Cindy Wu
Pr. Hubbard
GFCL 100 – D
2 March 2016
Genocides of Carthaginians and Spartans The word genocide was first coined in 1944 CE by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish writer, who combined ‘geno-’ from the Greek word for race, and ‘-cide’ from the Latin word for killing. Genocide, a killing of a race. Genocide has been defined as the “intentional destruction “in whole or in part, [of] a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such” (Kiernan 51). There are many similarities and differences between the Carthaginian genocide by Romans and the Spartan genocide by Athenians such as the conquest of land, domination, the cult of antiquity and war. Carthage is founded by Phoenicians in 813 BCE, it became “the richest city in the Mediterranean” …show more content…
Carthaginians who were “unaware that the Senate had secretly decided “to destroy Carthage for good, once the war was ended,” (Kiernan 50) surrendered their weapons to Rome leaving them defenseless. The last ridiculous demand instigated a three-year war when the Carthaginians said no, the demand that the Carthaginians “abandon their city, deserting their shrines and cults.” (Kiernan 50) was rejected. During the Third Punic War there was such a high number of casualties that the “Carthaginians were “utterly exterminated” (Kiernan 50). After absolutely decimating the Carthaginian population, the surviving Carthaginian population became slaves and the Roman army put salt on the remains of Carthage so that nothing could grow there again (Hubbard Feb 22). At the end of the Third Punic War, “of Carthage’s population of 200,000 to 400,000, at least 145,000 had perished…and dispersed into slavery all 55,000 survivors” (Kiernan 51). The Carthaginians were destroyed by Romans because of the ideal society put forth by Cato the Elder, the resulting genocide of the Carthaginian people left survivors who became slaves. The destruction of Carthage “fits the definition in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention: intentional destruction “in whole or in part, [of] a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such” (Kiernan 51) as it was the “destruction of a nation” (Kiernan
Pr. Hubbard
GFCL 100 – D
2 March 2016
Genocides of Carthaginians and Spartans The word genocide was first coined in 1944 CE by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish writer, who combined ‘geno-’ from the Greek word for race, and ‘-cide’ from the Latin word for killing. Genocide, a killing of a race. Genocide has been defined as the “intentional destruction “in whole or in part, [of] a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such” (Kiernan 51). There are many similarities and differences between the Carthaginian genocide by Romans and the Spartan genocide by Athenians such as the conquest of land, domination, the cult of antiquity and war. Carthage is founded by Phoenicians in 813 BCE, it became “the richest city in the Mediterranean” …show more content…
Carthaginians who were “unaware that the Senate had secretly decided “to destroy Carthage for good, once the war was ended,” (Kiernan 50) surrendered their weapons to Rome leaving them defenseless. The last ridiculous demand instigated a three-year war when the Carthaginians said no, the demand that the Carthaginians “abandon their city, deserting their shrines and cults.” (Kiernan 50) was rejected. During the Third Punic War there was such a high number of casualties that the “Carthaginians were “utterly exterminated” (Kiernan 50). After absolutely decimating the Carthaginian population, the surviving Carthaginian population became slaves and the Roman army put salt on the remains of Carthage so that nothing could grow there again (Hubbard Feb 22). At the end of the Third Punic War, “of Carthage’s population of 200,000 to 400,000, at least 145,000 had perished…and dispersed into slavery all 55,000 survivors” (Kiernan 51). The Carthaginians were destroyed by Romans because of the ideal society put forth by Cato the Elder, the resulting genocide of the Carthaginian people left survivors who became slaves. The destruction of Carthage “fits the definition in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention: intentional destruction “in whole or in part, [of] a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such” (Kiernan 51) as it was the “destruction of a nation” (Kiernan