The Third Punic War was the third and final in the series of conflicts known as the Punic Wars between the Roman Republic and the ancient North African city of Carthage. This war, which lasted from 149 to 146 BC, was characterized by the Roman side’s overwhelming determination to completely destroy their Carthaginian adversaries. Unlike the first two Punic Wars, the third was not a battle for dominance or territorial power, but an intentional effort by the Romans to obliterate Carthage from existence due to their growing fear and ideological hatred towards the Carthaginians.
One of the most prominent events during the Third Punic War was when Roman forces ultimately besieged Carthage in 146 BC. Under the leadership of Scipio Aemilianus, the Roman troops decisively defeated the Carthaginians and proceeded to sack the city for days continuously. The aftermath was devastating, with almost the entirety of the Carthaginian population killed or sold into slavery and the city razed to the ground. Thus ended Carthage’s influential role in the ancient world, making Rome the dominant power in the Mediterranean region.
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