Aftermath
Soon after Scipio's victory at Zama, the war ended, with the Carthaginian senate suing for peace. Unlike the treaty that ended the First Punic War, the terms Carthage acceded to were so punishing that it was never able to challenge Rome for supremacy of the Mediterranean again. Terms of the treaty bankrupted Carthage of any chance at military might in the future, although their economic recovery was quick because they did not have to pay an army of mercenaries to fight for them. One provision was that the Carthaginians were not allowed to make war without Roman consent. This allowed the Romans to establish casus belli for the Third Punic War when the Carthaginians defended themselves from Numidian encroachments which the Romans would not stop.
When Rome waged a Third Punic War on Carthage about 50 years later, the Carthaginians had little power, and could not even defeat the by-then very aged Masinissa in Africa. They could, however, organize a defense of their home city, which, after an extended siege, was captured and completely destroyed. Only 55,000 survived.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Zama
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“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)