The siege of Utica took place from 204 to 201 BC when a Roman army under Publius Cornelius Scipio (bust pictured) attempted to seize the port city to use as a secure base from which to defeat the Carthaginian Empire in its North African homeland. This was part of the Second Punic War, fought between Carthage and Rome for 17 years from 218 BC. In 205 BC Scipio, the Romans' most successful general, was assigned to Sicily with the intention of invading North Africa. Scipio's army landed there in 204 BC, pillaged a large area and laid siege to Utica. Scipio expected the city to surrender readily, but despite being attacked fiercely from land and sea it held out. Meanwhile the Romans won the battle of Utica outside the city followed by victory in three further major pitched battles. After the last of these the Carthaginians sued for peace and accepted the harsh terms imposed by the Romans in 201 BC. (This article is part of a featured topic: Roman invasion of Africa (204–201 BC).).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Roman_invasion_of_Africa_%28204%E2%80%93201_BC%29> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1884: The first fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary, a 352-page volume that covered words from A to ant, was published. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary> 2001: The Timor-Leste Defence Force was established from the erstwhile anti-Indonesian independence movement Falintil. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timor-Leste_Defence_Force> 2004: During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Janet Jackson's breast was exposed by Justin Timberlake in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction", resulting in an immediate crackdown and widespread debate on perceived indecency in U.S. broadcasting. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: secondee: 1. (chiefly Commonwealth, UK, labour) A person who is seconded (“transferred temporarily to alternative employment”). 2. About Word of the Day 3. Nominate a word 4. Leave feedback <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/secondee> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: I think everyone is born with humor, but your life can beat it out of you, sadly, or you can be lucky enough to grow up in it. --Catherine O'Hara <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Catherine_O%27Hara> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
