - Elephants. Some 20,000 Carthaginians died in the battle, and perhaps 20,000 were captured, while the Romans lost about 1,500 dead. The only reason they won this was because a storm sank a Carthaginian vessel, which the Romans copied. High ranking priests and priestesses were specifically assigned to serve the goddesses. 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. In later sculpture, she is most often portrayed with a lion's head and wings, and a second symbol of her is the bottle shape prevalent on votive stelae. Express the thought of each sentence below in no more than four words. hannibal Flashcards | Quizlet from Libya and Tunisia) and mercenary armies from Greece, Iberia, Southern Italy, and Gaul. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Punic Stele with Goddess TanitCarole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA). A committee of 10 senators was responsible for state religious matters. As the armies of Carthage were usually composite groups of foreign mercenary forces; their weapons and armour differed depending on the unit's origin or preferences. What would have happened if they and not the Romans had risen to prominence and come to dominate the whole of the Then there were the artists who produced goldwork, sculptures, and fine glassware. Further, human sacrifices in ancient sources are almost always the children of rulers and the ruling class, as the gods, apparently, were not to be moved by the sacrifice of the common people. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Zama-Roman-Carthaginian-history. 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. Cartwright, Mark. 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 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. 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. why were both Carthage and Rome wanting to control the mediterranean? Carthage - National Geographic Society We want people all over the world to learn about history. What disadvantages did Rome have when fighting the Carthaginians? Create your account. Corrections? Ancient Siege Warfare: Persians, Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans 546146 Rome Seizes the Trident: The Defeat of Carthaginian Seapower and the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. License. The ships were the trireme with three banks of rowers, the quadrireme, and quinquereme. no matter how powerful an empire, it will always come to an end. One of the best corps in the Carthaginian army was the cavalry force of their allies, the Numidians. Phoenician-Punic Grinning MaskCarole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA). Carthage's military also allowed it to expand into Sardinia and . The use of Egyptian-made and home-copied amulets was widespread at Carthage judging by their abundance in tombs. However, by that time the legionnaires had become nearly exhaustedand they had yet to close with the third line, which consisted of Hannibals veterans from his Italian campaign (i.e., his best troops). First Punic War | Definition, Summary, & Facts | Britannica In 147, however, the command was given to Scipio Aemilianus, the adopted grandson of the former conqueror of Carthage. 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. 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. ), and even human sacrifice (molk). Mago, who had sustained battle wounds during a losing engagement in Liguria (near Genoa), died at sea during the crossing. (1) Huge population (2) Huge navy (3) Wealthy from taxes and tribute (4) Employed mercenaries. Punic Wars | Summary, Causes, Battles, & Maps | Britannica Inscriptions inform us that a chief priest was responsible for a particular temple and assisted by a lower category of priests (khnm). 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 city's economy. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Carthage | History, Location, & Facts | Britannica What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Puninic War Many of these professions are mentioned on Punic stelae. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. Tribes that used to roam from province to province were a threat to the continued existence of Rome. 01 May 2023. The Punic Wars: Causes, Summary & Hannibal The Romans certainly took this view and demanded Hannibals surrender. The Carthaginians are one of history's greatest what-if civilizations. When the Carthaginians in 150 resisted Masinissas aggressions by force of arms, thus formally breaking the treaty with Rome, a Roman army was dispatched to Africa. Child sacrifice did occur at Carthage, as it did in many other ancient cultures, but the physical evidence of the scale of such a practice does not seem to match the long-held infamous reputation the Phoenicians and Carthaginians have suffered from since antiquity. Scipio was awarded the surname Africanus in tribute of his victory. Aside from naval battles, the Carthaginian fleet was also vital for transporting armies, resupplying them by providing an escort for transport ships, coastal raids, attacking enemy supply ships, blockading enemy ports, and relieving Carthaginian forces when they were themselves besieged. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Inscriptions on Punic stelae describe many temples to many different deities at Carthage, but unfortunately, very little remains of them exist in the archaeological record due to the destruction of the city by the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE. Cartwright, Mark. (like the persian emipire) its how the earth balances itself out, writing and publicly displaying laws (twelve tables), republican government, but the plebeians demanded it. Omissions? 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. 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. "Carthaginian Religion." After one campaign they were ready to sue for peace, but the terms which the Roman commander Marcus Atilius Regulus offered were intolerably harsh. They besieged and captured the Carthaginian base at Agrigentum in 262 but made little impression upon the Carthaginian fortresses in the west of the island and upon the towns of the interior. The tophet at Carthage was known as the 'precinct of Tanit' and located to the south of the city at Salammbo. 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. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Carthaginian_Religion/. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the WHE Publishing Director. scipio reflects on the history of great cities and empires? Our information on many of the details of the Punic religion is, then, incomplete due to a lack of contemporary sources from the Carthaginians themselves. "Hamilcar barca", means they could strike fast and attack from anywhere without warning. Hannibal, however, showed a willingness to adapt superior enemy tactics and formations such as after the Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 BCE) when he likely adapted the more flexible Roman maniple troop deployment as opposed to the more static phalanx. 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. There were female priests, but once again, the details of initiation and duties of the priestly class remain unknown. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. It was one of the greatest military feats in history. Polybius and Livy claim 20,000 Carthaginian killed and an equal number of prisoners; of the Romans, 1500 died at Zama. Baal Hammon ('lord of the altars of incense') was another important god, inspired by the Baal who was supreme god at the Phoenician city of Sidon. 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. In addition, after a battle or war, the commanders were subjected to a tribunal which investigated their competence or otherwise. Several commanders, following defeat, committed suicide to avoid the latter penalty. His plan was to take the war to Rome and cause an uprising in the Italian Peninsula. The moveable gangplank What advantages did the Carthaginians have when fighting the Romans? https://www.worldhistory.org/article/908/carthaginian-society/. Carthage was founded by the Phoenician city of Tyre in the 9th century BCE, and along with many other cultural practices, the city adopted aspects of the religion of its founding fathers. Yes, you're reading this right. 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. Carthaginian Warfare. They hadn't reckoned with Hannibal's. Boarding Troops Lacking the training and experience of the Carthaginians, the Roman sailors were at a disadvantage in terms of speed and manoeuvrability. how did Hannibal and his troops get to Italy? 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. 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. Related Content 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 While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Food That Conquered the World: The Carthaginians - Medium Oarsmen were expected to fight in landing operations and help build siege engines but not in ship-to-ship battles. Carthaginian MercenariesThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). The elite class dominated the religious posts of Carthage too. The truth about Hannibal's route across the Alps Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). who was the audience of the twelve tables? The most important goddess was Tanit, who represented a mother goddess, life, & fertility. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Nevertheless, despite this precaution, in several instances mercenary armies would prove to be disloyal and even cause in-fighting between the rival clans of Carthage's aristocracy, most famously during the Truceless War (aka Mercenary War, 241-237 BCE). The army of Carthage the city was composed of heavily armoured infantry drawn from the citizenry. Carthaginian War ElephantThe Creative Assembly (Copyright). 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). No temples survive, no texts on the Punic mythology have come down to us, and we are left only with a number of inscribed stelae and certain art objects to piece together the details. License. There is a shrine area with an altar where the sacrifices were made.

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