Carthage, on the northeastern coast of what is now Tunisia in North Africa, had been established by the Phoenicians some time after 800 b. c.. Hence the name Punic, an adjectival form of the Romans' word for "Phoenician." Though the
Ruins of Carthage. Remains of Punic Gate. Sandro Vannini/Corbis. Reproduced by permission.
Carthaginians maintained aspects of Phoenician culture, including worship of the Phoenician god Baal, they had long before begun developing on their own. Baal became Moloch (MAHL-ahk), for instance, and the Carthaginians' city became at least as great as the Phoenicia's own Tyre.
Like Tyre, Carthage had natural defenses. It was almost an island jutting out into the Mediterranean, with two large inlets on either side. Rocky cliffs protected it on the west, and the city itself had three layers of walls around it. Particularly impressive was its harbor, into which the Carthaginians built a set of structures to aid in its defense. These structures made it impossible for invaders to see how many warships the Carthaginians had. The center of the protected harbor featured a command post where naval officers could oversee the city's defense.
About a million people lived in Carthage at its height, making it an almost unbelievably huge city by ancient standards. It expanded, adding colonies throughout North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula (where Spain and Portugal are now located), and the island of Sicily off the southern coast of Italy. During the 400s b. c., the Carthaginians had emerged as the dominant sea power in the western Mediterranean. As Rome cleared Italy of all opposition, it became apparent that the two nations were headed for a struggle over control of the region.
World History
