UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
will have been almost entirely Carthaginian; more Punic stelae have been
found there than in any other African site except Carthage itself and there
can be no doubt that the language of Carthage became increasingly used
in Numidia and Mauretania.
The destruction of Carthage
At this period, to be a Roman ally was to be a Roman dependant, and
the prime requirement was obedience to Roman will and the avoidance
of any action which might arouse Roman suspicion, however unjustified.
Masinissa's political skill is demonstrated by his understanding of these
facts. Over a period of fiftyyears he sought to exert increasing pressure
on Carthaginian territory and probably hoped that in the end Carthage
itself would fall to him with Roman assent. At first, Rome had no interest
in further weakening Carthage, which was also naturally a dependant, and
down to —170 his gains in territory were small. From —167, however,
Rome pursued increasingly ruthless policies, not only in Africa, and
favoured Masinissa, who fed their suspicions of Carthage and was also
exemplary in sending supplies and men whenever Rome called on him.
By these means he added to his kingdom the emporta on the Gulf of Gabes
and much of the Bagradas Valley. Opinion in the Roman senate gradually
came round to the view of the elder Cato that Carthage must finally be
destroyed. Although it was true that Carthage had shown a remarkable
recovery from the second Punic war, any idea that she could ever again
be a threat to Rome was irrational. The Carthaginians were given the choice
of abandoning their city and moving into the interior or facing war and
its consequences. When they chose the latter alternative, a Roman army
was sent to Africa in —149. In spite of overwhelming superiority,
Carthage held out till —146. Some Libyans still supported her, and
Masinissa himself resented the Roman action which deprived him of
his cherished hope, but had to acquiesce. Most of the old-established
Phoenician and Carthaginian settlements, such as Utica, Hadrumetum,
Thapsus and others, went over to the Romans and avoided inevitable
destruction. Carthage itself was razed to the ground and the site ceremonially
cursed, a symbolic action by Rome testifying to the fear and hatred
which she had accumulated over a century for the power which most sternly
resisted her domination over the Mediterranean world.
Post-Carthaginian successor states
Numidia
Yet it was more than another century before Rome properly supplanted
Carthage as the dominant political and cultural power in the Maghrib.
For various reasons (see Chapter 20) Rome only took over a small part
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