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Rome and Carthage
The origins of Carthage go back to the Phoenician colonial expansion early in the first millennium
BC. For centuries, there was no reason for conflict between Carthage and Rome,
even though they were relatively close together. Carthage was a commercial,
trading city throughout the Mediterranean, while Rome was more definitely agrarian
and mainly interested in the problems in Italy. Carthage gradually created a
colonial empire to expand her commercial trading.
The coast line of North Africa was all Carthage yet she expanded into southern
Spain and occupied part of Sicily. Carthage, being somewhat of a democracy,
actually was governed by a wealthy aristocracy. Her trading activities naturally
had built up an incredible navy, but, lacking a citizen army, she hired any
mercenary troops that she needed. This was the power which Rome was to challenge
for the control of the western Mediterranean world.
With Roman control of Italy came the gradual growth of commerce which
eventually would bring her into direct conflict with Carthage, and with the Roman
expansion southward there also came contact with the several groups of people in
Sicily. Rome would logically look to Sicily as the next area into which to expand,
although Carthaginian traders and settlers had been there a long time.
The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C. © Bible History Online (http://www.bible-history.com) |