Final answer:
The Romans pledged to completely destroy Carthage after the onset of the Third Punic War, driven by imperial ambitions and a long-standing desire for retribution.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the Third Punic War began, which was the final conflict in the series of the three Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, the Romans pledged to utterly destroy Carthage.
Despite an uneasy peace between the two powers, anti-Carthaginian sentiments persisted in Rome, epitomized by Cato the Elder's famous declaration that 'Carthage must be destroyed'. Once the war started in 149 BCE, it was decisively one-sided, ending with the sacking and total destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE.
That outcome was driven in part by Rome's enduring desire for expansion and retaliation against perceived threats or insults, exemplified by earlier actions such as the seizure of Corsica and Sardinia after the First Punic War.
The third Punic War was not just about revenge; it also exemplified Rome's imperial ambitions and the immense power it was willing to exert over its adversaries.