Civilization · 814 – 146 BCE
Carthage
Phoenician mercantile empire that rivaled Rome.
Capital: Carthage · North Africa
Overview
Founded by Phoenician colonists from Tyre, Carthage dominated the western Mediterranean through naval power and trade until three Punic Wars destroyed it.
Timeline
- 814 BCETraditional founding by Dido
- 264 – 241 BCEFirst Punic War
- 218 – 201 BCESecond Punic War; Hannibal's Italian campaign
- 146 BCERome razes Carthage
Rulers
Founder of the Barcid line
Crossed the Alps with elephants
Wars & conflicts
- Sicilian Wars
- Punic Wars
Architecture
Cothon artificial harbor, hilltop Byrsa citadel, tophet precincts.
Religion
Baal Hammon, Tanit; contested evidence of child sacrifice.
Economy
Silver, tin, purple dye, grain and slave trade across the western Mediterranean.
Technology
Quinquereme warships, harbor engineering, agronomy (Mago's manual).
Art
Punic stelae, metalwork, glass, Phoenician-alphabet inscriptions.
Influence
Punic culture persisted in North Africa long after Rome's conquest.
Decline
Roman victory in 146 BCE; the site was salted, ploughed and later rebuilt as a Roman colony.
Key sites
- Carthage
- Kerkouane
- Utica