Why was Carthage destroyed?

**Selim Yavuz** · November 08, 2009, 07:58 AM

I was just wondering why the city of Carthage was wiped off the face of the planet forever, and also why it wasn't rebuilt. I don't mean the destruction of the city in 146 B.C. at the hands of the Romans under Scipio Aemilanus, the reason for that is obvious enough. I mean the destruction of the rebuilt Carthage by the Arabs in 698 A.D. I haven't been able to find anything on why this was done, though I know the city was Christian and part of the Byzantine Empire at the time. But the Arabs completely annihilated the city and it was never rebuilt, even though it was in a prime location and has such antiquity.

**William the Bastard** · November 08, 2009, 08:11 AM

Don't know for sure but it may have something to do with the inability to grow the large amount of crops that ancient Carthage could. Under the Roman Empire the province of Africa was one of the bread baskets of Rome along with Sicily and later Egypt. Due to climate change and especially desertification what we now know as Tunisia looks very different from what the Romans would recognise as it became far less fertile.

It may also have to do with the Arabs preferring to build their own capital cities from scratch in new areas (eg Baghdad). These are however just musings and no doubt someone else may have a more definitive answer for you.

**Selim Yavuz** · November 08, 2009, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by William the Bastard

Don't know for sure but it may have something to do with the inability to grow the large amount of crops that ancient Carthage could. Under the Roman Empire the province of Africa was one of the bread baskets of Rome along with Sicily and later Egypt. Due to climate change and especially desertification what we now know as Tunisia looks very different from what the Romans would recognise as it became far less fertile.

It may also have to do with the Arabs preferring to build their own capital cities from scratch in new areas (eg Baghdad). These are however just musings and no doubt someone else may have a more definitive answer for you.

Hmmm, I could see it falling into desusetude and losing most of it's population due to lesser fertility, but to be destroyed entirely at one fell swoop? The second one may be though. Did the Arabs build Tunis, or was that city there previously? Thanks for the suggestions by the way, I had not considered either one.

**Mangalore** · November 08, 2009, 08:31 AM

I once read a rather speculative but fascinating notion that the rise of the Caliphate coincided with a climate change where in turn the southern reaches of the Roman empire turnt from ancient farming systems to the kind of living habits the Arabs excelled at thus making their lifestyle the better role model for those regions than the centralized administration of the Roman empire.

In tune with that former ancient cities might not have been considered as good spots for continued settlement anymore and after destruction or depopulation other areas might have been considered better places to start over as William said.

One shouldn't forget that there were also many Bronze age settlements that had been abandoned by classical times although they were formerly chosen because of their great location.

**Selim Yavuz** · November 08, 2009, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Mangalore

I once read a rather speculative but fascinating notion that the rise of the Caliphate coincided with a climate change where in turn the southern reaches of the Roman empire turnt from ancient farming systems to the kind of living habits the Arabs excelled at thus making their lifestyle the better role model for those regions than the centralized administration of the Roman empire.

In tune with that former ancient cities might not have been considered as good spots for continued settlement anymore and after destruction or depopulation other areas might have been considered better places to start over as William said.

One shouldn't forget that there were also many Bronze age settlements that had been abandoned by classical times although they were formerly chosen because of their great location.

Do you happen to know the title of the work that was in? I'd be delighted to read it myself if possible.

**Lysimachos11** · November 08, 2009, 08:35 AM

Carthage may not have been such a big city anymore in the first place. Anyway, the Arabs first conquered the city in 696, after which it was recaptured by the Byzantines. When the Arabs retook it in 698 maybe they destroyed it to remove it as a base for invasions from the Mediterranean?

**Sher Khan** · November 08, 2009, 08:46 AM

The Arabs, in order to avoid then Byzantine naval superiority and projective power, preferred to take up residence in cities a bit more inland than Carthage offered.