Carthage.. Tunisian whispers from the past

In the ninth century BC, aboard a ship loaded with treasures, a Phoenician princess fled Lebanon for Tunisia and founded a city on a Tunisian knoll 57 meters above sea level, about 15 km from the modern capital, along a three-kilometre stretch of the Mediterranean coast. This was Carthage in its infancy, destined to become the nucleus of a powerful civilization in Mediterranean history, though the Phoenician princess could not have known the great events and lasting historical imprint the city would leave.

Etymology

In 814 BC Carthage was founded by the princess Elissa (also called Dido). The Phoenicians named the city Qart Hadasht, meaning "the new city." Its people worshiped Melqart, whose name means "king of the city." The Latin rendering of Qart Hadasht became Carthago, and the name Carthage has been used ever since.

Princess Elissa: Carthage's Foundation

In Tunisia she is called Elissa and honored as a national heroine; in Lebanon and Syria she is admired as a symbol of strength, intelligence, and beauty. Known variously as Elissa or Alissar, and in some places as Dido, she is portrayed in the West as a devoted lover who sacrificed everything for love. Elissa was the daughter of King Mattan of Tyre and the wife of the wealthy Sychaeus, the chief priest of Tyre. She carried a civilization on board her ships from Lebanon to Tunisia and founded Carthage, which grew to rival Rome at the height of its power.

After her father’s death, her brother Pygmalion seized the throne and coveted his brother-in-law’s wealth. To protect herself and her fortune, Elissa deceived Pygmalion. She told him she was sailing to collect treasures; he supplied men and ships to escort her, thinking she would return with her late husband’s riches. Secretly, Elissa and her loyal followers loaded her ship with the treasures and left behind bags of sand to deceive the king’s men. At sea she cast the bags of sand overboard, making it appear she was throwing her husband’s treasure into the sea in his honor, while the king’s men leapt into the water after the false treasure. Only her faithful followers remained with her.

Elissa sailed with her companions in search of a suitable place to establish a new city until she reached the land of a local king who agreed to give her as much land as could be covered by a bull’s hide. The attendants were surprised by the small area offered, but the clever princess cut the hide into thin strips, joined them to form a long rope, and used it to encircle the hill known today as Byrsa (from the word for "hide"). There she founded Carthage as the core of a new Phoenician colony that would extend its influence across the western Mediterranean and later confront Rome.

Nascent Carthage

The Byrsa plateau became the starting point for the great city of Carthage. Elissa modeled the new city on Tyre and kept strong spiritual and administrative ties to it, allowing Carthage to grow rapidly and to expand across the western Mediterranean. This expansion led to the formation of the Punic state, which challenged Rome’s attempts to link the eastern Mediterranean with the west. A local ruler, moved by Elissa’s accomplishments and intelligence, asked to marry her; she refused out of loyalty to her late husband. When he threatened to burn Carthage, she agreed to the marriage after extracting a royal promise to preserve the city, but on the wedding night she threw herself onto the funeral pyre and died before him. Her story became widely known, especially in the West, where Dido (Elissa) is remembered as a symbol of love, fidelity, and sacrifice, ranked among other famed women such as Cleopatra, Zenobia, and Semiramis.

The Golden Age of Carthage

Between the seventh and third centuries BC, Carthage expanded and established colonies along the western Mediterranean coasts of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. It extended its influence over islands such as Sicily and Corsica and became an empire of prestige and power, which alarmed the Romans. Like the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians were skilled seafarers and traders; they introduced olive cultivation to Tunisia and taught the Berbers writing using the Phoenician alphabet.

America in the Maps of the Carthaginians

In 1996 the American researcher Mark McMenamin identified some Carthaginian coins dating to about 350 BC that he interpreted as bearing a map of the world showing the New World (the Americas). His claim caused controversy in the scholarly community, with many Europeans arguing the markings were ancient Phoenician letters rather than a map. McMenamin was not the first to suggest such knowledge; the Greek historian Diodorus wrote around 100 BC that the Carthaginians knew of a very large island far away, with many mountains and wide rivers, and that they kept its location secret because it was a source of wealth. Some accounts also claim Carthaginians may have reached the Americas accidentally on a commercial voyage down the Atlantic African coast that was driven off course by a storm.

Carthage’s Wars with Rome (Punic Wars)

As Carthage expanded in the western Mediterranean, it sought to extend its influence eastward and to link the eastern and western Mediterranean. This brought it into major conflict with Rome in a series of three wars known as the Punic Wars. These wars, fought both at sea and on land, spanned nearly a century and determined the balance of power in the region.

First Punic War

The First Punic War began in 264 BC when Rome intervened in Sicily and besieged Akragas, a major Carthaginian base. The Carthaginians sent a large force to retake the island in 262 BC but suffered a major defeat at Akragas. Rome then built a powerful navy to challenge Carthaginian sea power and scored a decisive victory at the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, one of the largest naval battles in antiquity. In 255 BC the Carthaginians sought peace, but Roman terms were harsh, so the conflict continued. A Roman fleet evacuating survivors was intercepted by the Carthaginians, though bad weather later destroyed much of the Roman force, costing Rome more than 100,000 men.

The Carthaginians retook Akragas in 255 BC and demolished it as indefensible, while Rome rebuilt its fleet and captured Panormus (modern Palermo). Further storms sank hundreds of Roman ships, but Roman expansion across the Italian peninsula and into Sicily continued. By 243 BC Rome had rebuilt its fleet and blockaded the remaining Carthaginian strongholds in Sicily, forcing Carthage to sue for peace. Under the treaty that ended the war, Carthage ceded Sicily to Rome, which sparked a large rebellion within the Carthaginian realm that was eventually suppressed. The rivalry with Rome persisted, setting the stage for the Second Punic War.

Second Punic War

In 218 BC the Carthaginian general Hannibal emerged as one of history’s most formidable military leaders. He led a daring campaign into Italy, winning a series of major victories. However, when the Romans invaded North Africa and threatened Carthage itself, Hannibal was recalled in 204 BC. The Carthaginian forces were ultimately defeated, and Carthage was forced to negotiate a peace that effectively ended its status as a major Mediterranean power. The city paid enormous indemnities for decades, and its territories were greatly reduced.

Third Punic War

In 149 BC Rome found a pretext to declare war on Carthage with the intention of eliminating it entirely. The Romans destroyed the city, slaughtered much of its population, and annexed the territory as the Roman province of Africa, marking the end of a brilliant chapter in the region’s history. Remains of ancient Carthage can still be seen about 16 km from the modern city of Tunis.