During the second Punic War Rome had been assisted by members of the Kingdom of Numidia (in modern-day eastern Algeria) who sided with Rome and therefore were also beneficiaries of the peace treaty signed between Carthage and Rome at the end of the war. By 150 BC Carthage was beginning to gain strength again and Rome decided to stop any full recovery. After a battle between Numidia and Carthage it was Rome who complained that Carthage had broken some of the terms of the peace treaty which included asking the permission of Rome before launching any military campaigns again other nations.
Rome demanded that the all the inhabitants leave Carthage and move further inland into Africa, this was met with complete rejection by Carthage who declared war. Rome attacked Carthage in 149 BC and after 3 years gained entrance to the city and killed 250,000 inhabitants. Rome burned the great libraries of Carthage for 17 days, sold the rest of the texts and sowed the city with salt to ensure crops could not
be grown and the remaining territories were sold to local farmers in Africa and in Rome. By 146 BC the African city of Carthage was no more.