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This alarmed some of the Senators, who were the ruling elite in the city on the Tiber. Many had fought in the Second Punic War and knew that Rome had come close to defeat and possible extinction at Hannibal's hands. The distinguished senator Cato the Elder demanded that ‘Carthage must be destroyed’ at the end of every speech he made in the Senate.<ref> Appian, History of Rome, v, iii</ref> However, many Romans did not want war as they had come to rely upon Carthage's payments.

[[File: Carthage.png|200px|thumb|left|Modern map of Carthage before its destruction 146 BC]]

By 151 BC, the Carthaginians had fully repaid the indemnity imposed on them by the victors of Zama. The oligarchy that ruled the city believed that the treaty was now expired. This development alarmed Rome, who continued to fear the North African city. Moreover, they believed that it was re-building in secret its navy. There is some archaeological evidence to suggest that the Carthaginian shipyards were secretly building large war galleys despite the treaty.