Gannibal's oath

Abstract

The differences between the Greek, Roman and Phoenician societies, that represented different types and stages of the development of the polis organization and the development of the personality, are analyzed. The famous Gannibal's oath never to reconcile with Rome is seen as an embodiment of the absolute, existential intransigence of society, losing to its competitors because of its civilizational limitations, but not wanting to abandon that limiting features, which constitute an important part of its identity. It is this intransigence that compels the loosing societies to fight to the end, but not to transform or to resign to defeat and "second-ratedness". According to the author, it caused the death of Carthage as well as many other societies caught up in such a situation.