Carthaginian Faithlessness

In the annals of Roman history and literature, Carthage would live on as a foil to Roman greatness. It had been long before Rome had achieved any kind of prominence. Hannibal Barker was presented as an inspired commander but one with fatal flaws that eventually sabotaged the Carthaginian war effort. The Latin idiom Fide's Punica literally Punic faith became a widely used ironic expression denoting gross faithlessness. Greatness can only be secured by defeating greatness, not mediocrity.