Carthaginians and Romans: the capture of Carthago Nova

THE ROMAN CAPTURE OF CARTHAGO NOVA was the theme for Friday. The day commenced with a morning "naval battle" (i.e., boat race) at the port. The Romans triumphed handily.

The first part of Livy's account of the fall of the city is lost. But he wasn't impressed with the sea assault on the port:

At the same time the ships commenced an attack upon that part of the city which faced the sea. Here, however, there was too much noise and confusion to admit of a regular assault, for what with bringing up the vessels and hauling out the scaling ladders, and clambering ashore as quickly as they could, the men only got in one another's way through their hurry and eagerness. (26.44; 1912) Loeb translation by Rev. Canon Roberts

We missed the formal arrival of the Romans at City Hall Square, but we were there for the great battle for the city on the Batel Slope. Livy was more impressed with the land attack:

At first the lines stood confronting each other in equal strength; but as the successive reinforcements came up they not only turned the enemy to flight, but pressed upon them so closely as they fled in disorder that if the "retire" had not sounded they would in all probability have burst into the city pell-mell with the fugitives. The confusion and terror of the battlefield spread right through the city; many of the pickets fled from their stations panic-struck; the defenders of the walls leaped down the shortest way they could and deserted the fortifications. Scipio had taken his stand on an eminence which they called Mercury's Hill, and from here he became aware that the walls were in many places without defenders. He at once called out the whole force in the camp to the attack, and ordered the scaling ladders to be brought up. Covered by the shields of three powerful young men-for missiles of every description were flying from the battlements-he went up close to the walls, encouraging his men, giving the necessary orders, and, what did most to stimulate their efforts, observing with his own eyes each man's courage or cowardice. So they rushed on, regardless of missiles and wounds, and neither the walls nor the men upon them could prevent them from striving who should be the first to mount. (26.44)

Here's a very abbreviated account of the spectacle:

The two forces clashed.

The Romans scaled the city walls.

And victory was proclaimed.

There was a victory parade that evening, but we were still recovering from the first one, so we gave it a miss.

In the next posts we move on to the Punic, Phoenician, and Roman archaeology of Cartagena. Then we will come back to the concluding days of the festival.

Previous posts in the series are here and here.

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