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Carthaginian Recovery (248-200 BC)
Carthaginian Recovery (248-200 BC)
As the last of Hamilcar's supporters fled Carthaginian territory, those that remained took stock of their situation. The people of Carthage were not entirely at ease and peaceful, nor was the city's leadership, but things were generally quiet, and Carthage found that its new position was far from dire. True, they were now beholden to a foreign power in the Roman Republic, but Rome had completely eclipsed Syracuse, Carthage's natural and eternal rival. Syracuse had not been humbled quite as much as Carthage had, but it had been entirely hemmed in by Rome, while the Carthaginians found that the Romans were largely content with a policy of benign neglect; as long as Carthage honored their treaty obligations, the Romans didn't particularly care what else the Carthaginians did, as they were on the periphery of Roman interests.
Carthage's Harbor
The Carthaginians went about, first and foremost, by rebuilding their merchant fleets, and taking advantage of the stability brought by the Roman victory. No longer did Carthaginian merchants have to fear conflict with Syracuse, and all of Italy was effectively open to them for trade. With the might of Rome behind their own banners, Carthaginian merchants found fewer and fewer Greek colonies that were unwelcome to them. They even called on the cities of Hispania that were being consolidated by the traitorous Barcids, but only for commercial reasons. Rome refused Carthage permission to carry the fight against Hamilcar to Hispania, and Carthage had to be content with the knowledge that, for the foreseeable future, the peninsula was lost to them, politically. Rome was no more a friend to Hamilcar than Carthage was, but many in Rome had grown distressed over how quickly Carthage had recovered and prospered after the war, and had no interest in allowing the Carthaginians to expand their territory through force of arms.
It was not only trade that the Carthaginians turned to, in order to restore their honor, but also the land of North Africa itself. Though many of the elite had estates in the hinterlands of Carthage or the various dependent Punic colonies that dotted the coast from Libya to the Pillars of Hercules, their main interests had long been the control of the waves, rather than the development of the land. However, the Carthaginians found a new appreciation for their hinterlands after the war, and sought to settle them more thoroughly and bring more and more of the land into cultivation. In prior times, estates were often built or acquired in far flung regions, such as the Mediterranean islands. Now that Carthage had been shorn of its empire, all they had was the hinterland of North Africa. All manner of crops were grown, olives and wines, and grains of every kind. Even by the time of the Barcid revolt, the export of North African agricultural goods was key to even the Roman economy, and shipments of grain from Carthage were feeding Rome's armies as they pushed their northern frontier ever closer to the Alps.
Beyond the hinterlands of Carthage and the other Punic cities of North Africa, the Numidian kingdoms still lay powerful and dangerous. King Gala set about securing his position after the Punic War, and made war on his rivals to the west with Rome's support. The Carthaginians were not particularly happy with the idea of a united and ascendent Numidia next door, and knew that the more powerful the Numidians were, the more they would have to cling to Rome for defense - or permission to defend themselves. They studiously maintained good relations with Gala, though, as they wished to avoid future hostilities. Gala himself was of a like mind, and fostered some of his children in Carthage as a sign of good faith. He was victorious in 237 BC, having spent nearly two decades conquering the rest of Numidia, but only reigned over a united kingdom for a year, before dying in early 235 BC. His heir, a boy named Masinissa, was only 3 years old, and Numidia broke apart completely at Gala's death, fracturing along its traditional lines. Masinissa was spirited away to live with his sisters in Carthage, where he spent his earliest years. By the age of 10, Masinissa would relocate to Rome, where he was maintained as a threat to the Numidians fighting over his father's legacy - Rome wanted the region quiet and prosperous. While they had preferred a united Numidia to check the growing prosperity of Carthage, the Roman Senate had almost as much of a vested interest in the stability of the region as Carthage had. Rome would eventually step in to stabilize Numidia themselves, after Masinissa came of age, but that was over a decade in the future.
Many Carthaginians did not want to simply restore their honor, but also their glory. The city was prosperous enough to fund all manner of extravagances, including expeditions out beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Most followed the trade routes north, to Britannia, exploring the northern ocean as much as they dared, but others followed in the footsteps of Hanno the Navigator, sailing southward along the African coast. Though none at this time sailed as far as Hanno had, several trading outposts were re-established or re-enforced, repairing the edges of their trade network. One such outpost was on the islands off the coast of Africa known as the Canaria or Fortunate Islands. The islands were sparsely inhabited, but the climate was slightly more tolerable than that of the African mainland in the region, and the inhabitants were few enough that they were less of a threat than the mainlanders, who did not always trust the merchants from further away.
On the Canaria Islands, some modest estates were established by the more adventurous among the Carthaginians, or those simply hoping to supply them with provisions. By 240 BC, it was noted that the livestock that the Carthaginians brought to these islands were quite healthy and prospered from the consumption of the leaves of a local tree, known by the Mauri natives as Tagasaste. Some enterprising merchants brought the seeds of this tree back to Carthage and the other large Punic cities, where it was cultivated in the pastures of various estates. It was a hardy tree that thrived in many soils that other plants did not, and had a restorative effect on the soil - though the Carthaginians could not know it at the time, the plant was an excellent nitrogen fixer.
A Wild Tagasaste Tree
The cultivation of Tagasaste across the Carthaginian estates enabled a massive increase in their herds, something which the Numidian, Mauri, and other pastoralist peoples took note of very quickly. Among the more aristocratic landowners, that had the time and inclination to record such matters, it was noted that marginal lands could expand their flocks and herds by fivefold or even tenfold, with proper cultivation. By the year 200 BC, the cities of North Africa - Carthage, most of all - were hubs of a booming trade in all manner of animal products. It was not only North African wine, olive oil, and grain that were flooding into the Mediterranean markets, but cheeses and woolen and leather goods of all kinds. In fact, the amount of wool produced was greater than the spinners in many cities could handle, drawing more and more workers into the cities to keep up with the supply. Carthage may have lost the war, but they were clearly winning the peace. Nor were the Romans - or even the Syracusans - the worse for the developments in North Africa. The increase of trade was enough that many of the ships plying the waters between North Africa were not just Carthaginian, but Greek and Italian, as well. Though the Tagasaste tree was best suited to the climate of North Africa, it was not solely used there, and many marginal lands elsewhere in the Mediterranean saw the plant begin to be grown on their dry and rugged lands.
Afterword
So, we get our first big 'technological' butterfly, in the wake of the economic development that more or less mirror what Carthage did, historically. A common theme among late Roman history is that North Africa was the economic linchpin of the Western Empire. Well, thats in no small part due to the defeated Carthaginians, after both Punic Wars, deciding that their homeland was actually pretty good for the production of a lot of stuff. Plus, even in our history, each Punic War tended to leave North Africa comparatively unscathed. Read the histories and notice that Rome was constantly annoyed that the Carthaginians were able to pay back their war indemnities and tributes so easily. I just gave them a nitrogen fixing fodder crop that will handle pretty much everything but consistent cold weather. And fodder crops, of course, are fed to livestock, who produce plenty of fertilizer that can be used for other plants. For the record, I have no idea if the name 'Tagasaste' really is native to the people of the Canary islands, but it is apparently a Berber word, so I'm just going to use it (plus, it is the name the plant is known by in modern times).
I wasn't kidding when I said this was shaping up to be a bit of a Carthage-wank, too.
As the last of Hamilcar's supporters fled Carthaginian territory, those that remained took stock of their situation. The people of Carthage were not entirely at ease and peaceful, nor was the city's leadership, but things were generally quiet, and Carthage found that its new position was far from dire. True, they were now beholden to a foreign power in the Roman Republic, but Rome had completely eclipsed Syracuse, Carthage's natural and eternal rival. Syracuse had not been humbled quite as much as Carthage had, but it had been entirely hemmed in by Rome, while the Carthaginians found that the Romans were largely content with a policy of benign neglect; as long as Carthage honored their treaty obligations, the Romans didn't particularly care what else the Carthaginians did, as they were on the periphery of Roman interests.
Carthage's Harbor
The Carthaginians went about, first and foremost, by rebuilding their merchant fleets, and taking advantage of the stability brought by the Roman victory. No longer did Carthaginian merchants have to fear conflict with Syracuse, and all of Italy was effectively open to them for trade. With the might of Rome behind their own banners, Carthaginian merchants found fewer and fewer Greek colonies that were unwelcome to them. They even called on the cities of Hispania that were being consolidated by the traitorous Barcids, but only for commercial reasons. Rome refused Carthage permission to carry the fight against Hamilcar to Hispania, and Carthage had to be content with the knowledge that, for the foreseeable future, the peninsula was lost to them, politically. Rome was no more a friend to Hamilcar than Carthage was, but many in Rome had grown distressed over how quickly Carthage had recovered and prospered after the war, and had no interest in allowing the Carthaginians to expand their territory through force of arms.
It was not only trade that the Carthaginians turned to, in order to restore their honor, but also the land of North Africa itself. Though many of the elite had estates in the hinterlands of Carthage or the various dependent Punic colonies that dotted the coast from Libya to the Pillars of Hercules, their main interests had long been the control of the waves, rather than the development of the land. However, the Carthaginians found a new appreciation for their hinterlands after the war, and sought to settle them more thoroughly and bring more and more of the land into cultivation. In prior times, estates were often built or acquired in far flung regions, such as the Mediterranean islands. Now that Carthage had been shorn of its empire, all they had was the hinterland of North Africa. All manner of crops were grown, olives and wines, and grains of every kind. Even by the time of the Barcid revolt, the export of North African agricultural goods was key to even the Roman economy, and shipments of grain from Carthage were feeding Rome's armies as they pushed their northern frontier ever closer to the Alps.
Beyond the hinterlands of Carthage and the other Punic cities of North Africa, the Numidian kingdoms still lay powerful and dangerous. King Gala set about securing his position after the Punic War, and made war on his rivals to the west with Rome's support. The Carthaginians were not particularly happy with the idea of a united and ascendent Numidia next door, and knew that the more powerful the Numidians were, the more they would have to cling to Rome for defense - or permission to defend themselves. They studiously maintained good relations with Gala, though, as they wished to avoid future hostilities. Gala himself was of a like mind, and fostered some of his children in Carthage as a sign of good faith. He was victorious in 237 BC, having spent nearly two decades conquering the rest of Numidia, but only reigned over a united kingdom for a year, before dying in early 235 BC. His heir, a boy named Masinissa, was only 3 years old, and Numidia broke apart completely at Gala's death, fracturing along its traditional lines. Masinissa was spirited away to live with his sisters in Carthage, where he spent his earliest years. By the age of 10, Masinissa would relocate to Rome, where he was maintained as a threat to the Numidians fighting over his father's legacy - Rome wanted the region quiet and prosperous. While they had preferred a united Numidia to check the growing prosperity of Carthage, the Roman Senate had almost as much of a vested interest in the stability of the region as Carthage had. Rome would eventually step in to stabilize Numidia themselves, after Masinissa came of age, but that was over a decade in the future.
Many Carthaginians did not want to simply restore their honor, but also their glory. The city was prosperous enough to fund all manner of extravagances, including expeditions out beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Most followed the trade routes north, to Britannia, exploring the northern ocean as much as they dared, but others followed in the footsteps of Hanno the Navigator, sailing southward along the African coast. Though none at this time sailed as far as Hanno had, several trading outposts were re-established or re-enforced, repairing the edges of their trade network. One such outpost was on the islands off the coast of Africa known as the Canaria or Fortunate Islands. The islands were sparsely inhabited, but the climate was slightly more tolerable than that of the African mainland in the region, and the inhabitants were few enough that they were less of a threat than the mainlanders, who did not always trust the merchants from further away.
On the Canaria Islands, some modest estates were established by the more adventurous among the Carthaginians, or those simply hoping to supply them with provisions. By 240 BC, it was noted that the livestock that the Carthaginians brought to these islands were quite healthy and prospered from the consumption of the leaves of a local tree, known by the Mauri natives as Tagasaste. Some enterprising merchants brought the seeds of this tree back to Carthage and the other large Punic cities, where it was cultivated in the pastures of various estates. It was a hardy tree that thrived in many soils that other plants did not, and had a restorative effect on the soil - though the Carthaginians could not know it at the time, the plant was an excellent nitrogen fixer.
A Wild Tagasaste Tree
The cultivation of Tagasaste across the Carthaginian estates enabled a massive increase in their herds, something which the Numidian, Mauri, and other pastoralist peoples took note of very quickly. Among the more aristocratic landowners, that had the time and inclination to record such matters, it was noted that marginal lands could expand their flocks and herds by fivefold or even tenfold, with proper cultivation. By the year 200 BC, the cities of North Africa - Carthage, most of all - were hubs of a booming trade in all manner of animal products. It was not only North African wine, olive oil, and grain that were flooding into the Mediterranean markets, but cheeses and woolen and leather goods of all kinds. In fact, the amount of wool produced was greater than the spinners in many cities could handle, drawing more and more workers into the cities to keep up with the supply. Carthage may have lost the war, but they were clearly winning the peace. Nor were the Romans - or even the Syracusans - the worse for the developments in North Africa. The increase of trade was enough that many of the ships plying the waters between North Africa were not just Carthaginian, but Greek and Italian, as well. Though the Tagasaste tree was best suited to the climate of North Africa, it was not solely used there, and many marginal lands elsewhere in the Mediterranean saw the plant begin to be grown on their dry and rugged lands.
Afterword
So, we get our first big 'technological' butterfly, in the wake of the economic development that more or less mirror what Carthage did, historically. A common theme among late Roman history is that North Africa was the economic linchpin of the Western Empire. Well, thats in no small part due to the defeated Carthaginians, after both Punic Wars, deciding that their homeland was actually pretty good for the production of a lot of stuff. Plus, even in our history, each Punic War tended to leave North Africa comparatively unscathed. Read the histories and notice that Rome was constantly annoyed that the Carthaginians were able to pay back their war indemnities and tributes so easily. I just gave them a nitrogen fixing fodder crop that will handle pretty much everything but consistent cold weather. And fodder crops, of course, are fed to livestock, who produce plenty of fertilizer that can be used for other plants. For the record, I have no idea if the name 'Tagasaste' really is native to the people of the Canary islands, but it is apparently a Berber word, so I'm just going to use it (plus, it is the name the plant is known by in modern times).
I wasn't kidding when I said this was shaping up to be a bit of a Carthage-wank, too.
- DominusNovus
- Word Count: 1.5k