Carthage: Its Carnage, Its History, and Its Resistance to the Romans

Carthage was an ancient city-state located in what is now modern-day Tunisia. Founded by Phoenician settlers in the ninth century BC, Carthage would rise to become one of the most influential and powerful empires of the ancient Mediterranean world, only to be destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. Despite its destruction, the Romans later lavishly rebuilt it, cementing its place in history. During its peak in the fourth century BC, Carthage was the capital of the Carthaginian Empire, a force that dominated the western Mediterranean with unmatched power and influence.

The origins of Carthage can be traced back to around 814 BC, when settlers from Tyre, a prosperous Phoenician city-state in modern Lebanon, arrived on the northern coast of Africa. Following the fall of Phoenicia to the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the seventh century BC, Carthage emerged as an independent entity. Over time, it expanded its influence, securing political and economic control over vast territories across the western Mediterranean. By 300 BC, Carthage controlled a sprawling empire that included the coastal regions of northwest Africa, southern Iberia (modern-day Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar), and a series of key islands such as Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, and the Balearic Islands. This expansion was achieved through a complex network of colonies, vassal states, and satellite territories.

Carthage’s strategic location played a significant role in its success. Its access to fertile agricultural lands and critical maritime trade routes allowed the city to thrive economically and become one of the wealthiest and most powerful centers of commerce in the ancient world. Carthage’s trade network extended across the Mediterranean and beyond, reaching as far as West Asia, West Africa, and northern Europe. This vast commerce facilitated the exchange of goods such as agricultural products, manufactured items, and luxury commodities, which flowed through its ports and markets.