Editing Carthage (section)

===Punic Republic===
{{Main|Ancient Carthage}}

[[File:Carthaginianempire.PNG|thumb|upright=1.15|Downfall of the Carthaginian Empire
{{legend|#0076ae|Lost to Rome in the [[First Punic War]] {{nowrap|(264–241 BC)}}}}
{{legend|#0fff4b|Won after the First Punic War, lost in the [[Second Punic War]]}}
{{legend|#519EFD|Lost in the Second Punic War {{nowrap|(218–201 BC)}}}}
{{legend|#bf01fe|Conquered by Rome in the [[Third Punic War]] {{nowrap|(149–146 BC)}}}}
]]
The Carthaginian republic was one of the longest-lived and largest states in the ancient Mediterranean. Reports relay several wars with Syracuse and finally, Rome, which eventually resulted in the defeat and destruction of Carthage in the Third Punic War. The [[Punic people|Carthaginians]] were [[Phoenicia]]n settlers of primarily [[Southern Mediterranean]] and [[Southern Europe]]an ancestry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Matisoo-Smith |first1=Elizabeth A. |last2=Gosling |first2=Anna L. |last3=Boocock |first3=James |last4=Kardailsky |first4=Olga |last5=Kurumilian |first5=Yara |last6=Roudesli-Chebbi |first6=Sihem |last7=Badre |first7=Leila |last8=Morel |first8=Jean-Paul |last9=Sebaï |first9=Leïla Ladjimi |last10=Zalloua |first10=Pierre A. |date=2016-05-25 |title=A European Mitochondrial Haplotype Identified in Ancient Phoenician Remains from Carthage, North Africa |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=e0155046 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0155046 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4880306 |pmid=27224451|bibcode=2016PLoSO..1155046M }}</ref> [[Phoenicia]]ns had originated in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast of the [[Levant]]. They spoke [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite]], a [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]], and followed a local variety of the [[ancient Canaanite religion]], the [[Punic religion]]. The Carthaginians travelled widely across the seas and set up numerous colonies. Unlike Greek, Phoenician, and Tyrian colonizers who "only required colonies to pay due respect for their home-cities", Carthage is said to have "sent its own magistrates to govern overseas settlements".<ref name="ingentaconnect.com"/>

[[File:Tunisie Carthage Ruines 08.JPG|right|thumb|Ruins of Carthage]]

The fall of Carthage came at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC at the [[Battle of Carthage (c. 149 BCE)|Battle of Carthage]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Wine: The 8,000-Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade |first=Thomas |last=Pellechia |year=2006 |location=London |publisher=Running Press |isbn=1-56025-871-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wine8000yearolds00thom }}</ref> Despite initial devastating Roman naval losses and [[Hannibal]]'s 15-year occupation of much of Roman Italy, who was on the brink of defeat but managed to recover, the end of the series of wars resulted in the end of Carthaginian power and the complete destruction of the city by [[Scipio Aemilianus]]. The Romans pulled the Phoenician warships out into the harbor and burned them before the city, and went from house to house, capturing and enslaving the people. About 50,000 Carthaginians were sold into [[slavery in ancient Rome|slavery]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001198.html|title=Ancient History|work=infoplease.com}}</ref> The city was set ablaze and razed to the ground, leaving only ruins and rubble. After the fall of Carthage, Rome annexed the majority of the Carthaginian colonies, including other North African locations such as [[Volubilis]], [[Lixus (ancient city)|Lixus]], and [[Chellah]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=14906| title = C. Michael Hogan (2007) ''Volubilis'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. by A. Burnham}}</ref> Today a "Carthaginian peace" can refer to any brutal peace treaty demanding total subjugation of the defeated side.

====Salting legend====
{{main|Salting the earth#Carthage}}
Since at least 1863,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |author1-link= George Ripley (transcendentalist) |author2-link=Charles Anderson Dana |author1-last=Ripley | author1-first=George |author2-last=Dana |author2-first=Charles A. |encyclopedia=The New American Cyclopædia: a Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge |title=Carthage |url=https://archive.org/stream/newamericancycl01danagoog#page/n508/mode/1up | access-date =29 July 2020 |year=1858–1863 |publisher=D. Appleton |volume=4 |location=New York |oclc=1173144180 |page=497}}</ref> it has been claimed that Carthage was [[Salting the earth|sown with salt]] after being razed, but there is no evidence for this.<ref name="Carthage 1988 pp. 308">{{cite journal |first=B. H. |last=Warmington |title=The Destruction of Carthage: A Retractation |journal=Classical Philology |volume=83 |issue=4 |year=1988 |pages=308–310 |doi=10.1086/367123 |s2cid=162850949 }}</ref><ref>Stevens, 1988, pp. 39–40.</ref>