Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization (Allen Lane History) [Hardcover]

 

 

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We all know that Cato was very insistent that Carthage must be destroyed, and that he got his way; but speaking for myself I had very little idea of why he was so bothered about it - or indeed who the citizens of Carthage were (apart from Hannibal and his elephants). This book is a terrific way of filling in those gaps, and I commend it very warmly to anyone with an interest in ancient history.
I was a little hesitant about it, despite its excellent review in the Lit Rev - the combination of the woeful mask on the cover and the knowledge that Richard Miles is a copper bottomed academic raised slight worries that it would be a heavy read. However such worries were ill founded. This is a superbly clearly and engagingly written book which wears its very considerable scholarship commendably lightly. It is also an absolute masterclass in how to deal with a history of the losing side, when sources are all slanted against you. Miles describes the effect over the years of the Rome/Carthage hostility as being like getting one side of a conversation, which is an admirably clear way of describing it! He then uses his sources scrupulously to recreate as fair a picture as can be hoped for of the Carthaginian epoch.
The story which he tells takes us from the origins of Carthage as an outpost of Tyre, through its social and religious roots and its growth to a major power in the Mediterranean, and its gradual weakening and ultimate destruction by Rome. It is a story crammed full of interest - the relative flexibility of religious belief, and its adaptation to political ends, the differing political structures in the Mediterranean and their influence on the genesis of the various cities, the economic cycles which drove Carthage's position and later its moves to expand, and how these can be traced in the archaeology. And of course we have the story of the Barcid generals, of whom we have all heard, and about whom many (like me) know next to nothing other than what we read in Livy! Those who think "spin" is a recent invention will be surprised to find that both Hamilcar and Hannibal were masters of the art....
One grouch which the Lit Rev had with the book is that Miles is very plainly a huge enthusiast for his subject. The reviewer there felt that the result was a slight "overselling" of the significance of Carthage. I beg to differ. The enthusiasm (which is manifest) is a terrific thing - it carries one over subjects which would in other hands seems rather dull and brings the picture which is so painstakingly pieced together to life. If the result is arguably to overstate the importance of Carthage (and I am not qualified to judge on this one!) I think that is only fair by way of an attempt to redress the balance after centuries in the shadows.

According to the dust jacket of this book Richard Miles is a lecturer in the Faculty of Classics at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge. But since the publication of this book, he has moved to Australia, and now he teaches classics and ancient history at the University of Sydney.

His book about Carthage begins with a prelude ("The Last Days of Carthage"), an introduction ("Recovering Carthage"), and a chronological table which covers almost a millennium (from 969 BC to 19 BC).

The main text is divided into fifteen chapters which follow a chronological line from the beginning of the Phoenician civilisation to the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC and beyond: Punic names, language and religion continued to be used in North Africa (and Sardinia) long after Carthage was destroyed, as Miles points out in his last chapter (page 371).

[The word "Phoenician" refers to the civilisation which had its origin in an area which corresponds roughly to modern-day Lebanon, while the word "Punic" refers to the sister civilisation which had its origin in Carthage in modern-day Tunisia.]

At the end of the book we find notes with references and additional information, a bibliography, and an index. What about illustrations? There are 26 photos in colour and 16 maps in black-and-white.

This book is based on solid research, ancient sources as well as modern scholarship. Most ancient writers, such as the Greek Polybius and the Roman Livy (in Latin: Livius), were pro-Roman. Some ancient writers were pro-Carthaginian, for instance Philinus of Acragas and Silenus of Caleacte, but, as Miles explains in his introduction, "their work has survived only in sparse fragments" (page 16).

Archaeological evidence is also included. Let me give you a few examples:

(1) The Punic tophet (a sacred enclosure for child sacrifice) in Carthage is presented on pp. 70-71. Illustration # 7 shows a stele from this place, while # 8 gives a general view of the area.

(2) The Punic town Kerkouane in Tunisia is presented on pp. 78-80.

(3) The funerary monument in Thugga (modern Dougga) in Tunisia is presented on page 329.

(4) The Punic mausoleum in Sabratha in Libya is presented on pp. 19-21. Illustration # 18 is a picture of this beautiful monument.

(5) Coins are mentioned frequently. Illustration # 17 is a Roman silver coin issued around 275-260 BC, while # 20 is a Carthaginian silver coin issued in Spain around 230 BC.

This is a very good book. I have almost nothing to complain about, but I have to mention a few points which bother me:

(a) On page 190 the word "maniples" is explained as "divisions of legions made up of about 120 men." This is not true. The smallest unit of a Roman legion was a century (in Latin: CENTURIA) consisting of 80 men. Two of these units make one maniple consisting of 160 men.

(b) On pp. 308-310 we hear about Syphax, king of western Numidia. Miles says Syphax supported Carthage at the end of the second Punic war. But he does not tell us that Syphax had supported Rome during the first part of this war (218-206). And we are never told what happened to him. He was captured near Cirta and transported to Rome, where he was paraded as a prisoner in Scipio's triumph. He died in Tibur (modern Tivoli) ca. 201 BC.

(c) On page 315 we hear about Masinissa, a prince and later king of eastern Numidia. Miles calls him a Roman ally. But he does not tell us that Masinissa had fought for the Carthaginians in Spain for several years (211-206). In 206 he decided to switch sides, and he supported the Romans until his death in 148 BC.

(d) On page 309 we hear about Sophonisba (sometimes spelled Sophoniba), a daughter of the Carthaginian commander Hasdrubal Gisco. Miles says her father had her married to Syphax to build a political alliance. But he does not tell us that Sophonisba had been betrothed to Masinissa before 206. When Masinissa switched sides, Hasdrubal decided to give her to Syphax instead. And we are never told what happened to her. When she was captured, Masinissa married her to protect her. When Scipio refused to accept this solution, Masinissa gave her some poison which she drank in order to avoid Roman captivity.

[Livy, book 30, chapters 12-15.]

(e) On page 370 we hear about an inscription (part Punic part Latin) in Leptis Magna in Libya. Miles says it was set up to commemorate the construction of "a public building" completed in 8 BC. The expenses were paid by a local benefactor whose name he gives as Hannibal Tapapius Rufus. This text is # 319 in the standard collection "Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania," published in 1952 and since 2009 available as a database on the internet (but not mentioned by Miles). The public building is the market (in Latin: MACELLUM) which was completed in 8 or 9 BC. The Latin text gives the first name of the benefactor as Annobal.

Miles adds that the benefactor describes himself as `Lover of Concord' (in Latin: AMATOR CONCORDIAE). But this title is not found in # 319. It is from the dedication of the local theatre completed in AD 1 or 2 and also paid by Annobal (# 321, 322 and 323). Miles has confused the dedication of the market, written in large letters on 31 large blocks, with the dedication of the theatre, written with smaller letters on one small block.

Apart from these comments, I have nothing to complain about. This book is well written, it is accessible to the general reader, and it is well documented, the specialist can check the sources for the statements and opinions presented in it. Therefore it is highly recommended.

Until the publication of this excellent book, the preeminent text about Carthage was the 1995 volume Carthage: A History by the French historian Serge Lancel. This, an outstanding contribution to the patchy knowledge we have of Carthage, has just been eclipsed. One might think that part of the reason for this is that Carthage Must Be Destroyed did not need to be translated (inevitably, there were some places where Lancel's text became unwieldy). It's far from that: this is a better written, easier to follow, more rounded book than Lancel's.

Miles begins with the Phoenicians, the people who founded Carthage, and goes on from there. His style is at all times enjoyable, and his arguments well presented. Apart from the obvious following of Carthage's history, he goes into great depth about subjects such as the manner in which Hannibal aped the feats of Hercules in order to show that he had divine backing, and how the Romans fought back against this religious propaganda. He also explains in depth how, from the time of the Second Punic War onwards, the Romans made it their business to portray the Carthaginians as untrustworthy, perfidious liars and cheats. This in turn allowed them to show themselves as more heroic and steadfast.

Anyone who is interested in learning the full (well, what is known) details about Carthage and its history, needs to read this book. I for one will be returning to it again and again in the future. In my opinion, leading Lancel's book is also a good idea. Another interesting text is Daily Life in Carthage at the Time of Hannibal by the academic Gilbert Charles-Picard. Although it was written in the 1960s, it has some useful information about Carthaginian culture.

Ben Kane, author of Hannibal: Enemy of Rome.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Explaining why it HAD to GO and much more besides...
This book is certaily a masterpiece of scholarship but it also shows how history can be told in a fascinating way without being academic. Read more

Published 2 months ago by JPS

1.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn't bother
The books reads like an old fashioned teacher lecturing you - it was monotone and lacked passion. I gave up after only a few chapters and sold it on.

Published 8 months ago by mrogers

5.0 out of 5 stars RAIDERS & TRADERS
'Carthago delenda est'~ When the Romans devastated Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War they also obliterated much of the city's history. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Jane-Anne Shaw, MA

5.0 out of 5 stars A definitive history of Carthage
The Mediterranean is perhaps one of the most diverse regions of the world rivalled only by South East Asia. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Amrit

4.0 out of 5 stars Holiday appreciation
I visited Carthage on holiday and wanted to know why it had been destroyed. I was reluctant at first to read ancient history but found this book facinating and it filled out a... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Marie Hackett

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account of Carthage
Richard Miles has produced a real gem in "Carthage Must Be Destroyed". The book is a fairly prodigious effort, defying conventional ancient periodization to provide a complete... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Kuma

3.0 out of 5 stars A heavy going, great work.
This is a great work which taught me a great deal about a subject I had a limited knowledge of. I did struggle with his style of writing though, is it just me? Read more

Published 12 months ago by Keith, York

5.0 out of 5 stars Carthage should be understood
As the other reviews have suggested this is an excellent book, a concise presentation of the society that came close to obliterating an emerging Rome three centuries before the... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Stewart Murray McRorie

5.0 out of 5 stars Important addition
I found this most interesting, perhaps, like other non specialists, I have regarded Carthage as a somewhat minor appendage to Roman history - or a mention in a dictionary of... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Dr. Philip A. Shand

3.0 out of 5 stars About as academic as a Waterstones book gets
I study Classical Civilisation as one half of my degree. I picked this up because I felt like something layman-friendly, that would be a welcome change from my course texts, to... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Mr. C. Wilson

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