Carthago delenda est

This vary famous words of Cato, called after the Censor, certainly shows a great fear to Carthage, because then it was very dangerous enemy of Rome; but Rome during his expansion in Italy very rarely destroyed other cities, why Carthage has been destroyed until to disappearance; simple because Carthage has been a concurrent and a very obstacle to extension of Rome to north Africa, it could persuade all cities of on north Africa that Rome could be very dangerous and make accord and pacts very important and unsafe to Rome, because rapport of Carthage to other cities was very weak as compared to rapport of Rome to its allies, evidently competition was very strong; Rome  have had rapport to south Italy, and wheat of Sicily was very precious for Rome, thereupon it is motive Rome could not certainly stipulate to Carthage a pact, because it could be kept for some months, but a trade city as Cartage have deleted it after some fail. It have had just fought to Massalia(today Marseille) and Syracuse, in Italy, therefore Carthage was toward the trade and it was a concurrent fearsome and it has had much colonies in north African coast and south Spain and above all Utica on Tunisia, great trade city, that Rome not destroyed, why? Simple because this city was very useful to roman trade. Furthermore in 279 b.Ch., an accord between Rome and Carthage has stipulated a symmachia , this is an military accord that has obliged these two cities for common aide; therefore the friendship was very strong; but Syracuse in Sicily, in 272 b.Ch. half of people of this city has wanted aide of Rome because Carthage has come to Syracuse before Roman soldiers, and half people has been to Carthage and other half to Roman. We can think that this city could dominated by two powers, Roman and Carthage, they were very friends; but beyond military motive I think that other has been, what? Simple Rome has prewired that power of Carthage has took all Sicily, and Rome could be excluded from market and wealth of Sicily, therefore richness of Carthage would be very important. Ergo Carthago delenda est.

Alessandro Lusana