Quote Originally Posted by Ludens View Post
I doubt the barbarians were particularly gentle when looting a town; it was more that the Romans took systematic sacking to a new level. And this was just for "ordinary" opponents who did not surrender in time. The razing of Carthage is special, and there's something hysterical about Rome's hostility to Carthage in the run-up to the Third Punic War. The city was no serious threat, yet it seems the Romans were determined to find offence.
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Was it not of their fear for another Hannibal / Carthage who might not make the same mistakes the orignals made ? Carthage had the ability to recover fast financially at least.

I mean Scipio learned from Hannibal, Rome learned from others, so maybe when they let Carthage live to fight another day who knows what would happen.