Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization
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- Create Date：2021-07-21 09:54:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Richard Miles
- ISBN：0143121294
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Summary
The first full-scale history of Hannibal's Carthage in decades and "a convincing and enthralling narrative。" （The Economist ）Drawing on a wealth of new research， archaeologist， historian， and master storyteller Richard Miles resurrects the civilization that ancient Rome struggled so mightily to expunge。 This monumental work charts the entirety of Carthage's history， from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history。 Carthage Must Be Destroyed reintroduces readers to the ancient glory of a lost people and their generations-long struggle against an implacable enemy。
Reviews
Martin
，
As a Roman history buff， I would say this book is fair。 I liked the cover though。
A Z
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I'm not sure how I feel about a book - ostensibly chronicling the history of a civilisation - being titled after a call to genocide of that civilisation。 The book itself was fine！ The archaeological perspective is invaluable！ It just makes me uncomfortable。 It's akin to calling a book "Jews Are Subhuman: A History of Jewish Culture During the 20th Century" or "The Definitive Solution: Armenian History Through the Eyes of Armenians" or - you get the point。 If you're writing a book about a particu I'm not sure how I feel about a book - ostensibly chronicling the history of a civilisation - being titled after a call to genocide of that civilisation。 The book itself was fine！ The archaeological perspective is invaluable！ It just makes me uncomfortable。 It's akin to calling a book "Jews Are Subhuman: A History of Jewish Culture During the 20th Century" or "The Definitive Solution: Armenian History Through the Eyes of Armenians" or - you get the point。 If you're writing a book about a particular civilisation or culture， particularly one that was subjugated by a notoriously genocidal colonial power， it might not be best to start off on this particular note。 。。。more
Seif Borgi
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The existence of this book， given the lack of original Carthaginian sources and the scarcity of second and third-party pro-Carthage sources， is an achievement to be applauded。 Dr。 Miles reconstructed a history based on the writings of other civilizations， presenting a lot of knowledge， facts， and suppositions。 Unfortunately， the book lacks a narrative drive。 It has depth but not the storytelling to keep general readers engaged。I wish the book told a story or offered some kind of guiding narrativ The existence of this book， given the lack of original Carthaginian sources and the scarcity of second and third-party pro-Carthage sources， is an achievement to be applauded。 Dr。 Miles reconstructed a history based on the writings of other civilizations， presenting a lot of knowledge， facts， and suppositions。 Unfortunately， the book lacks a narrative drive。 It has depth but not the storytelling to keep general readers engaged。I wish the book told a story or offered some kind of guiding narrative to help hold the details together。 Unless you have prior general knowledge of Carthage’s history to help guide you through the book， reading Carthage Must Be Destroyed might feel like an exercise in will and endurance。 。。。more
Xiang Li
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原来加泰罗尼亚这个名字 就是源自迦太基~
dathomira
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this took me so many months to read/listen to but it was worth it and the narrator is GREAT。my longer review: this is a really great and in depth overview of a civilization tht has left scant archaeological evidence （on account of how rome burned them to the literal ground lmao）。 richard miles does an excellent job both of reframing a lot of the propogandist greek and roman histories of carthage and mining them alongside the archaeological evidence we DO have to bring this city， its people and h this took me so many months to read/listen to but it was worth it and the narrator is GREAT。my longer review: this is a really great and in depth overview of a civilization tht has left scant archaeological evidence （on account of how rome burned them to the literal ground lmao）。 richard miles does an excellent job both of reframing a lot of the propogandist greek and roman histories of carthage and mining them alongside the archaeological evidence we DO have to bring this city， its people and history to life。 its starts with its earlier than the actual city's settling by dido and her followers， and traces out its phoenician origins， going through its rise as a naval power， its conquest of much of north africa， italy， sardinia， and southern spain， to its fall。 it also does what many books i feel often fail to do especially in regards to rome and greece and emphasizes the cultural syncretism and exchange of the entire area， especially in regards to the cult of heracles-melqart （was this my favorite thing？ maybe）。 highly recommend if you're into north africa， the mediterranean or that weird historical spot between the bronze age collapse and the rise of the roman empire。 。。。more
Jim Swike
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I knew Carthage was destroyed。 Nut now I learned a lot about Carthage prior to its destruction。 Great resource for research and / or term paper。 Enjoy！
Matthew Griffiths
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I have always been deeply interested in the Carthaginians and their role in ancient history but finding a non-academic and engaging book about them has always been a particular struggle。 This book goes a long way towards scratching that particular itch。 Detailing the role of the Phoenicians in creating their network of colonies throughout the Mediterranean and then the rise of the city-state they founded in Tunisia I learned a great deal that I was unaware of from reading this book。 The accounts I have always been deeply interested in the Carthaginians and their role in ancient history but finding a non-academic and engaging book about them has always been a particular struggle。 This book goes a long way towards scratching that particular itch。 Detailing the role of the Phoenicians in creating their network of colonies throughout the Mediterranean and then the rise of the city-state they founded in Tunisia I learned a great deal that I was unaware of from reading this book。 The accounts of the rivalries and cooperation between Carthage， the Greek powers， and the Romans were particularly enlightening， and the retelling of the Second Punic War in this book was wonderful。 Would highly recommend this book to any interested in a far more nuanced picture of Carthage and their wars with Rome。 。。。more
Becky Minogue
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Informative but dry。 Read it because planning a trip to Carthage。
Christopher
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Not a popular historyFor such a popular history， this is pretty dense。 Rather than illuminating characters and personalities in a narrative driven story， it takes quite a bit of time analyzing what archeological finds tell us about trade and the cultural spread/appropriation of gods。 Some of this is interesting and necessary but I feel like the first 90 pages or so after the introduction were way too much detail。 In addition， there are soooo many asides to what sound like fascinating side-storie Not a popular historyFor such a popular history， this is pretty dense。 Rather than illuminating characters and personalities in a narrative driven story， it takes quite a bit of time analyzing what archeological finds tell us about trade and the cultural spread/appropriation of gods。 Some of this is interesting and necessary but I feel like the first 90 pages or so after the introduction were way too much detail。 In addition， there are soooo many asides to what sound like fascinating side-stories， but rather than illuminate any of this in the footnotes， most of the footnotes simply cite what page of Livy （and other ancient writers） the author is using。 Still the description of the pre-Roman Mediterranean （although too long）， the analysis of propaganda used by Hannibal， the idea of the lack of Carthaginian foe leading to Roman infighting and decline，and the intro’s description of Carthage in popular imagination are all worth the read。 。。。more
Emily
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5*A detailed， epic look at the destruction of an Empire that few today know about。 Definitely a detailed read， but an informative one。
Sean Guynes
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DNF for now， but very thorough and well written for the lay reader。
Judith
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A detailed history of Carthage and Rome's competition with it。 A detailed history of Carthage and Rome's competition with it。 。。。more
Evan Hanson
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An excellent overview not just of the Punic Wars but of Carthage's influence on the west。 Well researched and thoroughly footnoted this book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in how Roman came to dominate Western Europe and North Africa。 An excellent overview not just of the Punic Wars but of Carthage's influence on the west。 Well researched and thoroughly footnoted this book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in how Roman came to dominate Western Europe and North Africa。 。。。more
Chris Frakes
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I’m not well versed in history books， so I felt the start of this moved pretty slowly， but once it got into the Punic wars and the political repercussions， I thought it was super interesting to look at these ancient cities and their eventual downfall。 Found it especially interesting how conquerors would leverage religion to turn the tide of public opinion。 Anyway， if you can stomach the staleness early on， the payoff is worth it。
Rohase Piercy
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A bit dry and dusty as regards narrative style， but a must-read for any student of Carthage and its history。 Take it in bite-sized chunks is my advice！I like the fact that Richard Miles takes the time to question some of the biased Greek and Roman accounts of Carthaginian customs， behaviour and military outrages， and tries to suggest a more balanced interpretation of what this great military and maritime power， that started out as a Phoenician colony and ended up challenging the might of Rome， a A bit dry and dusty as regards narrative style， but a must-read for any student of Carthage and its history。 Take it in bite-sized chunks is my advice！I like the fact that Richard Miles takes the time to question some of the biased Greek and Roman accounts of Carthaginian customs， behaviour and military outrages， and tries to suggest a more balanced interpretation of what this great military and maritime power， that started out as a Phoenician colony and ended up challenging the might of Rome， actually achieved and bequeathed to the world。 。。。more
Chris
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A good overview of Carthage and its relationship with Rome。
Tacitus
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One of the better histories of any period I have read in a while， especially on ancient societies and the Roman period。 Miles seems conscious of his audience， which is refreshing， as he has little need to use big words for their own sake， or to debate sources， irritants I’ve encountered recently in other ancient historians’ works。 Instead， Miles combines a plain English style with copious footnotes to create a scholarly but readable look at the Carthaginians。 Frequent section breaks aid in this One of the better histories of any period I have read in a while， especially on ancient societies and the Roman period。 Miles seems conscious of his audience， which is refreshing， as he has little need to use big words for their own sake， or to debate sources， irritants I’ve encountered recently in other ancient historians’ works。 Instead， Miles combines a plain English style with copious footnotes to create a scholarly but readable look at the Carthaginians。 Frequent section breaks aid in this mental journey， as the mainly chronological narrative is broken up into focused passages sections that allow for pausing and consideration。As he does so， he builds a picture of the Carthaginians that I have not seen before， at least not in the same level of detail。 He traces their origins from the Phoenicians， building a picture of a long-established people that offers a cultural counterpoint to Rome。 In this way， he cuts through the image we have of Carthage as viewed through a Roman lens （he would call that view Roman propaganda）。Overall， Miles provides historical context for the Punic Wars， which on their own and in comparison are given less consideration。 The stories of the wars themselves are well known by now， but by placing them in a larger and richer historical narrative， he ultimately gives these wars deeper meaning。In that regard， he places much emphasis on the role of Hannibal/Malqart in Phoenician， western Greek， and Roman culture。 In brief， Hannibal （for one） may have capitalized on his apparent connection to the Greek hero as a propaganda device。 As Miles explains， all of these societies were trying to win hearts and minds in the Mediterranean by connecting their own political identities with Hellenistic tradition through Hannibal。 Greek origins provided political legitimacy， as well as a morale boost in war。If you are looking for history beyond the battles， and one that looks beyond a Roman point of view， Miles delivers。 。。。more
Paul Waring
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One of the few books looking at the Punic Wars from the perspective of Carthage instead of the Romans。 As well as being an account "from the other side"， and taking a more balanced view of the Roman sources （which， alas， we have to rely upon due to their being very little surviving from the Carthaginians）， the author has compiled a comprehensive bibliography which is a good starting point for anyone wanting to delve into the period in more depth。 This book， combined with Goldsworthy's The Fall o One of the few books looking at the Punic Wars from the perspective of Carthage instead of the Romans。 As well as being an account "from the other side"， and taking a more balanced view of the Roman sources （which， alas， we have to rely upon due to their being very little surviving from the Carthaginians）， the author has compiled a comprehensive bibliography which is a good starting point for anyone wanting to delve into the period in more depth。 This book， combined with Goldsworthy's The Fall of Carthage， will give the general reader an overview of the three wars， with little left out。 。。。more
Lucas Suter
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Excellent book for those who want to understand the ways that trade and religion led to the establishment of the ancient Mediterranean world as we understand it today。
Peter C Lyon
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This was a barnburner of a history book！ It takes the reader， in depth， through the Phoenician era， to colonies from Cyprus to the Moroccan coast， to the founding and explosive growth of Carthage， and of course， Hannibal。 The said dénouement is the fall of Carthage。It's stunning that Miles put this together with so few Carthaginian documents。 Much work was done with coins， archaeology， etc。 This was a barnburner of a history book！ It takes the reader， in depth， through the Phoenician era， to colonies from Cyprus to the Moroccan coast， to the founding and explosive growth of Carthage， and of course， Hannibal。 The said dénouement is the fall of Carthage。It's stunning that Miles put this together with so few Carthaginian documents。 Much work was done with coins， archaeology， etc。 。。。more
Willem Neill
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This was a brilliant historical narrative on one of history's most forgotten and misunderstood cultures。Full of incredible stories， compelling evidence and arguments， and superb analysis of the political， economic， military and mythological aspects of the lost Carthaginian empire。 This was a brilliant historical narrative on one of history's most forgotten and misunderstood cultures。Full of incredible stories， compelling evidence and arguments， and superb analysis of the political， economic， military and mythological aspects of the lost Carthaginian empire。 。。。more
Måns Sunesson
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Praise 𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 （Melqart） and feel contempt towards the Roman republic！
Carlos Wang
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華文著作裡面，關於迦太基的專著，就我所知，之前只有遠流出的日本人寫的《黃金迷城迦太基》，薄薄的一本，始終沒啥勁去看。麥田有一本漢尼拔的傳記，可惜翻譯不怎樣。之前在三民看到這本《迦太基必須毀滅》（Carthage must be Destroyed）的原文，看Goodread風評不差，但對英文沒啥信心就沒買，後來得知社科甲骨文要翻譯，等一出就立馬搶了本先睹為快。說真的，迦太基算是上古文明中相當不幸的一個。究其淵遠跟文化，深度跟廣度都是當時地中海的佼佼者，但後來跟羅馬爭奪霸權失敗，結果被視為眼中釘肉中刺，從地圖上抹去，歷史也被毀壞，甚至還被黑的閃閃發亮，後來一兩千年都是被視為“野蠻”的代名詞，實在是千古奇冤。本書作者Richard Miles是考古學家，寫過幾本古文明的書，風評似乎不差。他寫這本，個人覺得最大的特色是作者運用了很多神話學上的考據，還有著重文化交流的研究，算是比較特別的角度。要追溯迦太基的歷史，當然就得從東地中海的腓尼基開始，這群商業民族，憑藉著其才能，在列強環伺的情況下維持自身的獨立跟影響力，不斷的對外擴張其觸角，一路延伸，甚至穿過直布羅陀，來到西非，當時人類在地中海範圍的 華文著作裡面，關於迦太基的專著，就我所知，之前只有遠流出的日本人寫的《黃金迷城迦太基》，薄薄的一本，始終沒啥勁去看。麥田有一本漢尼拔的傳記，可惜翻譯不怎樣。之前在三民看到這本《迦太基必須毀滅》（Carthage must be Destroyed）的原文，看Goodread風評不差，但對英文沒啥信心就沒買，後來得知社科甲骨文要翻譯，等一出就立馬搶了本先睹為快。說真的，迦太基算是上古文明中相當不幸的一個。究其淵遠跟文化，深度跟廣度都是當時地中海的佼佼者，但後來跟羅馬爭奪霸權失敗，結果被視為眼中釘肉中刺，從地圖上抹去，歷史也被毀壞，甚至還被黑的閃閃發亮，後來一兩千年都是被視為“野蠻”的代名詞，實在是千古奇冤。本書作者Richard Miles是考古學家，寫過幾本古文明的書，風評似乎不差。他寫這本，個人覺得最大的特色是作者運用了很多神話學上的考據，還有著重文化交流的研究，算是比較特別的角度。要追溯迦太基的歷史，當然就得從東地中海的腓尼基開始，這群商業民族，憑藉著其才能，在列強環伺的情況下維持自身的獨立跟影響力，不斷的對外擴張其觸角，一路延伸，甚至穿過直布羅陀，來到西非，當時人類在地中海範圍的確有點超乎人們想像之廣。作者從一些古文獻記錄中討論，後來迦太基人似乎最遠曾到達過今日的奈及利亞，但證據不充分。不過希羅多德也有埃及人環繞非洲成功的記載，或許我們不該低估當時人類的航海技術。但不管怎樣，腓尼基人很早就活躍於地中海兩岸，他們在今日的摩洛哥、西班牙南部、阿爾及利亞、突尼西亞、利比亞、義大利南部各大島、希臘等地，都有商業據點或者殖民地。他們開創了一條漫長的海上商業路線，讓許多人們需要的物資交流其中，而他們憑藉著這種能力贏得了許多帝國的重視。其中最強大的腓尼基城邦就是泰爾，不過他們的好日子也有到頭的一日，最終還是逃不過亞述的帝國主義進逼。當母邦衰弱或失去政治獨立後，西地中海的那些腓尼基人殖民地就開始走出自己的道路，其中閃閃發亮的就是位於當時貿易路線上中樞，位於今日突尼西亞的迦太基。關於迦太基的建城傳說也不少，其中還有相當耳熟的，用一張牛皮圈地的故事，但最有趣的討論還是關於童祭這件事情，這一向是迦太基被視為“野蠻”的最大把柄跟痛腳。Richard Miles運用考古證據，拿出了各種說法，其中一種是在迦太基的托菲特（現代學者替獻祭場所取的名字）挖掘出的考古證據中，顯示有些兒童是死去後才被拿來獻祭，學者推測用意應該是希望那些夭折的孩子們可以在神的身邊得到幸福。不過其他的研究結果顯然又不是這麼回事。關於這個問題的爭議性始終不小，但這是從腓尼基母國那邊就傳來的風俗，雖然作者也指出，在其他地方都已經不再進行這樣的祭儀時，迦太基似乎還是依舊會在緊要關頭獻出兒子。不過，以此做為攻擊點或許並不妥當，畢竟放諸整個人類遠古文明，類似這樣的行為其實並不少見，純粹的道德批判只是一種無聊的舉措而已。對於西地中海霸權的爭奪從很早就開始了，最初的行動者當然是從腓尼基人跟希臘人之間展開。作者花了一兩章討論這段經過，他描述的重點並不純在於政治軍事的角力，它更重視的是兩個民族之間鬥爭又彼此融合的文化交流，還有從神話學上展開的宣傳戰。正所謂名正言順，沒有理由、藉口是沒有辦法號召人們行動；今天我們以意識形態做為擋箭牌，在古代就是使用神話來做為依據。希臘人拿他們最喜愛的大力士赫拉克勒斯及其在西地中海的冒險傳說，當做自己對於這些土地的合理要求。迦太基人的回擊就是將自己的主神麥卡勒斯與之融合，構成新的故事。這種在今人眼中看來有些荒誕的神話，且先不討論古人是否真的深信不疑，至少它拿來做神主牌是很有效果的。不論是在政治上的口號，行為上的要求，鞏固民心力量等。後來加入這場霸權爭奪遊戲的羅馬人也不能免俗，他們也努力的編造自己的神話，把城市的起源跟特洛伊扯成一塊，讓自己加入希臘“文明”的一方來爭取認同，可見其重要性。而這些也都是經常被忽略的部分，雖然我們不用太高估其重要性，但人類就是這種有時後需要一點自欺欺人。中國所謂的天命觀在地中海世界也有類似的存在，沒有獲得神祐的民族終將滅亡。敘拉古跟迦太基在西西里的爭奪戰是這場西地中海霸權遊戲的主旋律，它糾纏很久，令人感到不解。迦太基是當時的海上王者，它接管了母城泰爾過去的資源，擁有最強的艦隊，整體實力遠在敘拉古之上。但今人從稀有的文獻上考察迦太基的政府體系，就可以發現一些缺陷。主要是寡頭政府中的權貴鬥爭影響了軍事效率，還有使用不可靠跟欠缺忠誠的雇傭兵，以及當時存在的北非內陸至上和海權爭奪優先兩種國策的分裂導致資源不集中。這場戰爭糾纏了許久，中間我們仔細閱讀就可以以歷史的後見之明，看到日後迦太基敗在羅馬手上的種種原因，在當時早已存在，只是當時的對手，敘拉古的獨裁者阿加托克利斯雖然有看透弱點的眼光，卻沒有加以徹底擊敗的實力。新一批加入戰局的重要影響者是伊庇魯斯的皮洛士，他自視為亞歷山大第二，而事實上此人在戰術能力上確實無人能敵，玩弄宣傳戰上也被認為極為卓越。他打著讓所有大希臘（南義地區）跟西西里的人民解放的大旗參戰，一度讓當時義大利新興的霸權羅馬跟迦太基不得不聯手。但這場戰爭的結果正如皮洛士離開之前所說的：「接下來就換他們去廝殺了。」羅馬跟迦太基的戰爭是否不可避免，就歷史記載上，確實是吧。早在他們結盟共同對付皮洛士時，就可以看到元老院拒絕腓尼基人主動的支援所流露的一種提防。新興擴張中的羅馬你要它收手基本上不太可能，我們也很難想像迦太基人在西西里糾纏了這麼久會願意放棄。戰爭的經過正如大家熟悉般，這也不是作者擅長的部分。重點是宣傳戰，羅馬人也加入了赫拉克勒斯的傳說之列，並且開始正式編寫自己城市的歷史，採取文攻武嚇並行的方式，宣告自己對大希臘、西西里統治的正當性。迦太基的失敗顯然不讓人意外，令人錯愕的是最終他們放棄的原因是受不了兩線作戰的經濟負擔，是的，同時他們也在跟努比底亞人交手。也就是說，直到大敵當前，迦太基人仍未對國策有個結論。但說來諷刺的是，失去西西里跟之後的薩丁尼亞，他們在這些地方的交易量反而上升。畢竟迦太基人手上還是有人家所需的商品，少了政治上的分歧，反而容易坐下來談生意。而且這樣就強迫他們未來只能在北非內陸發展，擴張了的農業產量成為地中海的糧倉。第一次布匿克戰爭的另外一個結果是巴卡家族的出頭，漢米爾卡就作者所斷言，是個政治手腕比軍事才能強的人。他總是能避開任何損害其聲望的不幸事件，爭取到最大的支持把敵對家族漢諾打壓的抬不起頭。傭兵之亂後，他前往西班牙南部發展，自己籌組傭兵，攻城掠地，就放諸四海皆準的定義來說，都是一支軍閥，或唐朝的藩鎮水平。最顯而易見的證據是，這個勢力的首領從漢米爾卡傳到女婿哈斯德魯巴再傳到漢尼拔，迦太基政府都只能事後追認，無力干涉。他們一心要向羅馬復仇，顯然再一次的戰爭是不可避免？可能是吧。畢竟之前羅馬人奪取薩丁尼亞如此惡劣行徑，連擁護者波里比烏斯都在書中直言痛斥。到這時候，這個新興強權的帝國主義連後世學者都難以辯護，儘管二十世紀中葉以前的確他們都認為羅馬人是“防守反擊”，“都是人家先來招惹的”。這或許只能說元老院的宣傳戰實在太強大吧。對Richard Miles來說，漢尼拔的遠征另外一個更值得注意的成就是他那效仿皮洛士發動的宣傳戰。他把赫拉克勒斯從西班牙延著法國南岸穿越阿爾卑斯山經過義大利回國的英雄事蹟，特別是傳說在羅馬打敗邪惡的土匪拯救原住民的故事跟自己的計劃結合，不只加強軍隊的向心力，也拿來向義大利各城邦宣傳，當然，這一切的背書當然是其戰績。而這也的確讓羅馬人頭痛不已，以至於費邊還要去希臘祈求神喻，加強其正當性。但說來無奈的是，漢尼拔企圖分化羅馬的拉丁聯盟政策絕對是正確的，可義大利南部諸城邦彼此之間的分歧卻超乎他的想像，在強權壓制下或許暫時消弭於無形，當一旦解放後，矛盾反而導致它們不見得願意就這樣倒向迦太基人。漢尼拔爭取卡普阿的支持讓他失去了解放者的名聲，同時也堅定了這座城市的敵人對羅馬的忠誠，這之間的得失連作者的筆調下都顯得無奈。西庇阿是漢尼拔送給羅馬的贈禮，前者的一切都是後者的影子，甚至連命運都是。戰後，漢尼拔選則從政，他支持平民的立場招致貴族的憎惡，以至於甚至他們寧願向敵方借刀殺人，把這位英雄驅逐出國，並讓其被迫害致死，也不能忍受。而那位跟漢尼拔英雄相惜的西庇阿在元老院也被老加圖釘的滿頭包，最後為了一本說不清的帳本鬱鬱而終。說起來老加圖也確實有能耐，他分別解決當時兩位軍事上的奇才的威脅，拯救（？）了羅馬共和，未來其子孫可就沒這個本事了。迦太基是不是真的完全無法跟羅馬共存？到底是什麼原因讓老加圖不斷的叨念：「Delenda est Carthago！」是很多歷史學家嘗試回答的一個題目。曾有位蘇聯史家把重點放在階級問題上，不過這已經被否定了。但或許在經過漢尼拔那幾場如此痛心疾首的幾場屠殺式的勝利後，羅馬人可能已經很難放下對迦太基的成見了。這無關乎道德問題，而是國與國之間的利益威脅。儘管戰後的迦太基就跟二戰後的日本，幾乎是非武裝化，但也正由於減少了國防開支，反而讓它的財政寬裕到可以到處灑錢，這種炫富式的做法更加招致羅馬人的憎惡，也許有人會說這本來就是吹毛求疵，不過考慮到八零年代美國對日本的態度，或許也不是沒有其道理。或許如果迦太基能夠用比較不那麼深刻仇恨的方式被接納入羅馬帝國之中，其高度文化也許也能像希臘那樣被吸收，最終形成一個三元式文明，西歐歷史也許會有所不同？不過，至少這個文明是不用這樣被抹黑，當時流傳著“迦太基的誠信”，指的是一種背信棄義跟不可靠，但據說希臘人也好不到哪兒去，其實都是半斤八兩，可待遇就差遠了。Richard Miles的評論則是帶著一種歷史的諷刺。他說，後來，羅馬人還是重建了迦太基城，雖然是其殖民地，但相信應該也還有一些帶有前仇敵血統的居民及殘餘的文化存在。帝國時代，塞維魯以其血統成為第一位北非出身的皇帝，並不是說他跟古迦太基有什麼直接關聯，但以當時的融合程度來說，這種結果或許是加圖等舊顯貴不能接受的事實。又過了一兩個世紀，當羅馬人死守著迦太基城來抵抗汪達爾人的入侵時，或許漢尼拔泉下有知，不知道是該做何表示了。西方對於迦太基研究的書不少，但目前被引進的也就本書，它的表現也不負期望，是個頗有自己見地的著作。譯者基本上也算合格，雖然有些長句子還是沒有按照漢語語法調整，以至於變的拗口難讀，但還在可接受範圍內。在此推薦之。 。。。more
Piggyogre
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对于当时天神崇拜的着墨占了极大篇幅，但这部分内容又似乎和其余的历史论述衔接得并不很好，因此恐怕对绝大部分非专业读者来说，会显得非常不友好吧。
Manolo González
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Awesome book！ All you need to know about Carthage is in here: origins， development （both in mythology and Acheology）， the destruction of the city and culture， and the legacy。 Taking into consideration the brief sources that still remain， I think is a wonderful job。
Emilio Apestegui
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Zhiyi Li
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Carthage is one of those history topics which one knows but knows nothing about at the same time。 This book covers a lot of history I did not know， and the author is critical of the classic Roman perspective。 From a Jungian point of view， Carthage is the shadow of Rome itself。 As much as Carthage was physically "destroyed" by Rome， it is equally the effect that it integrated itself with Rome and lives on with Rome forever in history。 The book is not a sensational read but very engaging。 Carthage is one of those history topics which one knows but knows nothing about at the same time。 This book covers a lot of history I did not know， and the author is critical of the classic Roman perspective。 From a Jungian point of view， Carthage is the shadow of Rome itself。 As much as Carthage was physically "destroyed" by Rome， it is equally the effect that it integrated itself with Rome and lives on with Rome forever in history。 The book is not a sensational read but very engaging。 。。。more
Joel Mitchell
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If you want to know more about Carthage than “Aeneas abandons Dido…Hannibal crosses the Alps with elephants…Carthago delenda est，” this is a great place to start。 The author manages to make it a fairly popular level overview without giving the feeling that he’s dumbing it down or skimping on research。Compiling an accurate history of Carthage is no easy task since most of our extant primary sources were written by their enemies。 Overall， the author does an admirable job of comparing and stitching If you want to know more about Carthage than “Aeneas abandons Dido…Hannibal crosses the Alps with elephants…Carthago delenda est，” this is a great place to start。 The author manages to make it a fairly popular level overview without giving the feeling that he’s dumbing it down or skimping on research。Compiling an accurate history of Carthage is no easy task since most of our extant primary sources were written by their enemies。 Overall， the author does an admirable job of comparing and stitching together available sources while trying to sort out truth from slander。 He probably swings too far in the other direction at times， giving Carthage the benefit of the doubt while emphasizing Roman hypocrisy and perfidy…but I think that most historians tilt things in favor of their chosen topic。Throughout the book the author emphasizes the propagandizing of mythology/religion by both the Romans and the Carthaginians， with special attention on Heracles/Hercules。 Whether or not this was always done as intentionally as the author seems to think， it provides an added dimension that makes the book all the more interesting。Because the book covers hundreds of years， it provides only the briefest description of most battles in the Punic wars， spending no more than a few paragraphs on all but the most important of them。 So， if you are looking primarily for a military history you may want to look elsewhere。 However， if you want a solid overview of Carthaginian history， culture， and religion， give this a read。 。。。more
Soren Kisiel
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A detailed look at the Punic Wars。 Perhaps， alas， too much so—this deep-delves ends up a bit dry。 I put down the book twice during the First Punic War， in fact。 It wasn't until the mercenaries' rebellion between the wars， and the subsequent arrival of Hannibal on the scene， that there were hints of desperation and danger enough to carry my attention。 Perhaps I should have simply chosen a history of Hannibal instead。On the other hand， Miles' look at the second Punic War as a war of Greek and Roma A detailed look at the Punic Wars。 Perhaps， alas， too much so—this deep-delves ends up a bit dry。 I put down the book twice during the First Punic War， in fact。 It wasn't until the mercenaries' rebellion between the wars， and the subsequent arrival of Hannibal on the scene， that there were hints of desperation and danger enough to carry my attention。 Perhaps I should have simply chosen a history of Hannibal instead。On the other hand， Miles' look at the second Punic War as a war of Greek and Roman propaganda was genuinely fascinating—I'll never look at the dramatists of that period in the same way again。 。。。more
Shivesh
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