Comment by zaubarari
3 days ago
If Rome had stayed a local power, could a divided Mediterranean have been even more dynamic than a unified empire? Perhaps rivalry between regional powers would have inspired greater human achievement. There certainly would have been wars, but not necessarily more than those the Roman Empire actually fought.
Rome conquered many places without committing genocide. The fate of Carthage stands out even by the standard of the time.
Can you name some?
Genocide seemed to be part and parcel.
Notice how few examples there are in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbicide#In_premodern_times, and how prominently Carthage figures. Or scan the years in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Razed_cities.
The usual approach of the time was enslavement and taxation. Because they were less effort and more reward.