After Cannae, Rome couldn't defeat Hannibal in open battle, so they adopted a strategy of avoidance, creating a stalemate. For a power on the brink of collapse, simply surviving is a form of victory. This prolonged timeline allowed Rome to regroup, rebuild its manpower, and ultimately go on the offensive.

The Roman war in Spain was less about territorial conquest and more a strategic effort to stop reinforcements from reaching Hannibal in Italy. By engaging Carthaginian forces under Hasdrubal, the Scipio brothers tied down critical enemy armies and resources, preventing Hannibal from receiving the support needed to win.

Roman diplomats employed a strategy of bad-faith negotiation to cripple Carthage's defenses. They first demanded the surrender of all weapons, implying this would suffice. Only after Carthage was completely disarmed did the Romans reveal their true, non-negotiable demand: the city's total destruction.

The Romans empowered Massinissa, a Numidian king and their ally, to continuously encroach on Carthaginian territory. This strategy of using a proxy ally kept Carthage weak and created constant border disputes, providing Rome with an eventual pretext for war.

Despite Carthage being militarily crippled after Hannibal's defeat, the psychological trauma of his invasion persisted in Rome. This "biding fear" was irrational given Carthage's weakness but powerfully shaped Roman policy for generations, ultimately leading to the city's destruction.

The harsh terms of the First Punic War, which stripped Carthage of territory and imposed a massive indemnity, created deep resentment. This parallels the Treaty of Versailles with Germany, illustrating how overly punitive settlements can sow the seeds of a future war of revenge rather than secure lasting peace.

To build support for a war of annihilation, the influential Roman senator Cato ended every single speech, regardless of topic, with the phrase "Carthage must be destroyed." This relentless repetition created a political "drumbeat of war" that normalized a radical policy and fostered public support.

Roman senator Cato was horrified to find Carthage thriving economically decades after its defeat. He perceived this prosperity—rich hinterlands, upgraded harbors, and stockpiled timber—as a direct threat, proving that a rival's economic resurgence can be a powerful catalyst for preemptive war.

The peace terms imposed by Rome were deliberately designed to ensure Carthage's permanent subjugation. By empowering Rome's ally Masinissa with vague territorial claims against Carthaginian land and forbidding Carthage from waging war without permission, Rome created a pretext for future intervention, effectively turning Carthage into a vulnerable client state.