>>Carthage was the aggressor, Carthage invaded Italy, Carthage lied and cheated
Hitch your wagon to a star...
Carthage was the aggressor, Carthage invaded Italy (you have heard of Hannibal?), Carthage lied and cheated, Carthage re-armed and Rome viewed that as a threat and responded by defeating its armies and sacking the city. Cato had it right.
A Carthaginian work on farming was retained by the Romans as a valued and standard text (alas, it hasn't survived), and having to defend itself against Hannibal and against the Carthaginian navy made Rome improve militarily.
Hannibal invaded after Rome declared war on him for defending his allies against Rome's illegal ally. Where did they lie and cheat? They rearmed only after Rome told them they weren't going to stop. The Carthaginians fought bravely, didn't lie or cheat(correct me if I'm wrong), died fighting valiantly, and had many of the other Roman values which the Romans so prized.
From K. Kris Hirst,
Your Guide to Archaeology.
http://archaeology.about.com/od/cterms/g/canaan.htm
Definition: Canaan is the name of a Bronze Age culture and country in what is now Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, and the southern portions of Syria and Lebanon. The area was first occupied about 3300 BC, evidence shows occupation of the vicinity up to 550 BC, including a 300 year period of Egyptian rule. Just to be confusing, the Greeks called the eastern Canaanites Phoenicians and the Romans called the western Canaanites Punic. City states of Phoenicia included Ugarit, Aradus, Tripoli, Batrun, Byblos, Beirut, Sidon, and Tyre.
Also Known As: Palestine, Eretz-Israel, Bilad es-Shem, Djahy; also Phoenicia (Greek), Punic (Roman), Kinahna (Akkadian)
Examples: Archaeological sites include: Tel Beth Shean, Tel Beth Shemesh, Sarepta, Tell es-Sa'idiyeh. Tyre was a Phoenician capital, and colonies included Cadiz (Spain) and Carthage (Tunisia)
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in 589 Solomon's Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. The reason given by Jeremiah for the destruction of the temple and the exile of the people was that the old Hebrews had abandoned their God and adopted the abominable practices of their canaanite neighbors: ie child sacrifice in the vally of hinnom (not far from Jerusalem.)
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Jeremiah 7:30-32 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
The Valley of Slaughter
30 " 'The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.