Negative Effects Of Carthaginia

296 Words2 Pages
In conclusion, when Scipio Aemilianus wept for the fate of Carthage, he was prophetic in that the avaritia that the Romans had condemned the Carthaginians for would begin the destruction of their own society. Imperial expansion allowed a huge influx of wealth that caused huge inequality; aristocrats such a L. Aemilius Paullus could die with 360,000 denarii whilst legionaries were being paid 108 denarii annually, and be considered poor. The negative impact of warfare on the lower orders, resulting in rural depopulation and mass slums, experiencing HUGE mortality rates whilst surrounded by aristocratic opulence, caused increasing resentment which undermined the stability of Rome. Even if aristocrats forcing peasants off the land for slave farms