New Town
(Carthage AAR)
When Rome and Syracuse declared war, Carthage’s leaders had no hope of victory. The spearmen of Carthage could not hope to defeat the swordsmen of Rome. But Carthage had a plan. Instead of fighting a futile defensive campaign, they abandoned their outer colonies. We can imagine the desperate pleas for reinforcements from the defenders of Lilybaeum and Karalis as the enemies of Carthage approached. But no help came. First Lilybaeum in Sicily fell to Syracuse, then Karalis in Sardinia was taken by Rome.
The city of Carthage was founded by Phoenician migrants. In their language, they named their new home Qart-hadašt: New city. As tide of war caused their colonies to collapse like a series of sand-castles, Carthage’s leaders chose to escape. While small armies defended the city of Carthage and the remains of Carthage’s western empire, larger forces marched east to establish a Carthaginian empire in Egypt. The city of Carthage might fall, but the people of Carthage would live on.
After the fall of Carthage’s allies, the Etruscan League, Carthage was divided into eastern and western empires by invading Greeks from Syracuse. This did not distress Carthage’s leaders. Their armies knew how to endure the deserts of Africa, but their Roman and Greek enemies did not. However, the expansion of Carthage brought them into conflict with African nations such as the Blemmyes, who were equally at home in the desert. At Medjay, in the south-eastern corner of Carthage’s empire, an army of the Blemmyes invaded the new lands of Carthage – and an army of Carthage marched against them.
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