Carthage (place)

Located on the northern shore of modern-day Tunisia, Ancient Carthage was the very symbol of an ancient super-power.

Foundations

At the time the Greeks were colonizing the Mediterranean sea's northern shores, the Phoenicians followed suit. Carthage (literally "Kart Hadasht" in Phoenician) quickly became the center of Phoenicia's mercantile empire. The Romans quickly learned to loathe their new maritime rival.

Vergil describes Carthage as:

...A spot / Where at the mouth of a long bay an island / Makes a harbor, forming a breakwater / Where every swell divides it as its comes in / And runs far into curving recesses. / There are high cliffs on this side and on that, / And twin peaks towering heavenward impend / On reaches of still water. Over these, / Against a forest backdrop shimmering, / A dark and shaggy grove casts a deep shade, / While in the cliffside opposite, below / The overhanging peaks, there is a cave / With fresh water and seats in living rock

--Aeneid,Book 1. 216-230

According to legend, Elissa (originally "Elishat") originally took a group of Tyrians to Cyprus, then on to the Northern coast of Africa, and eventually to Carthage to found the city-state. This earned her the name Dido (originally "Deido" ("the wanderer")).

Culture

Carthaginian culture was predominantly defined by their intense religious beliefs, primarily worshipping Baal Hammon (deemed to be the communities' Lord and Protector). Human sacrifice was prevalent, and in some instances expected as burnt offerings to Baal (and not Moloch, as is often misunderstood).

Unlike their Greek and Roman couterparts, the Phoenicians took their names predominantly from items of religious significance (such as "Hannibal", which translates "Favored by Baal"). Similar to the ancient Hebrew culture in many ways, the Carthaginians life predominantly revolved around temple ordinances.

History

• 814 BCE - Carthage founded by colonists from Tyre
• 6^th Century BCE - Oligatchy established, Governor reporting to king of Tyre
• 508 BCE - Carthage signs treaty with Rome
• 480 BCE - Carthaginians defeated in Sicily
• 450 BCE - Carthage signs treaty with Rome
• 406 BCE - Takes over Greek colonies in western Siciliy
• 323-330 BCE - City of Carthage at it's zenith. Population reaches 200,000.
• 264-240 BCE - First Punic War. Rome takes Siciliy and Sardinia.
• 218-202 BCE - Second Punic War. Hannibal attacks Saguntum, marches across the Alps, defeated at Zama, Tunisia. Archimedes dies.
• 149-146 BCE - Third Punic War. Lucius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus destroys Carthage, per wishes of Cato the Elder.
• 19 BCE - Vergil's epic Aeneid published, explaining mythical causes of Roman/Carthaginian strife.
• 1^st century BCE - Augustus Caesar establishes a colony of veterans on what was the ruins of Carthage.
• 2^nd Century AD - Zenith of city under Romans, third largest city in the Empire.
• 2^nd-4^th Centuries AD - Carthage enjoys great prosperity, becomes center of Christian Church in the west.
• 439 AD - Carthage succumbs to Vandals, eventually falls to the Byzantine empire
• 697 AD - Carthage falls to Muslims

Geography

Carthage was located near the Kabir and Majardah rivers on the northern coast of modern day Tunisia. The City of Tunis presently has suburbs that sprawl over where Carthage was, but the ruins are still accessible by bus (leaving from Hannibal station). The Gulf of Tunis offered protection from the seas during ancient times, and serves the same purpose to the residents of modern-day Tunis and Hammam al Anf.

---|                                | _
...|\       Gulf of Tunis        .--|'.'.
...|.\                         /'...|...|
---|--------------------------------|------ 37º North
...|..\                      /......|...|   Latitude
...|...''\                  /.......|../
...|...**| <-- Carthage   /''.......|./
...|...../               |'.........|/
...|../                  |..........|
...|**\ <-- Tunis       /'........./|
...|...'-'\             |..........||
...|.......\..--..     /...........||
...|..............\..--'........../ |
...|............................./  |
...|............................/   |
...|.........................../    |
...|...Modern...............__/     |
...|....day..............__/        |
...|...Tunisia........../'          |
...|.................../            |
...|................../             |
...|..................|    Gulf     |
...|................./      of      |
...|................/    Hammamat   |
...|.10º East.......|               | 11º East
...|.Longitude......|               | Longitude

Resources