Battle of New Carthage facts for kids

The Battle of New Carthage happened in early 209 BC. A Roman army, led by Publius Cornelius Scipio, attacked New Carthage. This city was the main base for Carthage in Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal). Mago led the Carthaginian defenders.

This battle was an important part of the Second Punic War. In 211 BC, the Romans in Iberia suffered a big defeat. Scipio took command in 210 BC. He brought more soldiers to help. Instead of fighting the three large Carthaginian armies in the area, Scipio decided to attack New Carthage. This city was Carthage's main supply center in Iberia.

Scipio arrived outside the city in early 209 BC. He started his attack the very next day. Roman soldiers first fought a Carthaginian group outside the city walls. Then, they tried to break through the east gate. At the same time, Roman sailors tried to climb the southern wall from the harbor. Both attacks failed at first.

In the afternoon, Scipio attacked again. Mago, the Carthaginian commander, moved soldiers from the north wall to help defend other areas. The north wall was next to a wide, shallow lagoon. Scipio had planned for this. He sent 500 men through the lagoon to climb the north wall. They got in without being stopped. These soldiers then fought their way to the east gate. They opened it from the inside, letting in their Roman friends.

New Carthage quickly fell to the Romans. The city was looted. Mago surrendered the main fort and his remaining troops. The Romans took huge amounts of valuable metals and war supplies. New Carthage then became the main Roman supply base in Iberia. By 206 BC, the Carthaginians were forced out of the peninsula.

Why the Battle Happened

When the Second Punic War began in 218 BC, Carthage controlled much of Iberia. Rome sent an army to fight them. After seven years of fighting, the Romans hired 20,000 Celtiberian fighters. They moved into southern Iberia. But these hired fighters left, and the Romans lost two big battles in 211 BC.

A Roman general named Gaius Claudius Nero brought more soldiers in 210 BC. He helped the Romans hold onto a small area in north-east Iberia. Later that year, Publius Cornelius Scipio arrived. He took command of all Roman forces in Iberia. Scipio was very young for such a big job. He was in his mid-twenties and had little experience.

Scipio had 31,000 soldiers in total. Carthage had three separate armies in Iberia. Each was as big as, or even bigger than, the Roman army. These Carthaginian armies were far from the Romans. One was in central Iberia, led by Hasdrubal Barca. Another was near Gades (modern Cádiz). The third was in Lusitania (modern Portugal).

Because the Carthaginian armies were spread out, they could not easily help each other. Scipio could have marched his army from Tarraco (modern Tarragona) to fight just one of them. But it was hard to force an enemy to fight a big battle if they did not want to. Battles often involved armies camping near each other for days or weeks. If a commander felt they were at a disadvantage, they could just leave.

Scipio knew that a long, undecided fight would make his Iberian allies lose hope. It might even make them switch sides. A quick Roman victory would make their allies stronger. It would also encourage other tribes to join Rome.

Planning the Attack

A marble bust of Publius Cornelius Scipio from the 2nd century BC.

When Scipio arrived in Iberia, he wanted to attack right away. He decided to strike at New Carthage. This city was the heart of Carthaginian power in Iberia. Hasdrubal the Fair had founded New Carthage around 217 BC.

The city had a large, deep harbor. It was also well-located for travel to and from Carthage. There were rich silver mines nearby. The city's harbor was on a south-facing bay. The city itself was built on hills next to the bay. A hilly area separated the bay from a shallow lagoon to the north. The city was connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land about 300 meters wide.

Scipio sent spies to learn about New Carthage. He found out it had strong, high walls about 3,700 meters long. Most of the walls faced water. The main entrance was a well-protected gate on the east side. New Carthage was also Carthage's main money-making place and storage area for war supplies. Many Iberian leaders' relatives were held there as hostages.

Mago, the city's commander, had only 1,000 regular soldiers. He also gathered about 2,000 local fighters and some other untrained people. Scipio also learned how shallow the lagoon to the north was. He learned how the tides or wind affected its water level.

The Romans knew they had only a week or two to capture the city. If they waited longer, a Carthaginian army would likely arrive to help. It was very unusual to capture a strong city quickly. Sieges usually took months. But Scipio knew he could not wait that long.

In early 209 BC, Scipio left 3,000 soldiers to guard Roman lands in Iberia. He marched south with 25,000 foot soldiers and 2,500 horsemen. Thirty-five warships, led by Scipio's second-in-command, Gaius Laelius, sailed to meet the army at New Carthage. The plan was kept very secret. Only Scipio and Laelius knew where they were going at first.

The Battle Begins

A map of New Carthage showing the Roman attacks.

After a fast march, the Romans set up camp on a hill. This hill was on the narrow strip of land connecting the city to the mainland. Mago kept some of his regular soldiers in the main fort in the west of the city. The rest were on the southern wall. The 2,000 local fighters were near the east gate.

Scipio gave a powerful speech. The next morning, the Romans attacked. Roman warships attacked the southern walls from the harbor. Two thousand chosen Roman soldiers got ready to attack the east gate. They had ladders to climb the walls.

It was common for cities under attack to send out soldiers to fight outside their walls. New Carthage did this too. Two thousand local fighters came out from the east gate to fight the Romans. The Romans held back, so the fight happened closer to their camp. The Carthaginians fought well at first. But the Romans could bring in fresh soldiers from their large reserve. The Carthaginians had no such reserve.

The Carthaginian fighters were pushed back. They eventually broke and ran. The Romans chased them, causing many deaths as the Carthaginians tried to get back through the east gate. The Romans tried to force their way in before the gate closed, but they failed. They then tried to climb the walls on either side of the gate. At the same time, Roman marines from the ships tried to climb the south wall. The Carthaginian defenders fought hard. Roman soldiers were hurt, and it looked like the attack would fail. Scipio eventually called off the attack.

Second Attack

Usually, after a failed attack, an army would rest for several days. But to the Carthaginians' surprise, the Romans attacked again that afternoon. They had fresh soldiers and new ladders. The warships attacked the south wall again. Another group of soldiers moved near the channel west of the city, but this was a trick. The main attack was again on the east gate and nearby walls.

The Carthaginians had used most of their arrows and stones in the morning. So, they could not fight back as strongly. They struggled to hold the walls. Mago moved more soldiers to the threatened areas. This left the northern wall, which faced the lagoon, almost empty. Scipio had kept 500 chosen men ready. He expected the other attacks to make the northern wall weak. These men would need to cross the wide lagoon.

The ancient historian Polybius wrote that the lagoon's water level dropped each evening. This made it shallow enough to cross. He said Scipio learned this from his spies. So, Scipio planned his attack for when the northern wall would be lightly guarded. Another historian, Livy, wrote that a strong north wind caused the water to pile up each evening. Modern historians have different ideas about how the lagoon became shallow. Some think it was used for fish farming or salt, with gates controlling the water.

No matter how it happened, the lagoon was shallower than usual when the Romans crossed it. The 500 Roman soldiers were guided across the lagoon. They reached the north wall easily and climbed over it. The Carthaginians did not notice them.

At the east gate, the Romans attacked in a "testudo" formation. This meant they held their shields over their heads, like a tortoise shell. This protected them as soldiers at the front chopped at the gate with axes. The attack on the south wall also continued strongly.

While the Carthaginians focused on the east and south, the 500 Romans who had entered from the north attacked along the wall. They cut down the few defenders they found. These Romans reached the east gate from the inside and opened it for their friends. At the same time, the Carthaginian defense weakened. More and more Roman soldiers climbed onto the walls.

Inside the City

More Romans poured into the city. Mago was in the main fort with many of his 1,000 regular soldiers. He could have tried to fight back. But Scipio joined the fight himself. He entered New Carthage with a large force and headed for the city's marketplace.

The rest of the Romans were told to loot the city. They did this with great energy. All Carthaginian soldiers and civilians they met were killed. All valuable items were taken to the marketplace.

Scipio sent soldiers to fight Carthaginians on one of the city's hills. He then led 1,000 men to the main fort. He demanded Mago surrender. Mago refused at first. But when it was clear the Romans had taken the city, he surrendered the fort and his soldiers. With the fort secure, Scipio stopped the looting. The Romans spent the night in the marketplace.

The next day, some of the loot was sold. The money and other valuable items were shared among all the Roman soldiers. This included those who had not fought in the battle.

What Was Captured

The Romans took a huge amount of war supplies. This included 63 merchant ships, several catapults, and many weapons and armor. They also found a working mint (where coins are made) and a treasury full of silver. There were also large amounts of food.

About 10,000 Carthaginian men survived and were taken prisoner. This included 15 members of the Carthaginian Senate. More than 300 hostages were also taken. These were relatives of Iberian tribal leaders who were allied with Carthage. Scipio made sure these hostages were treated well. He sent them home if their tribes switched their loyalty to Rome.

Scipio did not enslave the citizens of New Carthage. He let them and their families return to their homes. Poorer non-citizens, who worked as craftspeople, were enslaved. But they were told to continue their work for the Roman war effort. They were promised freedom after the war. Stronger slaves were forced to work on 18 captured ships. They were also promised freedom after the war.

For the rest of the war in Iberia, the Romans largely supported themselves. They found local soldiers and used local food and supplies. Scipio repaired the city's defenses. He left a large group of soldiers there and took the rest of his army back to Tarraco.

What Happened Next

Capturing New Carthage gave Rome control over almost all the Mediterranean coast of Iberia. This made it very hard for Carthage to communicate with its armies in Iberia. Before, Roman bases were always in danger. Now, those threats were gone.

The Carthaginian generals were surprised by the attack. They became defensive and did not combine their armies, even though they had more soldiers than the Romans.

In the spring of 208 BC, Hasdrubal fought Scipio at the battle of Baecula. The Carthaginians lost, but Hasdrubal managed to save most of his army. He then led his army over the Pyrenees mountains into Gaul (modern France). In 207 BC, Hasdrubal crossed the Alps into Italy. He tried to join his brother, Hannibal. But he was defeated at the battle of the Metaurus before he could.

In 206 BC, Scipio fought another big battle at battle of Ilipa. He defeated a large Carthaginian army. This sealed the fate of Carthage in Iberia. The last Carthaginian city in the peninsula, Gades, then joined the Romans.

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See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Cartago Nova (209 a. C.) para niños