Textbooks on Carthage, its armies, navy and people

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Just a point on this issue, I recall a documentary about this, and the remains of children being found who appeared to have died in unsettling circumstances. I cannot recal lwhat the conclusion of the program was, but if there is evidence of something that was spoken about in the sources, surely then ;where there is smoke, there usually is fire too.....

[ParthianBow]

I'm not sure that I agree on this one. The Romans seemed to have done everything in their power to demonise the Carthaginians after their final defeat. The main source propounding child sacrifice was Diodorus, who wrote long after the events. And Gustave Flaubert used the idea in his 19th Century book 'Salammbo'. In my opinion, it has entered public consciousness in this manner, a bit like the salting of the fields of Carthage after the last war (see other threads on RAT about how this has been discredited) and the emperor pointing his thumb at the ground to indicate a gladiator should die (for which we have to thank a French painter - name? and Nelson B De Mille).

Interesting link on this: http://phoenicia.org/childsacrifice.html

[Justin of the New Yorkii]

I just received Goldsworty's Cannae in the mail today as a matter of fact. It looks like a great read.

Gorgon is absolutely right about J. Lazenby's books, they're hard to top.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, it is a good book Justin!

I know there are many things we can discredit the Romans for, but perhaps there is trueth in this, if they have found the mass graves of infants. It can't be dismissed that easily.
there are people writing today about the Napoleonic wars.....can they betrusted or not?
The ancient writers still had sources to study which we do not.