When one thinks of the rivals of the Roman Republic/Empire, the ancient civilization of Carthage isn't the first one that comes to find. However, the Carthaginians proved to be a constant thorn in Rome's side for nearly one hundred years in a series of wars dubbed, "The Punic Wars." By the year 149 BC, Rome had gained the upper hand in this bitter rivalry and promptly marched on to the city of Carthage which resides in what is now modern-day Tunisia. Carthage initially surrendered to the Romans, handing over prisoners of war and weapons, but refused the Romans demands for complete surrender and the Carthaginians proceeded to fortify the city for one last stand.
Carthaginian civilians brace for an attack of Roman soldiers on a rooftop.
After two years of being besieged by the Romans, the Carthaginian will began to collapse under the might of the Roman war machine. In 146 BC, the Romans finally had a breakthrough when somewhat newly elected Consul, Scipio Aemilianus, devised and successfully executed a plan to destroy Carthage's harbor walls. Now that the Romans had finally gotten within the walls of the city, they faced the daunting task having to eliminate roughly 400,000 inhabitants, all of whom were barricaded within the houses of the city. It took the Roman soldiers, all 80,000 of them, several to gain control of the city once the initial breakthrough occurred despite the fierce and courageous resistance of Carthage's inhabitants. By the time the dust had settled, 350,000 Carthaginians had been slain and another 50,000 had been forced into slavery. After the ensuing battle, the Romans leveled the once great Carthage that had rivaled them for so long. While Carthage's influence in classical antiquity was somewhat short lived, they nonetheless made a significant impact in the short time they were given, and traces of that impact can be seen even today.
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