Why do we consider ourselves Carthaginians and not Romans?

Hello everyone,

I have a historical question that's been on my mind, and I wanted to get your opinions.

We often hear Tunisians take pride in our Carthaginian heritage. But if you think about it, history tells us that Rome completely destroyed Carthage, killed its people, and sold the survivors into slavery. Then, they colonized the land.

So, logically, wouldn't the people who repopulated the area be primarily Roman colonists and their descendants? If the Carthaginians were killed or chased away, then our direct ancestors from that era should be the Romans who settled here, not the Carthaginians who were erased.

Why, then, do we identify more with the civilization that was destroyed (Carthage) rather than the one that supposedly replaced it (Rome)? Is it about cultural legacy, or is my understanding of the demographics wrong?

I'm curious to hear your thoughts and any historical details you might have.