The ancient city of Carthage, known for the famous quote “Carthago delenda est” (Carthage must be destroyed) by Cato the Elder, which has now become an internet meme. Those familiar with history have likely heard of it at least once. In 146 BCE, with the conclusion of the Third Punic War, Rome completely destroyed Carthage and, as a final blow, supposedly spread salt on the land to prevent any future civilization from developing there. This allegedly turned Carthage’s land into a barren wasteland, burying the once prosperous city in the darkness of history. But is this tale really accurate? And if it is, is the land of modern Carthage still salty today? To solve this mystery, I decided to travel to the actual site and taste the soil of Carthage myself.
The Legend of Salt-Sowing in Carthage
At the “Baths of Antoninus” ruins in Carthage, we can glimpse the architecture of that era
Let’s first delve a bit into the background of this story. Carthage was once a powerful city-state that ruled the Mediterranean world and was renowned as the ancient Roman rival. However, after three Punic Wars with Rome, Carthage was ultimately destined to perish. Particularly in the Third Punic War, the Roman army completely destroyed Carthage after a persistent siege. During this time, the Roman Senate continuously emphasized their war resolve with the phrase “Carthage must be destroyed” (Carthago delenda est), and after the war ended, they thoroughly annihilated the city and reportedly spread salt on the land to make the farmland infertile.
This “salt-sowing legend” is widely known as an episode deeply engraved in Carthage’s history, but there is room for debate about how much of it is actually true. From a historical academic perspective, there is no concrete evidence that Rome spread salt on Carthage, and many scholars believe this is a tale created in later generations. Nevertheless, the symbolic meaning of this legend vividly demonstrates how powerful an entity Carthage was against Rome, and how intentional its complete destruction was.
Tasting the Soil of Carthage—Journey to the Site
After unraveling such history, I finally headed to modern-day Carthage. The ruins of Carthage, located in the suburbs of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, now quietly stand amidst a peaceful residential area. It’s difficult to imagine its former glory, but scattered throughout the ruins are foundations of ancient structures and remnants of Roman baths, giving a sense of historical traces. Exploring the ruins itself is quite enjoyable for history enthusiasts, but my purpose this time wasn’t just that. It was to taste the soil of Carthage and verify its saltiness.
First, I settled my nerves and reset my palate by having coffee at a stylish café near Carthage Hannibal station. I felt like a salt-soil sommelier. Afterward, to taste the soil, I decided to head to the circular military port, known for retaining its donut-shaped outline even after 2,000 years. The journey from the café to the port took about 7 minutes. Along the way, numerous nameless ancient ruins peeked out, allowing me to feel the traces of time.
The Punic Ports still retain the shape of the military harbor from its heyday
The harbor was completely covered in greenery, but there was some soil scattered on the donut-shaped land. Despite the thriving greenery contrary to the ancient Roman army’s intentions, I had an ominous feeling, but upon closer inspection, I noticed dry soil at my feet that appeared somewhat whitish in the sunlight. Could this be a trace of salt? With rising expectations, I took some soil on my fingertip and gently placed it on the tip of my tongue.
Surprising Results—How Does Carthage’s Soil Taste?
When I actually tasted it, surprisingly… I felt a slight saltiness! Of course, this isn’t scientifically proven and is just a subjective impression. However, the minerals characteristic of dry land seemed to have a somewhat salty taste. I don’t know whether this sensation is a result of salt spread by Rome or simply due to the natural geology, but this experience brought me surprise and emotion.
Just My Imagination? The Truth I Heard Locally
However, when I later shared this experience with local staff at a tourist facility, they all smiled and told me, “That’s probably just your imagination.”
According to them, it’s unlikely that Rome at that time could have prepared enough salt to make the entire Carthage region infertile. Even if they did actually spread some salt, it would be scientifically impossible for saltiness to remain in the soil after 2,000 years. Their view was that my perception of saltiness was simply a placebo effect, or at most, a tiny amount of sea salt carried by the wind from the Mediterranean. I felt a bit embarrassed.
In retrospect, I don’t know what typical soil tastes like. Just because I tasted Carthage’s soil and felt it was salty, I don’t have a standard to judge whether it has especially more salt compared to normal soil. In other words, my “experiment” might have only exposed my lack of taste discrimination.
The Salt of Carthage and the Romance of History
In conclusion, while the soil of modern Carthage did seem to have a slight saltiness, it was likely just an illusion or within the normal range of minerals naturally contained in soil. Nevertheless, through this experience, I was able to taste the weight and romance of history. There’s an indescribable charm in the idea that the city of Carthage is still deeply engraved in people’s hearts, and might even still retain a hint of salt flavor in its soil.
On a journey exploring history, sometimes such non-scientific verifications can bring unexpected surprises and emotions. Regardless of whether salt was actually spread, walking on the land of Carthage and feeling the weight of history in each grain was undoubtedly a highlight of my journey. As a unique experience that crosses the romance of history with a modern perspective, I would like to recommend this strange challenge of tasting Carthage’s soil to travel enthusiasts with strong stomachs.
