The Numidian-Carthaginian War: The Last Battle of Carthage
The peace treaty concluded at the end of the Second Punic War obligated Carthage to pay heavy financial indemnities over a period of 50 years, and prohibited it from waging war without the permission of the Roman Senate. King Masinissa of Numidia took advantage of the situation to seize more and more Carthaginian lands, without Carthage being able to defend itself. Nearly 50 years after its defeat, especially after it came close to paying war reparations, Carthage finally began to show a reaction.
Context
As the end of war reparations payments approached, the Carthaginian elite disagreed over which plan to adopt. One faction, the heiress of Hanun the Great (who died in 193), wanted to pursue a policy of appeasement with Rome. The other faction, led by Hannibal the Starling, preferred close cooperation with Numidia, led by Masinissa. Another faction, led by Hamilcar of Samnite, aspired to restore Carthage to its former glory.
Numidian-Carthaginian War
In 151, the nationalist party of Hamilcar of Samnite managed to expel 40 members of the pro-Numidian party from Carthage. They fled to Cirta, to the court of Masinissa. The king sent his two sons, Misipsa and Glossa, to Carthage to negotiate the return of the exiles. But the Carthaginian authorities, angered by Masinissa's successive invasions, sent them back. Hamilcar of Samnite ambushed Glossa and killed many of his companions
Such an insult could not go unpunished: Masinissa immediately mobilized his army to invade Carthaginian territory. Carthage mobilized an army to defend itself, violating the peace treaty.
Just before the battle, the Numidian commanders Soba and Assassis defected and joined the Carthaginian camp with 6,000 knights. Despite these reinforcements, the Carthaginian army was defeated at the Battle of Oroscopa.
At the same time, the Roman tribune Scipio Aemilianus visited Masinissa to obtain war elephants. The Carthaginians invited him to negotiate a truce. To this end, Masinissa demanded that the Numidian fugitives be handed over to him, but Carthage refused.
The Carthaginian army was too weak to continue fighting. Masinissa besieged the Carthaginians in their camp, trying to starve them out. Carthage was forced to surrender, handing over Numidian deserters and allowing the return of Carthaginian exiles.
Consequences
Although Carthage did not lose any territory in this war, its consequences were dire: when the news reached Rome, The Roman Senate threatened Carthage with retaliation for violating the peace treaty.
A Carthaginian delegation was sent to Rome in 149 to try to negotiate a peaceful solution. One of the members of this delegation was called Hamilcar, but the sources do not specify whether he was the same Hamilcar who was the reason for the resumption of the conflict. The negotiations failed, and after some time, the Roman army arrived at the gates of Carthage.
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