After near-total victory over Carthage, Cato the Elder, a politician of Rome, was not satisfied:
He ended every speech with "Carthago delenda est": "Carthage must be destroyed".
Destruction was in his view, the best way to prevent Carthage from ever rising again to challenge Rome's dominance of the Mediterranean. In his view, Carthage should be razed to the ground
Three years after Cato's death, it was.
"Carthago custodienda est" means "Carthage must be protected".
To me it means:
- A commitment to defending against Moloch, a demon god that haunted Carthage, and much else
- A refutation of the bellicose spirit of Cato's message, in favour of a collaborative, compassionate approach.