ICarthage—Idolobha Elacishe Lagumbuqela IRoma

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFRANCE

OGWINI olusenyakatho ye-Afrika, emaphethelweni eTunis, inhloko-dolobha yeTunisia, kunamanxiwa edolobha lasendulo iCarthage. Izivakashi zingase zixolelwe ngokungawaboni nhlobo ngoba akukho lutho olugqamile. Kodwa le ndawo ingamanxiwa elinye lamadolobha amakhulu kakhulu asendulo—elacishe laphumelela ekugumbuqeleni iRoma enamandla. Ngokwesazi-mlando saseRoma uLivy, “le mpi ephakathi kwamadolobha amabili acebe kakhulu emhlabeni yenza amakhosi nabantu bakhathazeka,” ngoba impikiswano kwakuwukubusa izwe lonke.

Isisekelo Saleli Dolobha

Enkulungwaneni yesibili B.C.E., abaseFenike babehlala esiqeshini esincane sezwe esigudle uGu lweMediterranean, esisuka enyakatho siye eningizimu yeLebanon yanamuhla. Njengoba babengamatilosi anekhono, balibangisa entshonalanga befuna igolide, isiliva, insimbi, ithini nomthofu. Ukuze bathole lokhu, bahweba ngokhuni (njengomsedari odumile waseLebanon), indwangu ensomi ngokubomvu, amakha, iwayini, izinongo nezinye izinto eziyimikhiqizo.a

Njengoba babelibangisa entshonalanga, abaseFenike babehamba bakha imizana ogwini lwase-Afrika, eSicily, eSardinia naseningizimu yeSpain—mhlawumbe eyiTharishishi yaseBhayibhelini. (1 AmaKhosi 10:22; Hezekeli 27:2, 12) Ngokwenkolelo yasendulo, iCarthage yasungulwa ngo-814 B.C.E., eminyakeni engu-60 ngaphambi kwembangi yayo iRoma. Uchwepheshe wezinto zasendulo zaseNyakatho Afrika, uSerge Lancel uyaphawula: “Ukusungulwa kweCarthage, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesi-9 BC, kwanquma isigcino sezombangazwe nezesiko zamazwe asenyakatho yeMediterranean emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka.”

Ukuqala KoMbuso

ICarthage yaqala ukwakha umbuso enhlonhlweni eme “njengehange elikhulu elilengela olwandle,” njengoba isazi-mlando uFrançois Decret siyichaza. Njengoba yakha esisekelweni esabekwa okhokho bayo bamaFenike, iCarthage yathuthukisa uxhaxha lwayo lwezentengiselwano—ngokuyinhloko olwaluhilela ukulanda izinsimbi kwamanye amazwe—yahlanganisa izinkampani zaba yinkampani eyodwa enkulu, yaba yingqongqo ngemikhumbi yayo yempi enamandla namabutho aqashiwe.

Benganelisiwe yilokho, abaseCarthage babehlale befuna izimakethe ezintsha. Kucatshangwa ukuthi cishe ngo-480 B.C.E., itilosi uHimilco lafika endaweni egcwele ithini iCornwall, eBrithani. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-30 kamuva, uHanno, ilungu lomunye wemikhaya evelele eCarthage, kuthiwa wahola uhambo lwemikhumbi engu-60, eyayinabesilisa nabesifazane abangu-30 000, beyokwakha amakoloni amasha. Edlula eStrait of Gibraltar ehla nogu lwase-Afrika, kungenzeka uHanno wafika eGulf of Guinea ngisho nasogwini lwaseCameroon.

Ngenxa yomoya onjalo webhizinisi nokuqonda, iCarthage yaduma ngokuba idolobha elicebe kakhulu ezweni lasendulo. “Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesithathu [B.C.E.], ubuciko bayo, imikhumbi nokuchuma kwezentengiselwano . . . kwenza leli dolobha lavelela,” kusho incwadi ethi Carthage. Isazi-mlando esingumGreki, u-Appian, sasho lokhu ngabantu baseCarthage: “Ngamandla, babelingana namaGreki; ngengcebo, babelingana namaPheresiya.”

Ngaphansi Kwethonya LikaBali

Nakuba besakazeke kulo lonke elasentshonalanga yeMediterranean, abaseFenike babehlanganiswa yizinkolelo zabo zenkolo. AbaseCarthage bathola inkolo yamaKhanani kokhokho babo baseFenike. Kwaphela amakhulu eminyaka iCarthage ithumela izithunywa eTire unyaka ngamunye ukuba ziyokwenza umhlatshelo ethempelini likaMelqart. ECarthage onkulunkulu abayinhloko kwakungumbhangqwana waphezulu uBaal-Hammon, okusho ukuthi “iNkosi Yengcweti Yethusi,” noTanit, owayefaniswa no-Astarte.

Isici esibi kakhulu senkolo yabaseCarthage kwakuwukwenziwa komhlatshelo ngezingane. UDiodorus Siculus ubika ukuthi ngo-310 B.C.E., phakathi nokuhlaselwa kwaleli dolobha, abaseCarthage banikela ngezingane ezingaphezu kuka-200 zemikhaya evelele ukuze kushwelezwe kuBaal-Hammon. I-Encyclopedia of Religion ithi: “Ukunikela ngengane engenacala njengesisulu esihlawulelayo kwakuyisenzo esikhulu sokushweleza, mhlawumbe esasihloselwe ukuqinisekisa inhlalakahle yomkhaya neyomphakathi.”

Ngo-1921, abavubukuli bathola lokho kamuva okwabizwa ngokuthi iThofeti, okwethiwa ngegama laseBhayibhelini elasetshenziswa kweyesi-2 AmaKhosi 23:10 noJeremiya 7:31. Ukuvubukula kwembula izingqimba zemigqomo eminingi eyayinezinsalela ezishile zezilwane (ezazisetshenziswa njengomhlatshelo oyibambela) nezingane ezincane, eyayigqitshwe ngaphansi kwamatshe aqoshwe izifungo nezifiso. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi iTofethi linezinsalela zezingane ezingaphezu kuka-20 000 ezanikelwa ngenkathi eyodwa yeminyaka engu-200. Abanye abahlaziyi namuhla bathi iThofethi lalimane nje liyindawo yokungcwaba izingane ezazizalwe sezifile noma ezazife zisencane kakhulu ukuba zingangcwatshwa emathuneni. Kodwa, njengoba kuphawula uLancel, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, “akunakuphikwa ukuthi abaseCarthage babenza imihlatshelo ngabantu.”

Ukubanga Ubukhulu

Lapho kuwa iTire ngekhulu lesithupha B.C.E., iCarthage yathatha isikhundla sokuhola abaseFenike abasentshonalanga. Kodwa ukuvelela kweCarthage kwakuhambisana nombango. Esikhathini esingaphambili, abadayisi baseCarthage nabangamaGreki babanga igunya lokulawula ezilwandle, futhi cishe ngo-550 B.C.E., kwasuka impi. Ngo-535 B.C.E., abaseCarthage, besizwa abase-Etruria, baxosha amaGreki esiqhingini saseCorsica futhi bathatha iSardinia.b Ngenxa yalokho, yashuba nakakhulu ingxabano phakathi kweCarthage neGreece kubangwa iSicily—isiqhingi esasibaluleke kakhulu emacebweni empi.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, iRoma yayisiqala ukubonisa amandla ayo. Izivumelwano phakathi kweCarthage neRoma zaqinisekisa amalungelo akhethekile okuhweba eCarthage futhi amaRoma avinjelwa ukuya eSicily. Kodwa njengoba iRoma yayinqoba elase-Italy, ithonya elandayo leCarthage eduze kwe-Italy lalibhekwa njengosongo. Isazi-mlando esingumGreki sekhulu lesibili B.C.E., uPolybius saphawula: “AmaRoma abona . . . ukuthi abaseCarthage babengabusi nje i-Afrika kuphela,c kodwa nengxenye enkulu yeSpain, nazo zonke iziqhingi ezizungezwe uLwandle lwaseSardinia nolwaseTyrrhenian. Ukuba abaseCarthage bathatha iSicily, babezoba omakhelwane abayinkathazo nabayingozi kakhulu, ngoba babezozungeza i-Italy nxazonke futhi basongele zonke izingxenye zaleli zwe.” Amaqembu athile eSigele saseRoma, egqugquzelwa izimo zezentengiselwano, ayenxusa ukungenela eSicily.

Izimpi ZabaseCarthage

Ngo-264 B.C.E., inhlekelele eSicily yenza amaRoma athola ibhaxa lokungenela. Iphula isivumelwano, iRoma yathumela iqembu lamabutho, isusa lokho okubizwa ngokuthi iMpi Yokuqala YabaseCarthage. Le ngxabano, eyabonakala ngezinye zezimpi zasolwandle ezinkulu kakhulu zasendulo, yadonsa iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20. Ekugcineni, ngo-241 B.C.E., abaseCarthage bahlulwa futhi baphoqelelwa ukuba bahambe eSicily. IRoma yabaphuca neCorsica neSardinia.

Ukuze avale lokhu kulahlekelwa, uHamilcar Barca, ujenene waseCarthage, wazimisela ukubuyisela amandla eCarthage ngokwakha umbuso eSpain. “ICarthage Entsha”—iCartagena—yamiswa ogwini oluseningizimu-mpumalanga yeSpain, futhi phakathi neminyaka embalwa, ingcebo yasemayini yaseSpain yase yenze iCarthage yaphinde yanotha. Ngokusobala, lokhu kwanda kwaholela engxabanweni neRoma, futhi ngo-218 B.C.E., kwaphinde kwasuka impi.

Ibutho labaseCarthage laliholwa ngenye yamadodana kaHamilcar, uHannibal, okusho ukuthi “Othandwa nguBali.” Esuka eCartagena ngo-May 218 B.C.E., waqala uhambo oludumile olunqamula eSpain naseGaul, enqamula izintaba zase-Alps nebutho lakhe lama-Afrika nabaseSpain kanye nezindlovu ezibalelwa ku-40. Etholwe engalindele, amaRoma ehlulwa ngokudabukisayo izikhathi ezimbalwa. Ngo-August 2, 216 B.C.E., empini yaseCannae—“enye yezinhlekelele ezimbi kakhulu ibutho lamaRoma elake labhekana nazo”—ibutho likaHannibal laqothula ibutho lamaRoma elikhulu ngokuphindwe kabili kunalo, labulala cishe amadoda angu-70 000 esitha lona lalahlekelwa angu-6 000 kuphela.

IRoma yayibonakala isizonqobeka! Kodwa engafuni ukuphonsa ithawula, amaRoma ahlukumeza amabutho kaHannibal empini iminyaka engu-13 eyalandela. Lapho iRoma ithumela ibutho e-Afrika, iCarthage yalahlwa abasizi bayo futhi yahlulwa eSpain naseSicily. Ngakho, iCarthage yaphoqeleka ukuba ibuyise uHannibal. Ngonyaka olandelayo, ngo-202 B.C.E., uJenene wamaRoma uScipio Africanus wanqoba ibutho likaHannibal eZama, eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeCarthage. Idolobha labaseCarthage, liphoqelelwa ukuba lidele iviyo lalo lemikhumbi yempi, kwadingeka lingabe lisazimela empini, futhi lahlawuliswa imali enkulu okwakufanelwe ikhokhwe eminyakeni engu-50. Kanti uHannibal yena, kamuva wabalekela ekudingisweni, futhi ngo-183 B.C.E., wazibulala.

“Delenda est Carthago!”

Ukuthula kwabuye kwenza iCarthage yachuma kangangokuthi yathi izokhokha inhlawulo ngeminyaka eyishumi nje kuphela. Izitha ezazingenakuthotshiswa zaseCarthage zazibheka umdlandla onjalo, kanye nezinguquko zezombangazwe njengokuyingozi kakhulu. Cishe iminyaka emibili, kuze kube sekufeni kwaso, isikhulu sikahulumeni waseRoma esase sikhulile, uCato, sasiphetha zonke izinkulumo zaso phambi kweSigele ngesiqubulo esithi: “Delenda est Carthago!,” esisho ukuthi “iCarthage kumelwe ichithwe!”

Ekugcineni ngo-150 B.C.E., isivumelwano okuthiwa saphulwa sanikeza amaRoma ibhaxa ayelifuna. Kwamenyezelwa impi, eyachazwa ngokuthi “impi yokuqotha imbokodo nesisekelo.” Iminyaka emithathu amaRoma avimbezela izinqaba zaleli dolobha ezingamakhilomitha angu-30, ezinye zazo ezazingamamitha angu-12 ukuphakama. Ekugcineni, ngo-146 B.C.E., enza intuba. Amabutho amaRoma, ehamba ngemigwaqo emincane ethubeleza ngaphansi kwethala lezikhali ezicitshwayo, alwa impi eshisayo bukhoma. Beqinisekisa umlando wasendulo obuhlungu, abavubukuli batholé amathambo abantu ngaphansi kwamatshe asakazekile.

Ngemva kwezinsuku eziyisithupha zosizi, izakhamuzi ezingaba ngu-50 000 ezazilambe zikhocozela ezazicashe eBrysa—isiqongo senqaba—zazinikela. Abanye, benqaba ukubulawa noma ukuba yizigqila, bazivalela ethempelini lika-Eshmun futhi balithungela ngomlilo. AmaRoma athungela ngomlilo okwakusele edolobheni, iCarthage yachithwa futhi yaqalekiswa, kwavinjelwa ukuba abantu bahlale khona.

Ngakho phakathi neminyaka engu-120, iRoma yachitha imigomo yeCarthage yokubusa. Isazi-mlando uArnold Toynbee sathi: “Ukuthi umbuso wamaGreki omkhulu ozayo kufanele ube uMbuso waseCarthage noma uMbuso waseRoma kwakuyiyona mpikiswano yeMpi KaHannibal.” I-Encyclopædia Universalis iyaphawula: “Ukube uHannibal wayenqobile, ngokuqinisekile wayeyomisa umbuso womhlaba wonke ofana noka-Alexander.” Kodwa-ke, iziMpi zaseCarthage zaphawula ukuqala kombuso wamaRoma, ekugcineni okwayiholela ekubeni ibe umbuso womhlaba wonke.

“IRoma Yase-Afrika”

ICarthage yahlangabezana nesiphelo esasibonakala singenakushintshwa. Noma kunjalo, ekhulwini leminyaka kamuva uJulius Caesar wanquma ukusungula ikoloni lapho. Kuhlonishwa yena, yaqanjwa ngokuthi iColonia Julia Carthago. Onjiniyela bamaRoma, abathutha cishe inhlabathi engama-cubic meter angu-100 000, basenza ithafa isiqongo seByrsa ukuze benze isiteji esikhulu—futhi bagqibe yonke imikhondo yesikhathi esidlule. Kwakhiwa kuso amathempeli nezakhiwo zomphakathi eziwubukhazikhazi. Njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka, iCarthage yaba ‘elinye lamadolobha anothé kakhulu ezweni lamaRoma,’ idolobha elilandela iRoma ngobukhulu eNtshonalanga. Kwakhiwa inkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini, izindawo zokugeza ezinkulu ezinamanzi ashisayo, umsele ongamakhilomitha angu-132 nendawo yesekisi enganela izibukeli ezingu-60 000 ukuze kwaneliswe izidingo zezakhamuzi zakhona ezingu-300 000.

UbuKristu bafika eCarthage cishe phakathi nekhulu lesibili C.E. futhi bakhula ngokushesha lapho. UTertullian, isazi senkolo esidumile nomlweli wokholo, wazalelwa eCarthage cishe ngo-155 C.E. Ngenxa yemibhalo yakhe, isiLatini saba ulimi olusemthethweni lweSonto laseNtshonalanga. UCyprian, umbhishobhi waseCarthage wekhulu lesithathu leminyaka, owasungula isimiso sesigungu sabefundisi esinezigaba eziyisikhombisa, wabulawelwa ukholo kuleli dolobha ngo-258. Omunye ongowomdabu waseNyakatho Afrika, u-Augustine (354-430 C.E.), owayebizwa ngokuthi isihlakaniphi esikhulu sobuKristu basendulo, waba neqhaza elikhulu ekuhlanganiseni imfundiso yesonto nefilosofi yobuGreki. Isonto laseNyakatho Afrika lalinethonya kangangokuthi omunye umfundisi wathi: “Nguwe, O Afrika, osakaza ukholo lwethu ngentshiseko enkulu. Lokho enikunqumayo kwamukelwa iRoma futhi kulandelwe izikhulu zomhlaba.”

Kodwa izinsuku zeCarthage zazibaliwe. Nalapha futhi, isiphelo sayo sasihlangene neRoma. Njengoba uMbuso waseRoma wawuwohloka, neCarthage yawohloka. Ngo-439 C.E., leli dolobha lavinjezelwa futhi laphangwa amaVandal. Ukunqoba kweByzantium leli dolobha ekhulwini leminyaka kamuva kwahlehlisa ukubhujiswa kwalo okwesikhashana. Kodwa alikwazanga ukumelana nama-Arabhu achoboza iNyakatho Afrika. Ngo-698 C.E., leli dolobha lanqotshwa, futhi ngemva kwalokho, amatshe alo asetshenziswa ekwakheni idolobha laseTunis. Emakhulwini eminyaka alandela imabula negwadle okwakuhlobise leli dolobha lamaRoma kwaphangwa futhi kwayiswa kwamanye amazwe, kwasetshenziselwa ukwakha amasonto ababhishobhi eGenoa nasePisa, e-Italy, futhi mhlawumbe naseCantebury, eNgilandi. Kusukela ekubeni elinye lamadolobha acebile nanamandla kakhulu endulo, kusukela ekubeni umbuso owacishe wabusa umhlaba, iCarthage yagcina ingasabonakali isiyinqwaba yemfucumfucu.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ROME

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

CARTHAGE (amanxiwa)

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Amanxiwa ezindawo zamaRoma zokugeza ezazinamanzi ashisayo

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Ukuthuthwa kwemisedari yaseLebanon ngemikhumbi yaseFenike

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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Imihlobiso elengayo yengilazi yayifakelwa ukuletha inhlanhla

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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Abantu baseCarthage babebeka izifihla-buso emathuneni ukuze baxoshe imimoya emibi

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

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Ukubulawa kwezingane kwakuyingxenye yokukhulekela abaseCarthage abakuzuza kumaKhanani. Lolu uphawu lwethuna lengane okwanikelwa ngayo

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Amanxiwa edolobha laseCarthage, elathathwa amaRoma ngo-146 B.C.E.

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UHannibal ubhekwa njengomunye wosomaqhinga bezempi abakhulu abake baphila

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Alinari/Art Resource, NY