---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Patricia <paanderson2003@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 16 November 2010 22:46
Subject: [Mwananchi] Re: THE NECESSITY OF STUDYING HISTORY:THE PLACE OF CARTHAGE IN AFRICAN TECHNOLOGICAL AND MILITARY HISTORY
To: Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com
--- In Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com, toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@...> wrote:
>
> I had thought Africans had never built ships.Then I saw this on the
> Wikipedia article on Carthage, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage> a
> civilization that was in North Africa,in present day Tunisa,centuries before
> its eventual domination by Arabs:
>
> "The navy of Carthage was one of the largest in the
> Mediterranean<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean>,
> using serial production <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_production> to
> maintain high numbers at moderate cost. The sailors and
> marines<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marines>of the Carthaginian navy
> were predominantly recruited from the
> Punic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punic> citizenry, unlike the
> multi-national allied and mercenary
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary>troops of the Carthaginian
> armies. The navy offered a stable profession and
> financial security for its sailors. This helped to contribute to the city's
> political stability, since the unemployed, debt ridden poor in other cities
> were frequently inclined to support revolutionary leaders in the hope of
> improving their own
> lot.[10]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage#cite_note-9>The
> reputation of her skilled sailors implies that there was in peacetime
> a
> training of oarsmen and coxswains, giving their navy a cutting edge in naval
> matters. The trade of Carthaginian merchantmen was by land across the Sahara
> and especially by sea throughout the Mediterranean and far into the Atlantic
> to the tin-rich islands of Britain and to West Africa. There is evidence
> that at least one Punic expedition under
> Hanno<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanno_the_Navigator>sailed along
> the West African coast to regions south of the Tropic
> of Cancer <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancer>, describing how
> the sun was in the north at noon".
>
> I was even more struck to read that the Romans upgraded their warships
> through the adaptation of Carthaginian ships:
>
> "Polybius <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybius> wrote in the sixth book of
> his History that the Carthaginians were "more exercised in maritime affairs
> than any other people."[11]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage#cite_note-10>Their
> navy included some 300 to 350 warships. The Romans, who had little
> experience in naval warfare prior to the First Punic
> War<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Punic_War>,
> managed to finally defeat Carthage with a combination of reverse engineering
> captured Carthaginian ships, recruitment of experienced
> Greek<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks>sailors from the ranks of
> its conquered cities, the unorthodox
> corvus <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_%28weapon%29> device, and their
> superior numbers in marines and rowers. In the Third Punic
> War<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Punic_War>Polybius describes a
> tactical innovation of the Carthaginians, augmenting
> their few triremes with small vessels that carried hooks (to attack the
> oars) and fire (to attack the hulls). With this new combination, they were
> able to stand their ground against the superior Roman numbers for a whole
> day."
>
> The article describes the culture and records of Carthage as destroyed by
> Rome at the end of the Third Punic War.
>
> The effect of this Roman victory on global civilization is so described:
> "Over the course of the next century, these three major conflicts between
> Rome and Carthage would determine the course of Western civilization. The
> wars included a Carthaginian invasion led by
> Hannibal<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Barca>,
> which nearly prevented the rise of the Roman Empire. Eventual victory by
> Rome was a turning point which meant that the civilization of the ancient
> Mediterranean would pass to the modern world via Southern Europe instead of
> North Africa".
>
> It is vital to cross-check Wikipedia with more definitive scholarly data. I
> expect this information is accurate,though, on account of the fame of
> Carthage in its wars against Rome,in which it is described as occupying
> Italy for some years.
>
> Thanks
>
> Toyin
>
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From: Patricia <paanderson2003@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 16 November 2010 22:46
Subject: [Mwananchi] Re: THE NECESSITY OF STUDYING HISTORY:THE PLACE OF CARTHAGE IN AFRICAN TECHNOLOGICAL AND MILITARY HISTORY
To: Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com
Toyin,
An interesting article, you are right, we need to study history and some geography also. I`ve been to Carthage whilst on a visit to Tunisia, the Roman remains were very interesting, one place I do recall was a Roman amphitheatre, magnificent. My husband worked in Libya for a number of years and he visited many similar sites to those in Tunisia.
I wasn`t aware of the history of ship building either, again a study of the history is always useful.
As to Africans and ship building, there is a great history of building Dhows off the coast of Mombasa and Zanzibar, I saw some of these magnificent vessels at the old port in Mombasa, also in Zanzibar.
Patricia.
--- In Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com, toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@...> wrote:
>
> I had thought Africans had never built ships.Then I saw this on the
> civilization that was in North Africa,in present day Tunisa,centuries before
> its eventual domination by Arabs:
>
> "The navy of Carthage was one of the largest in the
> using serial production <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_production> to
> maintain high numbers at moderate cost. The sailors and
> were predominantly recruited from the
> multi-national allied and mercenary
> armies. The navy offered a stable profession and
> financial security for its sailors. This helped to contribute to the city's
> political stability, since the unemployed, debt ridden poor in other cities
> were frequently inclined to support revolutionary leaders in the hope of
> improving their own
> reputation of her skilled sailors implies that there was in peacetime
> a
> training of oarsmen and coxswains, giving their navy a cutting edge in naval
> matters. The trade of Carthaginian merchantmen was by land across the Sahara
> and especially by sea throughout the Mediterranean and far into the Atlantic
> to the tin-rich islands of Britain and to West Africa. There is evidence
> that at least one Punic expedition under
> the West African coast to regions south of the Tropic
> the sun was in the north at noon".
>
> I was even more struck to read that the Romans upgraded their warships
> through the adaptation of Carthaginian ships:
>
> his History that the Carthaginians were "more exercised in maritime affairs
> navy included some 300 to 350 warships. The Romans, who had little
> experience in naval warfare prior to the First Punic
> managed to finally defeat Carthage with a combination of reverse engineering
> captured Carthaginian ships, recruitment of experienced
> its conquered cities, the unorthodox
> superior numbers in marines and rowers. In the Third Punic
> tactical innovation of the Carthaginians, augmenting
> their few triremes with small vessels that carried hooks (to attack the
> oars) and fire (to attack the hulls). With this new combination, they were
> able to stand their ground against the superior Roman numbers for a whole
> day."
>
> The article describes the culture and records of Carthage as destroyed by
> Rome at the end of the Third Punic War.
>
> The effect of this Roman victory on global civilization is so described:
> "Over the course of the next century, these three major conflicts between
> Rome and Carthage would determine the course of Western civilization. The
> wars included a Carthaginian invasion led by
> which nearly prevented the rise of the Roman Empire. Eventual victory by
> Rome was a turning point which meant that the civilization of the ancient
> Mediterranean would pass to the modern world via Southern Europe instead of
> North Africa".
>
> It is vital to cross-check Wikipedia with more definitive scholarly data. I
> expect this information is accurate,though, on account of the fame of
> Carthage in its wars against Rome,in which it is described as occupying
> Italy for some years.
>
> Thanks
>
> Toyin
>
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