Why a Roman senator ended every speech with a call to destroy Carthage

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Cato the Elder famously demanded the destruction of Carthage, a city-state that once rivaled Rome. Though his phrase has become a shorthand for total war, the historical reality is more complex. Cato’s relentless campaign was driven by fear of Punic wealth, yet he faced significant opposition within the Roman Senate.

The phrase 'Carthago delenda est'—meaning 'Carthage must be destroyed'—is famously attributed to Cato the Elder, a Roman politician who served during the lead-up to the Third Punic War. According to historical accounts, Cato concluded every speech he gave in the Senate with this demand, regardless of the topic at hand. His obsession was sparked by a 152 BC visit to Carthage, where he was alarmed by the city's prosperity, viewing its economic strength as a direct threat to Roman security.

Cato’s call for war was not universally accepted. Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum, a powerful senator, actively opposed him. Corculum argued that maintaining a common enemy was essential for Roman unity and internal stability, even adopting a counter-slogan: 'Carthage must be saved.' The debate only shifted in Rome's favor after Carthage attacked Massinissa, the king of Numidia and a Roman ally, providing the necessary legal pretext for conflict. In 146 BC, Scipio Aemilianus finally razed the city, ending its existence as a power.

Modern usage of the phrase often misrepresents the original Latin. No ancient source records the exact, concise version commonly cited today; instead, authors like Pliny the Elder and Florus quoted it in indirect speech. The popular, punchy form was largely constructed by scholars in the 18th and 19th centuries. Furthermore, the persistent legend that Romans sowed the ruins with salt is a 19th-century invention with no basis in ancient records.

Today, the phrase has evolved into a rhetorical tool for expressing absolute opposition. From the 17th-century Earl of Shaftesbury comparing the Dutch to Carthage, to modern political figures like Steve Bannon or Edgars Rinkēvičs using it to target perceived enemies, the sentiment remains a potent, if historically distorted, symbol of total confrontation. It serves as a reminder of how ancient rhetoric is continuously repurposed to frame contemporary conflicts.

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