Roman general Scipio Aemilianus running the plough over the site of Carthage with salt after defeating it in the Third Punic War, 146 BC. In ancient times, salting the earth, or sowing with salt, was the ritual of spreading salt in the soil of conquered land by the conquerors, in order to prevent crops from growing again, and so ensuring the conquered never rebuilt. From Cassell's Illustrated Universal History, published 1883.

---

Size: 5364px × 3590px
Photo credit: © Classic Image / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 146, aemilianus, ancient, archival, archive, bc, carthage, conquered, conquerors, crops, earth, engraving, general, growing, historical, history, illustration, land, period, picture, plough, prevent, print, punic, ritual, roman, running, salt, salting, scipio, site, sowing, spreading, times, vintage, war