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CARTHAGE,ancient city(near modern Tunisia) and the state that existed in the 7th-2nd centuries. BC. in the western Mediterranean. Carthage (which means "new city" in Phoenician) was founded by people from Phoenician Tyre (traditional founding date 814 BC, actually founded somewhat later, possibly c. 750 BC). The Romans called it Carthago, the Greeks called it Carchedon.

According to legend, Carthage was founded by Queen Elissa (Dido), who fled from Tyre after her brother Pygmalion, king of Tyre, killed her husband Syche to take possession of his wealth. Throughout the history of Carthage, the inhabitants of the city were famous for their business acumen. According to the legend of the founding of the city, Dido, who was allowed to occupy as much land as an ox-skin would cover, took possession of a large area by cutting the skin into narrow belts. That is why the citadel put on this place was called Birsa (which means "skin").

Carthage was not the oldest of the Phoenician colonies. Long before him, Utica was founded a little to the north (traditional date - c. 1100 BC). Probably around the same time, Hadrumet and Leptis were founded, located on the east coast of Tunisia to the south, Hippo on the north coast and Lyx on the Atlantic coast of modern Morocco.

Long before the founding of the Phoenician colonies, ships from Egypt, Mycenaean Greece and Crete plowed the Mediterranean. The political and military failures of these powers from about 1200 B.C. provided the Phoenicians with freedom of action in the Mediterranean and an opportunity to acquire skills in navigation and trade. From 1100 to 800 BC the Phoenicians actually dominated the sea, where only rare Greek ships dared to go. The Phoenicians explored the lands in the west up to the Atlantic coast of Africa and Europe, which later came in handy for Carthage.

CITY AND STATE

Carthage owned fertile lands in the depths of the mainland, he had a profitable geographical position, which favored trade, and also allowed control of the waters between Africa and Sicily, preventing foreign ships from sailing further west.

Compared with many famous cities of antiquity, Punic (from Latin punicus or poenicus - Phoenician) Carthage is not so rich in finds, since in 146 BC. the Romans methodically destroyed the city, and in the Roman Carthage, founded on the same site in 44 BC, intensive construction was carried out. Based on the scanty evidence of ancient authors and their often obscure topographic indications, we know that the city of Carthage was surrounded by powerful walls approx. 30 km. Its population is unknown. The citadel was heavily fortified. The city had a market square, a council building, a court and temples. In the quarter called Megara, there were many vegetable gardens, orchards and winding canals. Ships entered the trading harbor through a narrow passage. For loading and unloading, up to 220 ships could be pulled ashore at the same time (the ancient ships should have been kept on land if possible). Behind the trading harbor there was a military harbor and an arsenal.

Government system.

According to its state structure, Carthage was an oligarchy. Despite the fact that in their homeland, in Phoenicia, the power belonged to the kings and the founder of Carthage, according to legend, was Queen Dido, we know almost nothing about royal power here. The ancient authors, who for the most part admired the structure of Carthage, compared it with the state system of Sparta and Rome. The power here belonged to the Senate, which was in charge of finances, foreign policy, the declaration of war and peace, and also carried out the general conduct of the war. Executive power was vested in two elected suffet magistrates (the Romans called them sufetes, the same position as "shofetim", i.e. judges, in the Old Testament). Obviously, these were senators, and their duties were exclusively civil, not involving control over the army. Together with the commanders of the army, they were elected by the people's assembly. The same positions were established in the cities under the rule of Carthage. Although many aristocrats owned vast agricultural lands, land ownership was not the only basis for achieving a high social position. Trade was considered quite a respectable occupation, and the wealth obtained in this way was treated with respect. Nevertheless, some aristocrats from time to time actively opposed the dominance of merchants, such as Hanno the Great in the 3rd century BC. BC.

Regions and cities.

The agricultural areas in mainland Africa - the area inhabited by the Carthaginians proper - approximately correspond to the territory of modern Tunisia, although other lands also fell under the authority of the city. When the ancient authors speak of the numerous cities that were in the possession of Carthage, they certainly mean ordinary villages. However, there were also real Phoenician colonies here - Utica, Leptis, Hadrumet, etc. Information about the relations of Carthage with these cities and some Phoenician settlements in Africa or elsewhere is scarce. The cities of the Tunisian coast showed independence in their politics only in 149 BC, when it became obvious that Rome intended to destroy Carthage. Some of them then submitted to Rome. In general, Carthage managed (probably after 500 BC) to choose a political line, which was joined by the rest of the Phoenician cities both in Africa and on the other side of the Mediterranean.

Carthaginian power was very extensive. In Africa, its easternmost city was located more than 300 km east of Ei (modern Tripoli). Between it and the Atlantic Ocean, the ruins of a number of ancient Phoenician and Carthaginian cities were discovered. Around 500 BC or a little later, the navigator Hanno led an expedition that founded several colonies on the Atlantic coast of Africa. He ventured far to the south and left a description of gorillas, tom-toms and other African sights rarely mentioned by ancient authors.

The colonies and trading posts were for the most part located at a distance of about one day's sail from each other. Usually they were on islands near the coast, on capes, in the mouths of rivers, or in those places on the mainland of the country, from where it was easy to get to the sea. For example, Leptis, located near modern Tripoli, in the Roman era served as the final seaside point of the great caravan route from the interior, from where merchants brought slaves and golden dust. This trade probably began in the early stages of Carthage's history.

The power consisted of Malta and two neighboring islands. Carthage fought the Sicilian Greeks for centuries, under its rule were Lilibey and other well-fortified ports in the west of Sicily, as well as, at various periods, other areas on the island (it happened that almost all of Sicily was in its hands, except Syracuse). Gradually, Carthage also established control over the fertile regions of Sardinia, while the inhabitants of the mountainous regions of the island remained unconquered. Foreign merchants were denied access to the island. At the beginning of the 5th c. BC. The Carthaginians began to explore Corsica. Carthaginian colonies and trading settlements also existed on the southern coast of Spain, while the Greeks entrenched themselves on the eastern coast. Since arriving here in 237 BC. Hamilcar Barca and before the campaign of Hannibal in Italy, great success was achieved in subjugating the interior regions of Spain. Apparently, when creating their power scattered over different territories, Carthage did not set other goals than establishing control over them for the sake of obtaining the maximum possible profit.

CARTHAGE CIVILIZATION

Agriculture.

The Carthaginians were skilled farmers. Of the grain crops, wheat and barley were the most important. Some grain was probably delivered from Sicily and Sardinia. The wine produced for sale was of average quality. Fragments of ceramic containers found during archaeological excavations in Carthage indicate that the Carthaginians imported higher quality wines from Greece or from the island of Rhodes. The Carthaginians were famous for their excessive addiction to wine, even special laws against drunkenness were passed, for example, prohibiting the use of wine by soldiers. In North Africa, olive oil was produced in large quantities, although of poor quality. Figs, pomegranates, almonds, date palms grew here, and ancient authors mention vegetables such as cabbage, peas and artichokes. Horses, mules, cows, sheep and goats were bred in Carthage. The Numidians, who lived to the west, on the territory of modern Algeria, preferred thoroughbred horses and were famous as riders. Apparently, the Carthaginians, who had strong trade ties with the Numidians, bought horses from them. Later, the gourmets of Imperial Rome highly valued poultry from Africa.

Unlike republican Rome, in Carthage small farmers did not form the backbone of society. Most of the African possessions of Carthage were divided among the wealthy Carthaginians, whose large estates were managed on a scientific basis. A certain Magon, who probably lived in the 3rd c. BC, wrote a manual on farming. After the fall of Carthage, the Roman Senate, wishing to attract wealthy people to restore production in some of its lands, ordered that this manual be translated into Latin language. Excerpts from the work, cited in Roman sources, indicate that Magon used the Greek manuals on agriculture, but tried to adapt them to local conditions. He wrote about large farms and dealt with all aspects of agricultural production. Probably, as tenants, or sharecroppers, local residents worked - Berbers, and sometimes groups of slaves under the leadership of overseers. Emphasis was placed mainly on cash crops, vegetable oil and wine, but the nature of the terrain inevitably suggested specialization: the more hilly areas were set aside for orchards, vineyards or pastures. There were also medium-sized peasant farms.

Craft.

Carthaginian artisans specialized in the production of cheap products, mostly reproducing Egyptian, Phoenician and Greek designs and destined for marketing in the western Mediterranean, where Carthage captured all the markets. The production of luxury goods, such as the bright purple paint commonly known as "Tyrian purple", is known in the later period, when the Romans ruled North Africa, but it can be considered that it existed before the fall of Carthage. The purple snail, a sea snail containing this dye, was best harvested in autumn and winter - seasons not suitable for navigation. In Morocco and on the island of Djerba, in the best places for the extraction of murex, permanent settlements were founded.

In accordance with Eastern traditions, the state was a slave owner, using slave labor in arsenals, shipyards or construction. Archaeologists have not found evidence that would indicate the presence of large private craft enterprises, whose products would be distributed in the western market closed to outsiders, while many small workshops were marked. It is often very difficult to distinguish Carthaginian products from items imported from Phoenicia or Greece among the finds. Craftsmen were successful in reproducing simple products, and it seems that the Carthaginians were not too eager to make anything other than copies.

Some Punic craftsmen were very skilled, especially in carpentry and metal work. A Carthaginian carpenter could use cedar wood for work, the properties of which were known from ancient times by the masters of Ancient Phoenicia, who worked with Lebanese cedar. Due to the constant need for ships, both carpenters and metalworkers were invariably distinguished by a high level of skill. There is evidence of their skill in working iron and bronze. The number of ornaments found during excavations is small, but it seems that this people was not inclined to place expensive items in tombs to please the souls of the dead.

The largest of the handicraft industries, apparently, was the manufacture of ceramic products. The remains of workshops and pottery kilns, filled with products that were intended for firing, were found. Every Punic settlement in Africa produced pottery, which is found everywhere in the areas that were part of the sphere of Carthage - in Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Spain. Carthaginian pottery is found from time to time on the coast of France and Northern Italy - where the Greeks from Massalia (modern Marseille) occupied a dominant position in trade and where the Carthaginians were probably still allowed to trade.

Archaeological finds paint a picture of a stable production of simple pottery not only in Carthage itself, but also in many other Punic cities. These are bowls, vases, dishes, goblets, pot-bellied jugs of various purposes, called amphorae, water jugs and lamps. Studies show that their production existed from ancient times until the death of Carthage in 146 BC. Early products for the most part reproduced Phoenician designs, which in turn were often copies of Egyptian ones. It seems that in the 4th and 3rd centuries. BC. the Carthaginians especially appreciated Greek products, which was manifested in the imitation of Greek ceramics and sculpture and the presence of a large number of Greek products of this period in materials from excavations in Carthage.

Trade policy.

The Carthaginians were especially successful in trade. Carthage could well be called a trading state, since its policy was largely guided by commercial considerations. Many of his colonies and trading posts were no doubt founded for the purpose of expanding trade. It is known about some expeditions undertaken by the Carthaginian rulers, the reason for which was also the desire for wider trade relations. In an agreement concluded by Carthage in 508 BC. with the Roman Republic, which had just emerged after the expulsion of the Etruscan kings from Rome, it was provided that Roman ships should not sail to the western part of the sea, but they could use the harbor of Carthage. In the event of a forced landing anywhere else in Punic territory, they asked for official protection from the authorities and, after repairing the ship and replenishing food supplies, they immediately set sail. Carthage agreed to recognize the boundaries of Rome and respect its people, as well as its allies.

The Carthaginians made agreements and, if necessary, made concessions. They also resorted to force in order to prevent rivals from entering the waters of the western Mediterranean, which they considered as their fiefdom, with the exception of the coast of Gaul and the coasts of Spain and Italy adjacent to it. They also fought against piracy. The authorities kept in good repair the complex structures of the commercial harbor of Carthage, as well as its military harbor, which, apparently, was open to foreign ships, but few sailors entered there.

It is striking that such a trading state as Carthage did not show due attention to coinage. Apparently, there was no own coin here until the 4th century BC. BC, when silver coins were issued, which, if the surviving specimens are considered typical, varied considerably in weight and quality. Perhaps the Carthaginians preferred to use the reliable silver coin of Athens and other states, and most transactions were made through direct barter.

Goods and trade routes.

Specific data on the subjects of trade of Carthage are surprisingly scarce, although evidence of its trading interests is quite numerous. Typical among such evidence is the story of Herodotus about how trade took place on the western coast of Africa. The Carthaginians landed on the shore in a certain place and laid out the goods, after which they retired to their ships. Then local residents appeared and placed a certain amount of gold next to the goods. If there was enough, the Carthaginians took the gold and sailed away. Otherwise, they left it untouched and returned to the ships, and the natives brought more gold. What these goods were is not mentioned in the story.

Apparently, the Carthaginians brought simple pottery for sale or exchange to those western regions where they were monopolists, and also traded in amulets, jewelry, simple metal utensils and plain glassware. Some of them were produced in Carthage, some - in the Punic colonies. According to a number of accounts, Punic traders offered wine, women and clothing to the natives of the Balearic Islands in exchange for slaves.

It can be assumed that they were engaged in extensive purchases of goods in other craft centers - Egypt, Phenicia, Greece, southern Italy - and transported them to those areas where they enjoyed a monopoly. Punic traders were famous in the harbors of these craft centers. Findings of non-Carthaginian items during archaeological excavations of western settlements suggest that they were brought there on Punic ships.

Some references in Roman literature indicate that the Carthaginians brought various valuable goods to Italy, where ivory from Africa was highly valued. During the empire, a huge number of wild animals were brought from Roman North Africa for the device of games. Figs and honey are also mentioned.

It is believed that Carthaginian ships sailed the Atlantic Ocean for tin from Cornwall. The Carthaginians themselves produced bronze and may have shipped some tin to other places where it was needed for similar production. Through their colonies in Spain, they sought to obtain silver and lead, which could be exchanged for the goods they brought. Ropes for Punic warships were made from esparto grass, native to Spain and North Africa. An important article of trade, due to the high price, was purple dye from scarlet. In many areas, traders purchased wild animal skins and skins and found markets for their sale.

As in later times, caravans from the south must have arrived at the ports of Leptis and Aea, as well as Gigtis, which lay somewhat to the west. They carried ostrich feathers, popular in antiquity, and eggs, which served as decorations or bowls. In Carthage, they were painted with ferocious faces and used, as they say, as masks to scare away demons. Caravans also brought ivory and slaves. But the most important cargo was gold dust from the Gold Coast or from Guinea.

Some of the best goods the Carthaginians imported for their own use. Some of the pottery found in Carthage was brought from Greece or from Campagna in southern Italy, where it was made by visiting Greeks. The characteristic handles from Rhodes amphoras found during the excavations of Carthage show that wine was brought here from Rhodes. Surprisingly, high-quality Attic ceramics are not found here.

Language, art and religion.

We know almost nothing about the culture of the Carthaginians. The only lengthy texts in their language that have come down to us are contained in the play of Plautus Punian, where one of the characters, Gannon, utters a monologue, apparently in the authentic Punic dialect, after which he immediately repeats a significant part of it in Latin. In addition, many replicas of the same Gannon are scattered around the play, also with a translation into Latin. Unfortunately, scribes who did not understand the text distorted it. In addition, the Carthaginian language is known only by geographical names, technical terms, proper names and individual words given by Greek and Latin authors. In interpreting these fragments, the similarity of the Punic language with Hebrew is of great help.

The Carthaginians did not have their own artistic traditions. Apparently, in everything that can be attributed to the sphere of art, these people limited themselves to copying other people's ideas and techniques. In ceramics, jewelry and sculpture, they were content with imitation, and sometimes they copied not the best examples. As far as literature is concerned, we have no record of their producing any other writings than purely practical ones, such as Mago's agricultural manual, and one or two smaller Greek compilation texts. We are not aware of the presence in Carthage of something that could be called "belles-lettres."

Carthage had an official priesthood, temples and its own religious calendar. The main deities were Baal (Baal) - the Semitic god, known from Old Testament, and the goddess Tanit (Tinnit), the heavenly queen. Virgil in Aeneid called Juno a goddess who favored the Carthaginians, since he identified her with Tanit. The religion of the Carthaginians is characterized by human sacrifice, which was especially widely practiced during periods of disaster. The main thing in this religion is faith in the effectiveness of cult practice for communicating with the invisible world. In light of this, it is especially surprising that in the 4th and 3rd centuries. BC. the Carthaginians actively joined the mystical Greek cult of Demeter and Persephone; in any case, the material traces of this cult are quite numerous.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLES

The oldest rivals of the Carthaginians were the Phoenician colonies in Africa, Utica and Hadrumet. It is not clear when and how they had to submit to Carthage: there is no written evidence of any wars.

Alliance with the Etruscans.

Etruscans northern Italy were both allies and trade rivals of Carthage. These enterprising sailors, merchants and pirates dominated the 6th century. BC. over a large part of Italy. The main area of ​​their settlement was located directly north of Rome. They also owned Rome and the lands to the south - up to the point where they came into conflict with the Greeks of southern Italy. Having entered into an alliance with the Etruscans, the Carthaginians in 535 BC. won a major naval victory over the Phocians - the Greeks who occupied Corsica.

The Etruscans occupied Corsica and held the island for about two generations. In 509 BC the Romans drove them out of Rome and Latium. Soon after this, the Greeks of southern Italy, with the support of the Sicilian Greeks, increased pressure on the Etruscans and in 474 BC. put an end to their power at sea, inflicting a crushing defeat on them near Cum in the Gulf of Naples. The Carthaginians moved to Corsica, already having a foothold in Sardinia.

Fight for Sicily.

Even before the major defeat of the Etruscans, Carthage had a chance to measure strength with the Sicilian Greeks. The Punic cities in western Sicily, founded at least no later than Carthage, were forced to submit to him, like the cities of Africa. The rise of two powerful Greek tyrants, Gelon in Syracuse and Theron in Acragas, clearly foreshadowed the Carthaginians that the Greeks would launch a powerful offensive against them to drive them out of Sicily, similar to what happened with the Etruscans in southern Italy. The Carthaginians accepted the challenge and for three years actively prepared to conquer all of eastern Sicily. They acted in concert with the Persians, who were preparing an invasion of Greece itself. According to a later tradition (no doubt erroneous), the defeat of the Persians at Salamis and the equally decisive defeat of the Carthaginians in a land battle at Himera in Sicily occurred in 480 BC. in the same day. Confirming the worst fears of the Carthaginians, Theron and Gelon put up irresistible forces.

A long time passed before the Carthaginians again launched an offensive against Sicily. After Syracuse successfully repelled the Athenian invasion (415-413 BC), having utterly defeated them, they sought to subjugate other Greek cities in Sicily. Then these cities began to seek help from Carthage, who was not slow to take advantage of this and sent a huge army to the island. The Carthaginians were close to capturing the entire eastern part of Sicily. At that moment, the famous Dionysius I came to power in Syracuse, who based the power of Syracuse on cruel tyranny and fought against the Carthaginians with varying success for forty years. At the end of hostilities in 367 BC. the Carthaginians again had to come to terms with the impossibility of establishing full control over the island. The lawlessness and inhumanity perpetrated by Dionysius were partly offset by the help that he provided to the Sicilian Greeks in their struggle with Carthage. Persistent Carthaginians made another attempt to subjugate eastern Sicily during the tyranny of Dionysius the Younger, who became the successor of his father. However, this again did not reach the goal, and in 338 BC, after several years of hostilities that did not allow talking about the advantage of either side, peace was concluded.

There is an opinion that Alexander the Great saw his ultimate goal in establishing dominion over the West as well. After Alexander's return from the great campaign in India, shortly before his death, the Carthaginians, like other peoples, sent an embassy to him, trying to find out his intentions. Perhaps the untimely death of Alexander in 323 BC. saved Carthage from many troubles.

In 311 BC The Carthaginians made another attempt to occupy the eastern part of Sicily. In Syracuse, the new tyrant Agathocles ruled. The Carthaginians had already besieged him in Syracuse and seemed to have the opportunity to capture this main stronghold of the Greeks, but Agathocles with an army sailed from the harbor and attacked the Carthaginian possessions in Africa, creating a threat to Carthage itself. From that moment until the death of Agathocles in 289 BC. the usual war continued with varying success.

In 278 BC the Greeks went on the offensive. The famous Greek commander Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, arrived in Italy to fight against the Romans on the side of the South Italian Greeks. Having won two victories over the Romans with great damage to himself ("Pyrrhic victory"), he crossed to Sicily. There he pushed back the Carthaginians and almost cleared the island of them, but in 276 BC. with his characteristic fatal inconstancy, he abandoned further struggle and returned to Italy, from where he was soon expelled by the Romans.

Wars with Rome.

The Carthaginians could hardly have foreseen that their city was destined to perish as a result of a series of military conflicts with Rome, known as the Punic Wars. The reason for the war was the episode with the Mamertines, Italian mercenaries who were in the service of Agathocles. In 288 BC some of them captured the Sicilian city of Messana (modern Messina), and when in 264 BC. Hieron II, the ruler of Syracuse, began to overcome them, they asked for help from Carthage and at the same time from Rome. For a variety of reasons, the Romans responded to the request and came into conflict with the Carthaginians.

The war went on for 24 years (264–241 BC). The Romans landed troops in Sicily and at first achieved some success, but the army that landed in Africa under the command of Regulus was defeated near Carthage. After repeated failures at sea caused by storms, as well as a series of defeats on land (the Carthaginian army in Sicily was commanded by Hamilcar Barca), the Romans in 241 BC. won a naval battle off the Aegadian Islands, off the western coast of Sicily. The war brought enormous damage and losses to both sides, while Carthage finally lost Sicily, and soon lost Sardinia and Corsica. In 240 BC a dangerous uprising broke out, dissatisfied with the delay in the money of the Carthaginian mercenaries, which was suppressed only in 238 BC.

In 237 BC, just four years after the end of the first war, Hamilcar Barca traveled to Spain and began conquering the interior. To the Roman embassy, ​​who appeared with a question about his intentions, he replied that he was looking for a way to pay an indemnity to Rome as quickly as possible. The wealth of Spain - flora and fauna, minerals, not to mention its inhabitants - could quickly compensate the Carthaginians for the loss of Sicily. However, a conflict broke out again between the two powers, this time due to unrelenting pressure from Rome. In 218 BC Hannibal, the great Carthaginian commander, traveled overland from Spain through the Alps to Italy and defeated the Roman army, scoring several brilliant victories, the most important of which took place in 216 BC. at the Battle of Cannae. Nevertheless, Rome did not sue for peace. On the contrary, he recruited new troops and, after several years of confrontation in Italy, suffered fighting to North Africa, where he won the battle of Zama (202 BC).

Carthage lost Spain and finally lost the position of a state capable of challenging Rome. However, the Romans were afraid of the revival of Carthage. It is said that Cato the Elder ended each of his speeches in the Senate with the words "Delenda est Carthago" - "Carthage must be destroyed." In 149 BC the exorbitant demands of Rome forced the weakened but still wealthy North African state to enter the third war. After three years of heroic resistance, the city fell. The Romans razed it to the ground, sold the surviving inhabitants into slavery and sprinkled the soil with salt. However, five centuries later, Punic was still spoken in some rural parts of North Africa, and Punic blood probably flowed in the veins of many people who lived there. Carthage was rebuilt in 44 BC. and turned into one of the major cities of the Roman Empire, but the Carthaginian state ceased to exist.

ROMAN CARTHAGE

Julius Caesar, who had a practical wrinkle, ordered the founding of a new Carthage, since he considered it senseless to leave such an advantageous place unused in many respects. In 44 BC, 102 years after its death, the city began new life. From the very beginning, it flourished as the administrative center and port of an area with rich agricultural production. This period in the history of Carthage lasted almost 750 years.

Carthage became the main city of the Roman provinces in North Africa and the third (after Rome and Alexandria) city in the empire. It served as the residence of the proconsul of the province of Africa, which, in the view of the Romans, more or less coincided with the ancient Carthaginian territory. The administration of the imperial landed estates, which constituted a significant part of the province, was also located here.

Many famous Romans are associated with Carthage and its environs. The writer and philosopher Apuleius studied in Carthage in his youth, and later achieved such fame there thanks to his Greek and Latin speeches that statues were erected in his honor. A native of North Africa was Marcus Cornelius Fronto, tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, as well as the emperor Septimius Severus.

The ancient Punic religion was preserved in a Romanized form, and the goddess Tanit was worshiped as Juno of Heaven, and the image of Baal merged with Kron (Saturn). Nevertheless, it was North Africa that became the stronghold of the Christian faith, and Carthage gained fame in early history Christianity and was the venue for a number of important church councils. In the 3rd century Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage, and Tertullian spent most of his life here. The city was considered one of major centers Latin learning in the empire; St. Augustine in his confessions gives us some vivid sketches of the life of students who attended the rhetorical school of Carthage at the end of the 4th century.

However, Carthage remained only a major urban center and had no political significance. Do we listen to stories about the public executions of Christians, do we read about Tertullian's violent attacks on noble Carthaginian women who came to church in magnificent worldly outfits, or do we encounter references to some prominent personalities who ended up in Carthage in important points history, it never rises above the level of a large provincial city. For some time there was the capital of the Vandals (429-533 AD), who, like once pirates, set sail from the harbor that dominated the Mediterranean straits. Then the Byzantines conquered this area, holding it until Carthage fell under the onslaught of the Arabs in 697.



Ancient Carthage is a large state of Phoenician origin, the capital of which is located in the city of the same name. Its name translates as "new city". The foundation of Carthage is attributed to the end of the 9th century BC. In those years, the Phoenicians traveled throughout the Mediterranean, creating trading colonies, which later formed into full-fledged cities.

According to legend, Carthage was founded in 814 BC. queen Dido. Ancient records say that she was forced to flee the city of Tyre, as her brother Pygmalion killed her husband Syche, seeking to seize his wealth. Since the city was founded by a people who developed active trade throughout the Mediterranean, the Carthaginians themselves were noted for their business acumen. The founding of Carthage is associated with various myths. For example, one story says that Dido was allowed to occupy as much land as ox-skins could cover. However, she allowed the skin into thin strips, and was able to take up enough land to build a palace, called Birsa - "skin". Today, on the site where Carthage is located, or rather, its ruins, a kind of open-air museum has been created, in which everything has been done so that the elements of modern life are hidden and do not spoil the overall impression. The ruins of Carthage are located on the northeast coast of the modern state of Tunisia.

When Phoenicia weakened, Carthage captured a large number of other Phoenician colonies, and already in the 3rd century BC. was the most extensive and powerful state in the Mediterranean. It included North Africa (except Egypt), Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. The state of Carthage, however, could not stand the competition with the Roman Empire. During the three Punic wars, his power was shaken and dispelled. In 146, the history of Carthage as an independent state was terminated. His territory in North Africa was turned into a province. Although the city was destroyed, Julius Caesar made a proposal to create a colony in its place, which was taken into account after his death. In 420-430 AD. The Western Roman Empire lost control of the colony. In addition, moved here Germanic tribes vandals who founded their own kingdom here. Ancient Carthage still had some importance after its capture by the Byzantine Empire, but it was soon captured by the Arabs, after which the city was abandoned.

The history of Carthage has become known to modern historians through the records of ancient Greek and Roman historians. Along with this, it was possible to learn about how the society of the Carthaginians was organized. The richest aristocracy had the greatest power in the city. The Council of Elders of 10-30 people supervised all affairs in the state. There was also a popular assembly, but it was rarely called. In the 5th century BC. the Magon family tried to achieve absolute power, but this was avoided by creating a council of judges. This council was supposed to judge every official in the state according to his activities in his post after the termination of duties, but later it was the council of judges that became the main state body in Carthage.

Executive power was held by two Suffets. This position could only be obtained through direct vote buying. There is a possibility that there were other officials, but information about them was not found. The so-called council of one hundred and four (that is how many people were included in the council of judges) was not an elected body. Each member of the council was appointed by the so-called pentarchies - special commissions, whose members belonged to one or another aristocratic family. The form of government in Carthage was in many ways reminiscent of the Roman one - the military leaders were not kings, they were appointed on the recommendation of the Council of Elders. The term of appointment remained uncertain, the Carthaginian commanders quite often inherited their post. The powers of the military leaders were quite wide, but their uprisings were not recorded in history. The state of Carthage was not democratic, but the democratic opposition was present. It was able to intensify only during the Punic wars, which led to the death of Carthage.

Briefly about the religion of Carthage

Fall, capture, death, destruction of Carthage

SO LIVED IN CARTHAGE

CHRONICLES OF THE UNKNOWN

The history of Carthage begins in the 9th century BC, but until 480 BC, before the Battle of Himera, this story cannot be written, admitted one of the leading experts on Carthaginian antiquities, Gilbert-Charles Picard. The German researcher Werner Huss in his "History of the Carthaginians" polemically exclaims: "I am filled with much greater skepticism; it is impossible even to write the history of Carthage, limited only to the events that played out after the Battle of Himera - you can at best write a separate chapter for this story."

The reason is clear: all the Carthaginian chronicles, all the documents of the Punic era, perished. There is no doubt that they existed. Similar chronicles were kept in the cities of Phenicia by the ancestors of the Carthaginians, and we even know excerpts from the writings of one of these chroniclers, Sankhunyaton. The Carthaginian chronicles were well known to ancient authors, who drew from them information on the history of North Africa. Now we can only re-read selected extracts from the writings of Roman and Greek authors.

Studying authors hostile to Carthage, we are faced with a special problem: since the time of Thucydides, ancient historians have been interested in only one topic: war, or, to be more precise, a war waged by their own people, their own country. In their writings, enemies are almost always depicted with undisguised hostility. So the history of Carthage is known to us extremely fragmentarily: according to reports of wars that the Carthaginians waged either with the Sicilian Greeks or with the Romans. The high-profile victories of the latter made them especially talkative: the Punic Wars are described in detail, so the history of Carthage is often reduced to the history of these wars. The first few centuries of the Carthaginian past are dotted with huge gaps. So, for example, the history of the war between Carthage and Cyrene, which broke out at the end of the 4th century BC, when the Cyrenian ruler came to the aid of Agathocles, is almost unknown to us.

The excavations of recent decades, carried out in Africa and Spain, in Sardinia and Sicily, have allowed us to learn a lot about Carthage. Punic inscriptions are of particular interest to scholars. Now several thousand inscriptions are known, found in Carthage alone; the earliest inscription dates from around 700 BC, but most are from the 4th or 2nd century BC. However, they are rather monotonous and contain almost no information about the political history of the Carthaginian state. Basically, these are dedicatory inscriptions addressed to the gods - Baal Hammon and Tannit. There are also funerary inscriptions and sacrificial tariffs.

Here is an example of such a tariff: "For each bull, whether it is an expiatory sacrifice or a burnt offering, the priest is entitled to 10 measures of silver for each." Further, it speaks of payment for other sacrificed animals, for birds, for olive oil or milk, which is bestowed on the god.

But there are no inscriptions at all, telling about important historical events- wars, rebellions or the rule of this or that Suffet. Even linguists are dissatisfied with such findings. They have to deal with standard grammatical forms and limited vocabulary. Only sometimes there are unusual inscriptions; they are called "vulgar-punic". Perhaps these are examples of the spoken language of the Carthaginians.

UNDER HUNDRED AND FOUR JUDGES

The policy of Carthage preceded the famous Roman maxim "Divide and conquer". The population of the Carthaginian state was divided into several categories:

a) residents of the Carthaginian colonies: they were equated with the Carthaginians, but could not participate in political life;

b) residents of the Phoenician cities that were under the rule of Carthage: they lived according to Carthaginian laws, could marry the Carthaginians, but were required to pay taxes;

c) the conquered tribes of Libya, Iberia and Sardinia: they were subjected to cruel exploitation, for example, the villagers of Libya paid a tax in the form of half the crop, and the townspeople - a double tribute; for non-payment of taxes they were thrown into prison or enslaved;

d) slaves: the most numerous class of Carthaginian society. Prisoners of war and residents of conquered cities, for example, the Greek cities of Sicily, were turned into slaves. Slaves were bought in the Balearic Islands and from African nomads. They were used in agriculture, mining and construction. Slaves worked on temple farms and on the estates of wealthy Carthaginians. According to Madeleine Ur-Miedan, the Carthaginians treated the numerous slaves well; their marriage was permitted by law; slaves were often set free.

The Italian historian Sandro Bondi outlined the social structure of the Carthaginian state in such a schematic way. Its population was divided into two groups: the subjugated tribes, "disenfranchised and paying taxes, wherever they were, and the Phoenicians, in any place possessing all civil rights."

The Carthaginian state was a power created around Carthage. Wilhelm Boetticher also wrote: "The Carthaginian state was formed like the Roman one, with which ... it has much in common. Carthage was the center of a steadily expanding state, so that the history of the latter can largely be called the history of one city."

However, Rome and Carthage ruled over their subordinate communities in different ways. Theodor Mommsen described these relations as follows: "While each of the communities allied with Rome only risked losing if the government that so cared about its interests fell, in the Carthaginian state union the position of each community could only improve with the fall of Carthage."

In Carthage itself, power belonged to the oligarchy. The city was collectively ruled by the most noble families. Wealth alone brought the land, their land holdings; others - the sea, overseas trade.

The laws of the Carthaginian Republic usually prevented ambitious people from seizing power in the country. After the fall of royal power in Carthage, there were no higher posts left that would allow all military and civil power to be concentrated in their hands. So, the commanders could not dictate their conditions to the people. As a rule, they could not even make peace or declare war; these matters were the responsibility of the council of elders. They were relatively free only in the choice of strategy and tactics of warfare.

The people's assembly was considered the supreme body of power, but for centuries it did not play any role. He was invoked only in the days of civil strife that sometimes broke out in Carthage, in days of strife between the Suffets and the Senate. Then the people resolved the dispute, obediently following one of the parties involved in the strife. Usually, the popular assembly was engaged only in the election of magistrates.

Carthage was ruled by a council of elders, replenished from noble and wealthy people. The membership of the council has changed over time. Up to the 5th century BC, the council apparently consisted of ten elders; later - from thirty and, finally, from three hundred. The elders decided all the issues of city life.

According to Titus Livius, the council of elders met in their session at night; likewise, under the cover of night, the rulers of Venice conferred. "The rare lights went out, the wide streets were empty; then shadows appeared, gliding in the darkness" - this is how the meeting of the council began in Gustave Flaubert's novel "Salambo".

All free Carthaginians participated in the elections of the council - artisans, small merchants, doctors. However, free people in Carthage were a minority - about a third of the population; the rest were foreigners - personally free people who were in the position of Greek meteks. For example, after 396 BC, many Sicilian Greeks moved to Carthage. Many of them opened small workshops in the city. Only a few of the newcomers, in particular those from Tire, enjoyed civil rights. Among the meteks were also slaves set free by their masters.

A special place among the elders was occupied by two Suffets (the Greeks called them "kings"). Their power increased sharply after the overthrow of the Magonids. They led the state. The powers of the Suffets are not entirely clear. It is known for sure that they could not declare war and did not manage the state treasury. It was believed that the Suffets did not have to belong to the same clan, so that a dictatorship would not be established. However, this rule was not always followed.

The Suffets included people of noble origin, authoritative and rich - shipowners, large merchants and landowners. According to Aristotle, the Suffets were "elected to office not only on the basis of their noble birth, but also on their property qualification" ("Politics", translated by S. A. Zhebelev). Staying in government positions was not paid, but, on the contrary, required significant expenses that were affordable for the rich.

Suffets were elected annually. Candidates bribed voters with might and main. "Among the Carthaginians," Polybius wrote, "by openly giving bribes, they receive positions." Among the Romans, such an act was punishable by death.

The position of the Suffets is often compared to that of the Roman consuls, Spartan kings and even Venetian doges. Indeed, there is much in common between the state structure of Carthage, Rome and Sparta. Power in them was equally divided between the nobility, the people and the highest magistrates. The system of power established in Carthage resembled "the Roman system of consuls, senate and popular assemblies," wrote, for example, the British historian Donald Harden.

A special commission was in charge of the temples. It consisted of ten people. Her duties included the supervision of temples, their construction and repair.

There were other officials, for example, treasurers, scribes, professional translators.

The poor of Carthage - hired workers, artisans, small and medium-sized merchants - remained powerless people. Even having become rich, they could not "break out into the people."

After 450 BC, when one of the most noble family, the Magon family, tried to seize power in Carthage, the rest of the aristocratic families achieved the establishment of the "council of one hundred and four" (a board that included one hundred and four judges) and endowed this body with judicial and financial functions.

The "Council of a Hundred and Four" analyzed the activities of the Suffets, commanders and elders, and also judged them. The members of the council were often cruel and partial; fear of them made the elders and Suffets act to please the judges. The property, reputation and even the lives of the citizens were in the hands of this council. Its members were appointed for life from former magistrates of the republic. Each of them was invulnerable, because behind him was the whole council - the main stronghold of the Carthaginian oligarchy.

A similar system was introduced to prevent the establishment of tyranny in Carthage. First of all, the activities of the generals were put under the control of the council of one hundred and four, because, commanding mercenaries, they could lead them against Carthage in order to seize power in the city. Any excess of their authority was immediately punished. According to Diodorus, even those whose activities deserved only reproach were punished by crucifixion or expulsion from Carthage. It is worth noting that ephors in Sparta also used similar powers; they, too, could bring the commander to trial at the end of the war. Thus, in Carthage, wrote Theodor Mommsen, "the most capable statesmen had to be almost in open struggle with the metropolitan government."

The rulers of Carthage, according to the German historian Alfred Heuss, like the authorities of Venice, made every effort to prevent the appearance of a tyrant in the city; they executed anyone who could seize power. Fear of sudden punishment paralyzed the will of the generals; few of them wanted to fight. Starting from the 4th century BC, the territorial expansion of Carthage almost stops. Carthage could create an empire similar to the Roman one, and, as the campaigns of Hamilcar will show, it had every opportunity for this, but its rulers themselves, with their suspicion, stopped the undertakings.

Members of the "council of one hundred and four" were appointed by special boards (pentarchies) from among the aristocratic families. The pentarchies, noted I. Sh. Shifman, "were the citadel of oligarchic power." Their composition did not depend on the will of the people; it was replenished by co-optation. However, we know little about the activities of the Pentarchy. The 19th-century French historian Hennebsre, in his History of Hannibal, compared the pentarchies with political clubs, such as the English Whig club.

The state system of Carthage was praised by many ancient philosophers and historians: Plato, Aristotle, Polybius, Isocrates, Cicero, Eratosthenes. All of them praised Carthage as a model of internal political stability and often compared it to Sparta.

According to Aristotle, "the Carthaginians successfully escape from the perturbations of the people by giving them the opportunity to get rich. Namely, they constantly send certain parts of the people to [subject to Carthage] cities and regions."

These lines have been interpreted in various ways; some commentators believed that the foundation of the colonies was meant, others - that they were talking about officials who were sent to other cities, where they enriched themselves. Both are wrong. The Carthaginians were heading to pre-existing colonies. Like the Attic cleruchs, the citizens of Carthage received possessions in the cities conquered by the republic. There they had quite a lot of power and sometimes even committed arbitrariness. Such measures allowed poor citizens to enrich themselves. Thus, the Carthaginian people were involved in the benefits of the colonial policy of Carthage.

The inhabitants of Carthage also enjoyed other advantages: unlike the rest of the population of the republic, they did not pay taxes and taxes. Military booty - directly or indirectly - was distributed only among them. So the civil peace in Carthage was largely preserved due to the fact that the Carthaginian people were enriched by the conquered territories.

Sometimes historians reproach the rulers of Carthage for treating the Libyans, who made up a large part of the country's population, as a conquered people, and did not grant them the same rights as the Carthaginians, although it was the Libyans who bore most of the financial and military burden. They paid prohibitively high taxes, their children were drafted into the army and sent to fight on the outskirts of the Carthaginian state, and their communities were deprived of any independence.

Gustave Flaubert expressively described the economic mechanics of Carthage: “Carthage exhausted all these peoples with excessive taxes; iron chains, an ax and a cross punished any delay in payment and even a murmur of discontent. It was necessary to cultivate what the Republic needed, to deliver to it what it demanded. No one had the right to own weapons. When the villages revolted, the inhabitants were sold into slavery. The rulers were looked upon as a winepress and valued by the amount of tribute they delivered."

However, if the authorities of Carthage changed the legal status of the Libyans, then sooner or later the Carthaginian people would have rebelled and the rule of the oligarchs would have ended. It was the desire to preserve the special status of the inhabitants of Carthage and, therefore, the privileges of its rulers, that prompted the Carthaginians to infringe on the rights of the inhabitants of other regions of the country.

In a similar position with the Libyans were the inhabitants of some other states of the ancient world: for example, the Italics in the Roman Republic or the Spartan Perieki; both of them did not have civil rights for a long time and were subjected to merciless exploitation by the Romans and the Spartans.

From time to time, there was a price to pay for diktat: riots broke out in Libya; in wartime, the enemies of the Carthaginians, having landed in Africa, could always count on the support of the Libyan tribes.

IS THE MERCHANT EMPIRE DISCONTINUED?

The role of trade in the history of Carthage should not be overestimated. IN recent decades historians generally doubted that in ancient times there were cities that lived exclusively by trade.

So, a century and a half ago, Karl Marx called the ancient Greek Corinth a "trading city". However, the division of the Corinthian nobility into commercial and landed aristocracy turned out to be erroneous. Modern historians cannot give a single example when the authorities of Corinth would be guided in their policy by exclusively commercial considerations - unless, of course, we count the issues of supplying the city with food. Aegina and Massalia also lost the status of "trading cities" given to them once. Carthage should also be excluded from this list. Its inhabitants were not at all engaged in trade alone.

On closer inspection, there is nothing surprising in the fact that there were no "commercial cities" in the ancient world. In ancient times, trade played a secondary role compared to agriculture. There were several reasons for this: insufficient money supply, which made it difficult to conduct trade operations; the high cost of transporting goods, as well as the extremely high risk of engaging in trade.

According to Paul Cartledge, in pre-industrial Europe, the share of trade in the gross national product was only two percent. In ancient times, there could be no talk of any state trade policy. Land remained the main source of wealth. The Carthaginians are no exception. Not a single ancient author, including Polybius and Strabo, writes that trade was the basis of Carthaginian wealth.

Of course, many Carthaginians, at their own peril and risk, embarked on trading adventures in order to get rich. Traces of these expeditions are still being found by archaeologists. The power of the Carthaginian state made life easier for merchants, helped them feel safe in the Western Mediterranean, but it is wrong to see trade as the main motive of the Carthaginian policy. The policy of Carthage, like that of Ancient Rome, emphasizes the German historian E. Badian, author of the book "Roman Imperialism", did not at all resemble modern imperialist politics. The ancient powers conquered the world not at all in search of new markets or raw material bases.

The wealth of Carthage was its silver mines and quarries, taxes and taxes collected from subjects, and, finally, land. Carthage was a traditional ancient power, namely a policy - a city-state, similar to the policies of ancient Greece. No wonder Aristotle singled out Carthage from among the "barbarian" states and talked about it, along with the Greek policies. The supreme power in Carthaginian society was held by the civil collective. But the Carthaginian policy was aristocratic, which brought it closer to such "marginal" Greek states as Sparta and Crete.

Why did the Carthaginians in ancient times have the reputation of "merchants"? Obviously, the reason for this was the ignorance of the realities of Carthaginian life, inherent in foreign authors - the Romans and Greeks. In ancient times, residents of other countries were often called contemptuously "merchants", denying them courage and military prowess. Partly the reason for this is xenophobia, hostility towards strangers, and partly the fact that strangers appeared before the same Romans or Greeks in the form of rogue merchants in a hurry to sell the goods stale in ship holds.

In the end, Persian king, according to Herodotus, he counted the Spartans themselves - born warriors! - ordinary merchants. Three hundred Spartans really turned out to be great merchants. They bought with their blood so much glory that it will not fade even after twenty-five centuries.

The brave Carthaginians fought for decades either in Sicily or in Africa, they challenged Rome for more than a hundred years, and later commentators sometimes did not even think about what kind of will and energy the participants in all these numerous wars needed - those who fight, not trade.

In general, Walter Ameling emphasizes, a close study of ancient cultures shows that "the way of life and the state structure of various peoples did not differ as much as previously thought. The Carthaginians are not at all an exception; they fit well into the Mediterranean tradition of polis states."

The main sphere of Carthaginian interests was the Western Mediterranean, primarily the cities of Italy and Sicily. So, according to Diodorus, many Carthaginian merchants lived in Syracuse.

In huge quantities, the Carthaginians produced goods for sale. They exported dyed fabrics, carpets, fashionable jewelry, amulets, painted ostrich eggs, glass, weapons, ceramics, dishes, perfumes, but all these goods enjoyed the same fame among other peoples as they do today - "Chinese consumer goods". They were willingly bought, but they knew that their quality could be very low. At that time, Greek goods were of high quality. The only exception was the production of cabinetmakers.

The Carthaginians imported goods mainly from their colonies. They imported grain from Sardinia, wine and olive oil from Sicily, fish from Morocco. In Sardinia, they cultivated flax and olives, built glass factories. Malta, under the rule of the Carthaginians, turned into a major trading center.

They were especially good at selling things. Everything went into circulation: ivory brought from Central Africa, silver from Iberia and Sardinia, wood harvested in the Atlas Mountains. The list can be continued for a very long time - hardly anyone will be able to read it to the middle: tin from Britain, copper, lead and iron from Iberia, African gold (some of it was delivered by sea from Senegal, some by land from Niger), Asian spices, works of Egyptian and Greek artists, amber from Jutland, skins from Britain and West Africa, Libyan linen, wool - it was bought from African nomads, as well as in the Balearic Islands and Iberia. Purple was mined off the coast of North and Northwest Africa, dyes were bought in Iberia and dried fish for Carthage. Many slaves were brought from Africa and Iberia, alum was mined in the Aeolian Islands, salt was harvested in Sardinia and Sicily, mules were raised in the Balearic Islands, precious stones were collected in Sudan ...

Huge wealth accumulated in the hands of the Carthaginian oligarchs. Historians of the 19th - early 20th centuries often compared the Carthaginian state with the Venetian Republic, which lived by trade, and hired an army to protect itself from enemies. Karl Marx compared the Carthaginians to medieval Jews.

As for the financial policy of Carthage, the following passage from Theodor Mommsen's "Roman History" gives an idea of ​​​​it: "The state economy has reached such a degree of development in Carthage that there were plans for state loans in the modern sense of the word and banknotes corresponding to the current ones were in circulation. banknotes, not at all known in other states of ancient Europe.State revenues were enormous, and, for all the venality and dishonesty of the administration, they were more than enough for current expenses, and when, after the Second Punic War, the Romans imposed on Carthage a huge indemnity for that time - 340 thousand talents per year (one talent is equal to 6,000 denarii - silver coins that weighed 4.55 grams at that time. - A.V.) for 50 years, hoping to finally weaken the defeated enemy, the Carthaginians not only paid this amount without special taxes, but after 14 years they offered to immediately pay off all the remaining 36 contributions. It can be positively said that if the tasks of the state were reduced only to financial management, then nowhere and never have they been resolved better than in Carthage.

The trade balance has always remained positive. The Carthaginians sold more goods than they imported them. They created more and more new markets, going with goods to the oases of Africa, then deep into Spain. The main exports were wine, grain, olive oil, salted fish and purple-dyed textiles.

Many merchants traded in a wide variety of goods. However, there were also those who specialized in one particular product. The surviving inscriptions mention merchants in gold, incense, and iron.

For a long time, the Carthaginians engaged in barter with wild tribes. Perhaps that is why they began to mint coins only in the 4th century BC - three centuries later than the Greeks.

Researchers note that in the entire Ancient East, until the creation of the Persian Empire, merchants were engaged in barter or exchanged goods, for example, for pieces of silver. Only in the Hellenistic era did the economy of the countries of Western Asia become monetary. It should be noted that in Rome, silver coins are in circulation only in the III century BC. Prior to this, the Romans used copper and bronze ingots instead of money.

At first, the Carthaginians used coins to pay salaries to mercenary soldiers. The first Carthaginian coins circulated not in Carthage or Libya, but in Sicily, where there was a war with Greek cities for decades. They were minted in Lilybae according to the Attic standard - on the model of silver tetradrachms. The inscriptions on the coins are Phoenician; the names of Motia, Panorma and other Punic cities of Sicily are found. The obverse of the coin depicts the head of Tannith, while the reverse depicts a horse, lion or palm tree. Outside of Sicily, these coins did not circulate.

Only at the turn of the 4th-3rd centuries BC, a state mint was founded in Carthage. It minted gold and bronze, and then silver coins. However, their appearance they still resembled Greek (primarily Syracusan) coins; the latter also circulated in Carthage. Silver coins remained rare until Hamilcar took over the Spanish mines. Bronze coins were used so widely that they are found even in Britain and the Azores.

After the invasion of Hamilcar Barca into Iberia, silver Carthaginian coins begin to be minted here too - in Hades, Six, Ebes. They depict Melkart, the patron saint of Carthage, or tuna - a symbol of sea power.

THERE IS NO BEAST THAN THE ELEPHANT!

The Republic was wealthy enough to maintain a first-rate army. However, the war quickly depleted her income: the trade routes that brought wealth could be cut, and the Carthaginians fought more and more with the hands of mercenaries, and this required huge expenses - especially if the war dragged on or was unsuccessful. Not without reason, after the defeat in the First Punic War, an uprising of mercenaries broke out in the country, who did not receive the expected reward. However, most often the mercenaries earned their own reward, ruining the country where the war was going on. In turn, the authorities of Carthage, seeking to turn the war into a profitable enterprise, usually stopped hostilities if they threatened them with ruin. They sought to resolve conflicts with the help of money and diplomatic actions. They easily put up with failure and considered the intransigence of the Romans as stupidity.

The commander of the army was elected by the council of elders. The commander was endowed with the broadest powers, but during the war he obeyed the "council of one hundred and four." Sometimes it got in the way of success. There was also inconsistency between the branches of the military, because the command of the army and navy was rarely concentrated in one hand.

After the victory in the war, the Carthaginians held a holiday in honor of the distinguished commander, reminiscent of a Roman triumph. During the holiday, soldiers, passing through the city, led captured enemies. Such a triumph ended, for example, the war with the rebel mercenaries. In addition, the commander, who returned with a victory, was solemnly greeted at the city gates.

The Carthaginian army consisted of infantry, cavalry, war chariots and elephants. Its history, according to the assumption of the German scientist O. Meltzer, can be divided into three periods. Until the reign of Mago, the army was recruited mainly from the Carthaginians. Then a mercenary army appears, but even up to the 4th century BC, the Carthaginian nobility takes part in wars, making up the "sacred squad". However, during the Punic Wars, only mercenaries fight in the army; True, they are commanded by the Carthaginians. All the generals known to us, except for Xanthippus, belonged to the Carthaginian nobility. In the fleet, on the contrary, the tradition of recruiting the Carthaginians for a long time has been preserved.

A mercenary army appeared in Carthage as early as the 6th century BC. If Malchus was the leader of an army composed of Carthaginians - and it was all the more difficult for them to accept that they were doomed to exile - then Malchus' successor, Magon, was already in charge of the mercenary soldiers. On days of defeat, mercenaries could go over to the side of the enemy. Their detachments participated more than once in the siege of Carthage. The delay in pay could also leave Carthage without an army.

Of course, the Carthaginians were not the first to recruit foreigners into their army. The tradition of mercenarism was widespread in the Ancient East. So, the Greek soldiers managed to fight in the armies of almost all the powers of this region: in Persia, Egypt, Babylon. They were hired to serve even the Phoenicians and Jews.

In principle, each nationality that was part of the Carthaginian state formed a special kind of army. For example, the Libyans were made up of infantry; of the Numidians, light cavalry armed with javelins and swords; detachments of slingers were recruited from the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands.

Gustave Flaubert on the pages of the novel "Salambo" described the heterogeneous Carthaginian army as follows: "There were people of different nations - Ligures, Lusitanians, Balearics, Negroes and fugitives from Rome. One could hear a heavy Dorian dialect, then Celtic words that rumbled like war chariots, Ionian the endings collided with consonants of the desert, sharp, like the cries of a jackal. A Greek could be distinguished by a thin camp, an Egyptian by high stooped shoulders, a cantabra by thick calves.

Walter Görlitz compared the Carthaginian army with Napoleon's army in 1812, in which people of various nationalities also fought: Germans, Dutch, Italians, Poles, Portuguese, Swiss, Spaniards, Croats, Albanians.

According to Diodorus, already at the end of the 5th century BC, thousands of Libyans served in the Carthaginian army. However, it is rather difficult to assess exactly what part of the army were Libyans. In some cases, ancient authors report how many Libyans fought among the Carthaginians, but they are silent about the total number of the Carthaginian army; in other cases, we know the size of the army, but the number of Libyans in it is unknown. Apparently, Plutarch was right, noting that most of the Carthaginian army were Libyans. They cannot be classified as mercenaries; Carthage conquered the Libyan tribes and recruited from them recruits. The Libyans were mainly used as heavy foot soldiers; references to the Libyan cavalry have been preserved.

Even before Hamilcar Barca, the majority of mercenaries were Iberians. As a rule, they constituted a separate building. In the army of Hannibal, the Iberians were used as heavy infantry and cavalry. The Iberians fought with great swords; they stabbed and cut down the enemy. The Gauls had other swords; they could only deliver slashing blows.

Greek mercenaries (mostly heavy foot soldiers) were used in large numbers during the First Punic War, when the Spartan Xanthippus commanded the army. At that time, for example, a real antique condottiere fought on the side of Carthage - the Achaean Alexon, who brought with him a whole detachment. However, during the Second Punic War, Hannibal did not have Greek mercenaries, as he recruited his army in Spain, Africa and Italy.

Balearic slingers appear in the army of Carthage in the 5th century BC. Their number has always been small. For example, Diodorus mentions a thousand Balearic people. They struck the enemy with blows of stones and small lead cannonballs, which were thrown as if from a catapult. No helmet, shield or shell could withstand such a blow. Swords flew out of hands, brains out of skulls. Going to battle, the Balearic people took three slings with them: one was held in their hands, the other was girded, the third was tied around the neck. Slingers acted scattered, running out in front of the formation and actually covering it; they were the ones who started the fight.

The peculiarity of the Carthaginian army was that the Carthaginians themselves rarely fought in its ranks. Only when the fatherland was in danger, as happened during the invasions of Agathocles and Regulus, were all citizens able to fight recruited into the army. In general, the inhabitants of Carthage did not carry out military service, while the inhabitants of the policies of ancient Europe were obliged to defend their city or their country with weapons in their hands. However, before the creation of a regular army it was far away even there; it appeared only in the 1st century BC in the Roman Republic.

The Carthaginian nobility served in a selective foot detachment - the "sacred squad". Here the future commanders of the Carthaginian army were trained. Members of the "sacred squad" were armed with iron armor, copper helmets, long spears and large shields covered with elephant skin.

Some rich Carthaginians served in the heavy cavalry, making up a separate detachment. In battle, the cavalry was usually located on the right and left flanks, and the rest of the army - in the middle. For a long time the Carthaginians neglected the cavalry. Its number remained small - from 1000 to 5000 people.

But they willingly used war chariots. So, during the African war with Agathocles, the Carthaginians had two thousand war chariots. Most of the warriors who fought on them were not mercenaries, but Carthaginians. Before the start of the battle, these chariots, along with the cavalry, were located in front of the Carthaginian army. Their onslaught dispersed the phalanx of the Greeks, mixed it up, facilitating the actions of the foot soldiers.

The tradition of using chariots came from the East, where in the II-I millennia BC they were the main weapon. The Carthaginians had many teachers. Egyptians, Assyrians, Hittites, Persians, Philistines, Jews fought on chariots. Even in Hellenistic Phenicia, images of gods ruling the running of chariots appear.

It is known that some Greek authors called the chariot "the typical weapon of the Carthaginians". Its popularity is understandable. In the northern regions of Tunisia, that is, in the vicinity of Carthage, the terrain is extremely convenient for the use of chariots: vast plains stretch here. Neighboring peoples - Libyans or Greeks who lived in Cyrene - also used war chariots. However, after the victory over Agathocles, the chariots fell into disuse. They are successfully replaced by elephants. In the Mediterranean countries, they became fashionable after the campaign of Alexander the Great in India.

The army of Carthage was famous for its war elephants. There were up to three hundred of them. Elephants were captured in the forests of South Mauretania and Libya. They were used to break through enemy ranks, as well as exterminate the enemy.

On the elephant's back was placed a wooden palanquin three-quarters of a man's height; it looked like a tower. The shooter who was sitting here had a large supply of arrows and darts with him. The elephant's head was decorated with ostrich feathers, in the frame of which sat a mahout - a black Nubian. The elephant was protected by armor and usually burst into the ranks of the enemy, crushing them. If the enemies managed to put the elephants to flight, then, so that they would not trample on their soldiers, the drovers (mahuts) drove metal wedges into the back of the elephants' heads, finishing off the animals. At one time, the Carthaginians invited Indians to train elephants, who taught this craft to Africans - mainly Nubians. Later, "Indians" began to call any mahouts of elephants without distinction of nationality.

Flaubert naturalistically described the actions of war elephants during the battle: “Elephants strangled people with their trunks or, lifting them from the ground, carried them over their heads and passed them to the towers. on the masts ... The trunks, smeared with red lead, stuck up like red snakes. The chest was protected by a horn, the back was a shell, the tusks were lengthened with iron blades, curved like sabers; and to make the animals even more ferocious, they were given a mixture of pepper, pure wine and incense."

The Carthaginian army also operated special units designed to storm enemy fortresses. They were armed with stone-throwing and ramming weapons.

THE MARINES GO TO BATTLE

In navigation, the Carthaginians used the age-old experience of the Phoenicians. In the II millennium BC, the Phoenicians sailed on ships reminiscent of ancient Egyptian and Sumerian ones, building them from Lebanese cedar.

In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, the appearance of the Phoenician ships changed dramatically. They become double decker. The upper deck, where the soldiers are during the battle, is fenced with round shields. Rowers sit in two rows, one above the other, on the lower deck. A ram is placed on the bow of the ship; it hides under water, and, therefore, the side of an enemy ship can be pierced unnoticed by the enemy.

The Carthaginians also introduced many innovations in shipbuilding. They were the first to build penthers - large five-deck ships. According to the Russian historian A.P. Shershov, the penther was 31 meters long, 5.5 meters wide at the waterline, and displaced 116 tons. The crew of the pentera usually consisted of 150 rowers, 75 soldiers ("marines"), 25 sailors. There were thirty oars; they were in a row. The Penthers easily overtook the ships of the Romans and Greeks and dealt with them.

However, among the warships, at first, three-deck ships predominated - triremes, reminiscent of Greek ones. The flagships of the Carthaginians were called heptera; they had seven decks.

In the III century BC, Carthage had the most powerful fleet in the entire Western Mediterranean. The usual size of the fleet was about 120–130 ships. In peacetime, he guarded the harbors and coastal cities from pirates, and also protected the merchant ships of the Carthaginians. When the republic was in danger, she could put up a fleet of up to 200 ships.

In order to keep the fleet ready, the Carthaginian authorities apparently called in several thousand people for retraining every year, because it was necessary to learn again and again complex maneuvers that could come in handy in battle.

The size of the fleet was limited by the number of people who could serve in the fleet, and since it is assumed that the crews were recruited mainly from citizens of Carthage, this figure depended on the population of Carthage in different centuries.

Little has changed since the introduction of mercenaries and slaves into the fleet. For Carthage, as well as for other ancient city-states, the rule remained unshakable: it was impossible to simultaneously mobilize the land army and navy. It is even amazing that Carthage, with such a large fleet, still had someone to serve in the army. So the presence of a mercenary army in Carthage should not be surprising. Only when the fighting at sea stopped was Carthage able to mobilize an army of tens of thousands of people, as happened during the war with Agathocles or during the uprising of mercenaries. During the First Punic War, the fighting at sea was especially widespread, so the whole burden of the land war fell on the shoulders of mercenaries, as well as Libyan recruits. At the same time, archers and slingers recruited from mercenaries probably served on the Carthaginian ships.

During the First Punic War, the Carthaginians acquired new weapons. Polybius, describing the battle near the port of Lilibey, reports that the Carthaginian admiral Kartalon attacked the enemy and burned part of the ships. Perhaps the Carthaginians used some kind of special incendiary mixture like "Greek fire" to destroy the Roman ships.

The merchant ships of the Carthaginians the Greeks called "round". Their body, in fact, was rounded. Off the coast of Sicily in 1971, a Carthaginian ship of the 3rd century BC was found, which sank during the first Punic War. It reached 25 meters in length and 3.5 meters in width. The wooden hull of the ship was lined with lead from the inside. Now the find is stored in the Archaeological Museum of Palermo.

JOURNEY IN THE CITY THAT DOES NOT EXIST

The shacks of the poor and the luxurious villas of the rich, the acropolis and temples on the hill of Byrsa, the noisy market and narrow, dimly lit streets - this is how Carthage appeared before the strangers who arrived in the city. As rightly noted, it resembled ancient eastern cities with their intricate layout. Even B. A. Turaev emphasized that "despite the immediate proximity to the Greeks, and the populous Greek colony, and numerous monuments of Greek art, Carthage remained an eastern city both in appearance and in the manners of its inhabitants."

The main role in the rise of Carthage was played by its ideal geographical position. Carthage was the most important port city in the western Mediterranean. The total area of ​​the city was approximately 20 square kilometers. For comparison: the area of ​​Babylon and Alexandria was 10 square kilometers, and the area of ​​Rome in the 3rd century AD, when Emperor Aurelian surrounded it with a wall, was 18 square kilometers.

According to archaeological excavations, the first artificial port was built in Carthage in the first half of the 4th century BC. It looked more like a long canal dug to the sea. Soon it was filled up, and instead of it two ports were built, commercial and military. By the beginning of the 3rd century, sea traffic had become so busy that in a matter of days it was possible to find a ship in the port of Carthage that would take you anywhere in the Mediterranean.

In the outer water area - it had the shape of a rectangle - a port was equipped for cargo ships. The entrance there was open to foreign merchant ships. However, they came to the harbor only to take goods or unload them. Usually the ships were located in shallow water, away from the harbor. The Carthaginians did the same in other harbors; that's why their ports are so small; for example, the size of the port of the Sicilian Motia was only 51? 37 meters.

The entrance to the Carthaginian port was protected by a fortified pier, whose foundation has survived to this day. A channel more than 20 meters wide connected the trading harbor with the sea. In case of danger, it was blocked with iron chains.

The inner harbor of Coton was adapted for military use. Obviously, the ships got here bypassing the lock. In the middle of this round harbor, the Carthaginians erected an artificial round island. Here was the residence of the naval commander - the Suffet. "From this place, trumpet signals were given," Appian wrote, "the herald announced what needed to be announced." From here, the commander could see everything that happened on the high seas. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a high platform on the island, which was located above the docks (their height was 6–8 meters).

Covered docks were located both along the inner perimeter of the harbor and along the coast of the island. In front of each of them rose two Ionic columns, so that the port looked more like a front hall.

Now, on the site of the ancient harbor, there are two small ponds covered with silt. During the clearing of these reservoirs in 1954-1955, stone slabs were found at the bottom of them, as well as the remains of the stone foundation of the bridge that connected the island with the city.

The French historian S. Lancel calculated how many ships could be in Coton. The diameter of the military harbor was 300 meters; its perimeter is about 940 meters, and ships could not be at the entrance to the harbor. Length " useful perimeter"port was approximately 910 meters. The width of the ship averaged about six meters. Simple arithmetic shows that along coastline port could line up 152 ships. Near the "Admiral's Island" thirty more ships were moored.

The military harbor was protected from strangers by a wall. "It was impossible for those sailing up to see clearly what was happening inside the harbor," Appian wrote. On the embankments there were shipyards where ships were built, and warehouses where everything needed to equip them was contained.

Next to the harbor was the main square of the city - a large square irregular shape. It has been compared to the Greek agora or the Roman Forum. It became the center of the economic and administrative life of Carthage. This trading area was called, like the harbor itself, Coton. Three streets led from here to Byrsa.

Not far from this square was the building where the Carthaginian Senate met (sometimes its meetings were held in the temple of Eshmun). Nearby, in the open air, a court was being held.

Tophet was located south of Coton. Here the Carthaginians sacrificed children. Deep into the peninsula went into residential areas. Houses interspersed with gardens and even fields. The area enclosed by the city walls was large enough, however, the Carthaginians erected houses with several floors. There were almost no windows in the blank, whitewashed walls of the houses overlooking the street.

Situated by the sea, the lower city was noisy and oriental. This area - Malka - was built up with houses of six or seven floors, reminiscent of buildings that were erected in the largest Phoenician city - Tyre, the ancestral home of the Carthaginians. According to P. Sintas, a golden pendant was found in Carthage, depicting a multi-storey building with a flat roof, walls made of mud brick, and almost square windows located only in the upper floors. The walls of the buildings were usually covered with white plaster. These houses looked more like barracks. They huddled in the dusty streets, so narrow that one could walk from the roof of one house to the roof of another on a plank thrown over. Dyers, sailors, fishmongers and port workers huddled in these barracks - the city mob. Most of them lived for one day and did not know what to do tomorrow.

The most fortified were two parts of the city - the harbor and Birsa. However, the quarters adjacent to them were built up so closely and abounded in gardens, pools, and moats so much that the enemy soldiers, if they happened to break into Carthage, would have to get lost in this huge city a lot.

But the fortress of Byrsa was characterized by a Hellenistic layout: straight streets were arranged in a clear geometric order; stairs connected the various parts of the hill; the streets, as in the Sicilian cities, were equipped with sewers.

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(Arabic حضارة قرطاجية; French Carthage; English Ancient Carthage)

UNESCO site

Opening hours: daily, from mid-September to the end of March, from 8:30 to 17:00, and from April to mid-September, from 8:00 to 19:00.

How to get there: Carthage is located approximately 14 km from the center of Tunis. The city leads here Railway TGM (Tunisia - Gulet - Marsa). Required at the station Tunis Marine, which is located near the clock tower on the main street of Habib Bourguiba, take the train. Travel time to Carthage is approximately 25 minutes. Gotta get off at the bus stop Carthage-Hannibal.

Carthage is an ancient city located 14 km from the center of Tunisia. What remains of this city is still impressive - majestic ruins that have survived more than a dozen centuries. Once it was the greatest city of its time, the largest trading center in the Mediterranean.

The founding of Carthage is associated with the legend of Princess Dido. Dido was the beautiful daughter of King Mattan, her husband was an ambitious Phoenician. One day, her brother Pygmalion, king of Tyre, killed her husband Sichaeus to steal his wealth. Saving her life, Dido fled from her native Tyre to an unknown country in northern Africa. Dido gathered the people loyal to her and sailed with them to look for a new kingdom.

Map of Carthage

When they came to Carthage, measured the bay, looked at the mountains, saw full-flowing rivers and a place where it was possible to build an impregnable fortress, they said: "This is where we will build our city." Dido asked the locals to sell her a piece of land. But, according to the law, a foreigner could own land, only the size of a bull's skin. Clever and cunning Dido cut the skin of a bull into the thinnest strips, tied them up and spread them out, separating a large fertile area. Having received a large plot of land, Dido ordered to build a city of incredible beauty, which she called Carthage (from the Phoenician " new capital"). So in 814 BC, one of the greatest cities of all times and peoples was born.

The hard-working and skillful inhabitants of Carthage dug artesian wells, built dams and stone water tanks, grew wheat, planted orchards and vineyards, erected multi-storey buildings, invented all kinds of mechanisms, watched the stars, wrote books. It was the Phoenicians who invented the alphabet of 22 letters, which served as the basis for writing for many peoples.

The city had to be developed somehow. Surrounded by strong rivals, having no large area, the Phoenicians from Carthage turned to the sea. They were pragmatic people, open to everything new, and endlessly inventive. Carthage was founded on a promontory with entrances to the sea in the north and south. The location of the city made it the leader of the maritime trade in the Mediterranean.

The Phoenicians brought knowledge, craft traditions, and more to this land. high level culture, thanks to which they quickly established themselves as skilled and skillful workers. They, like the Egyptians, mastered the production of glass, their glass was known throughout the ancient world, perhaps to an even greater extent than Venetian glass in the Middle Ages. The Phoenicians excelled in weaving and pottery, leather dressing, patterned embroidery, bronze and silver products. The colorful purple fabrics of the Carthaginians, the secret of which was carefully hidden, were valued unusually highly. All goods produced in Carthage were highly valued throughout the Mediterranean.

The city of Dido - Carthage flourished. Two large artificial harbors were dug within the city: one for the military fleet, capable of accommodating 220 warships, the other for commercial trade. Expanding the network of trade routes, the city became multinational, like many strategic points of that time.

The Trojan Aeneas, the king's son, at this time with his fleet was in search of a suitable place for the founding of Rome. After long travels, he landed at Carthage and fell in love with Dido. When he left her, she committed suicide. This dramatic love story subsequently inspired many poets, artists, and composers. It is touchingly told by the Roman poet Virgil in his epic work "Aeneid".

Carthage grew and strengthened, gradually gaining respect in the district. More and more people wanted to settle in the city. And then the construction boom began here. The Carthaginians were the first to turn the sky over the city into private property by building apartments. The houses reached 6 floors in height. Buildings were built of limestone - as you know, this is an ideal material for construction. Limestone deposits were located very close to Carthage, therefore, the city grew at a rapid pace.

Like the Egyptians, the Carthaginians carved stone blocks using the simplest means - water and wood. The pressure generated by the expanding tree broke the stone into almost perfectly shaped blocks. With the help of columns and panel structures, Carthage quickly turned into a dynamic capital.

Every city, and even more so such as Carthage, needs a source of water. It was in Carthage that by 600 BC appeared one system water supply and, most importantly, sewerage. In addition, the city had a huge cemetery, places of worship, markets, a municipality, towers and a theater.

At that turbulent time, it was necessary to take care of safety. The city was surrounded by massive walls, the length of which was 37 kilometers, and the height in some places reached 12 meters. Most of the walls were located on the coast, and this made the city impregnable from the sea.

The political structure of the city was also quite interesting. The aristocracy was in power. The highest body is the council of elders, headed by 10 (later 30) people. People's Assembly formally, too, played a significant role, but, in fact, it was rarely addressed.

The Carthaginians inherited the Canaanite religion from their Phoenician ancestors. Perhaps the most infamous feature of this Carthaginian religion was the offering of child and animal sacrifices to their gods. It was believed that the sacrifice of an innocent child as a sacrifice of atonement was the greatest act of propitiation for the gods. In 310 BC, during an attack on the city to appease the god Baal Hammon, the Carthaginians sacrificed more than 200 children from noble families. And in 1921, archaeologists found several rows of urns with charred remains of animals and small children.

The enterprise and business acumen of its inhabitants helped Carthage become, admittedly, the richest city. ancient world. Carthaginian merchants were constantly looking for new markets. The Greek historian Appian wrote about the Carthaginians: “Their power militarily became equal to the Hellenic, but in terms of wealth it was in second place after the Persian.” Carthaginian merchants traded in Egypt, Italy, Spain, the Black and Red Seas. Carthage sought to monopolize trade; to this end, all subjects were obliged to trade only through the mediation of Carthaginian merchants, which brought huge profits.

Around 700-650 BC, Carthage becomes a force to be reckoned with. Everyone knew about it, it was one of the main cities of that era. The Carthaginians founded trading posts in the Balearic Islands, captured Corsica, and gradually began to take over Sardinia. Soon the Carthaginians sent their ships to the dusty shores of North Africa, conquering the seas and expanding their empire. The new possessions of Carthage were a tasty morsel, which could not but attract other world powers.

For two centuries, the city-state of Carthage dominated the Mediterranean, but the rival from the northern shore became a war machine of unprecedented power: it was Rome. The bone of contention between the two superpowers was the pearl of the Mediterranean - Sicily. Carthage seemed to be created for trade, but he also needed Sicily, since it was located on one of the largest sea trade routes in the world. Whoever controls Sicily had vital trade routes in his hands.

The Romans saw Carthage as a spear pointed at the heart of their growing trading empire. The rivalry between the two superpowers led to a series of wars that went down in history as the Punic, from the Latin word that the Romans called the Phoenicians. And, without a doubt, the outcome of these wars forever changed the history of mankind.

In 247 BC, Hamilcar Barca (Lightning) became the commander-in-chief of Carthage, thanks to his outstanding abilities. This was the first great commander of the Carthaginian Empire. Prior to this, the Carthaginian Empire had no doubt been involved in wars, but for the first time it had such a strong rival in the form of the Roman Empire. The secret of the military strategy of Carthage was the unusual structure of their sea ships - quinqueremes.

The Quinquereme is a fast, manoeuvrable vessel, moreover, equipped with a bronze-plated ship's ram. The tactics of warfare is to ram the enemy ship. On the high seas, these monsters were "death machines". There were 5 rows of rowers on the quinquereme. These ships were very, very fast, it was very difficult to catch up with the Carthaginian warship.

A standard quinquereme was about 35 meters long and 2 to 3.5 meters wide, and could accommodate up to 420 sailors. A fully equipped ship weighed over 100 tons. This ship rushed at the enemy with unthinkable speed. The blow, and the hull of the enemy ship is bursting at the seams, the ship begins to sink.

The Roman fleet lost a lot of sea battles with Carthage, but one day the Romans were very lucky - they captured the Carthaginian quinquereme that had run aground, dismantled it and made dozens of copies of it. Of course, such ships were not assembled very well, and the wood was used raw, and after a few months the ships simply crumbled. But, this time was quite enough to win the battle with Carthage.

Diagram of Carthage

On March 10, 241 BC, two of the greatest powers met off the Aegadian Islands, west of the coast of Sicily, to decide who would be the master in the Mediterranean. Thus began one of the greatest naval battles in history. The Carthaginians tried to go on the offensive, but could not because of the extra cargo on the ships - and it was a strategic disaster. The Romans won, capturing almost 30,000 prisoners. Unable to recuperate, Hamilcar was forced to retreat to Carthage. In the hope of subjugating Carthage, Rome obliged him to pay a heavy tribute.

After the defeat, Hamilcar resigned, power passed to his political opponents, who were led by Hanno. Carthage sent Hamilcar Barca to Spain, where he was to conquer as much of her land as possible. It took Hamilcar 9 long years to subdue the local peoples, but in 228 BC he was killed in a fight with a recalcitrant local tribe.

The new commander-in-chief Hanno was to expand the network of Carthaginian colonies and connections, he also had to found new cities in order to control new territories and have access to their resources. He also made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of the city. Although there is no exact data, archaeologists believe that the famous Carthaginian bay was built and improved during the time of Hanno.

The Bay of Carthage became a source of power and reliability and a real technical perfection of those times. She became the life-giving artery of the city, part of Carthage, its heart, its lungs, an absolutely necessary element for both trade and the fleet.

Signs of former maritime dominion are visible in the elaborate harbors near Tophet. An impressive sight is the military harbor. A strait led to the harbor, 20 meters wide, it could be easily blocked with chains. In the middle of the round bay, an artificial island was erected, on which the buildings of the Admiralty were located. The military harbor was connected with a large trading port, the entrance to which (later shallow) was made very ingeniously. No one had such power, such strength and such speed. When the harbor was opened, the ships flew out to sea, smashed the enemy, who practically offered no resistance, and broke out into the open sea.

According to legend, the 9-year-old son of Hamilcar, Hannibal, begged to be allowed to watch his father lead Carthage into the battle for Spain, and one day Hamilcar agreed, but on one condition: the son must promise that he would hate Rome forever and defeat this republic. And in 221 BC, he had a chance to do it: at the age of 26, he took command of the Carthaginian army. So, in the history of mankind, the most implacable enemy of the Roman Empire appeared, who won many victories in his life.

Rome controlled the Mediterranean Sea, which meant that Hannibal could not reach the enemy by ship. But the desire to keep the oath given to his father - to destroy Rome, was above all, and Hannibal decided to do the impossible: to go overland through the Alps and get into the very heart of the Roman Empire. He needs to bring an army to Italy and fight the Romans on their territory.

This campaign began in 218 BC. Hannibal led 50 thousand soldiers, 12 thousand horses and 37 elephants borrowed from African neighbors. By October, having overcome a path of a thousand kilometers, they faced a serious obstacle - the turbulent river Rhone in France. Here the ingenuity of the Carthaginians did not fail, they built several giant rafts, on which cargo and animals were delivered to the opposite shore in record time. The rafts were 60 meters long and 15 wide. Tying the logs, the soldiers covered them with branches and covered them with earth so that the elephants thought they were still on a solid surface.

On August 2, 216 BC, near the city of Cannes in southern Italy, Hannibal met the Roman army under the command of Terentius Varro in a battle that sealed the fate of two empires. At dawn, Hannibal marched with 50,000 troops against Varro's 90,000 Romans. Varro tried to crush the enemy by sending the main forces to the center of Hannibal's front. But, being an excellent strategist, Hannibal ordered the cavalry to surround the Romans from the rear. Caught in the grip of the Romans died, almost without leaving the spot. Only 3.5 thousand managed to escape, 10 thousand were captured, and 70 thousand remained lying on the battlefield.

It was the greatest defeat of the Romans in the history of the existence of their empire. Hannibal was one of the greatest generals in human history.

But Hannibal never won a complete victory over the Great Roman Empire. There are battles between two great powers in Spain, in which the Carthaginians lose to the Romans.

And in 204 BC, Scipio Africanus asks Rome to let him attack Carthage directly. He advances with troops to Africa, and Hannibal is forced to return to his homeland and defend his city. For three years, the legions of Scipio besieged Carthage, and no matter how desperately its inhabitants resisted, they could not block the path of the Romans. The battle for the city lasted six days, and then it was taken by storm. Hannibal was completely defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. For ten days, Carthage was given up for plunder - the winners took away gold, silver, jewelry, ivory, carpets - everything that had been accumulated for centuries in temples, sanctuaries, palaces, houses. The Romans handed over the famous library of Carthage to their allies - the Numidian princes, and since then, it has disappeared without a trace. The greedy robbers who ravaged the city razed it to the ground.

The defeat of Carthage at the end of the Second Punic War forced the empire to accept the terms of the Romans again. Rome again exposes harsh peace conditions: the Carthaginians must pay an indemnity to Rome, also, Carthage loses all its colonies, and its possessions are now limited to the walls of the city. But, the worst thing was that Carthage could not wage any war without the consent of Rome.

But, even after losing two wars, Carthage managed to recover quickly and soon again became one of the richest cities. In 150 BC, Numidia, a former ally of Carthage, began to advance into the southern territories of her neighbor. Rome sends a commission to sort out the dispute between Numidia and Carthage, and it is headed by Mark Porcius Cato, a Roman senator and great-great-grandfather of Julius Caesar's most implacable enemy.

When Cato arrived in Carthage, a noisy, prosperous city appeared before him, where large trade deals were concluded, coins of various states settled in chests, mines regularly supplied silver, copper and lead, ships left the stocks. Fat fields, lush vineyards, orchards and olive groves appeared before the senator, and the estates of the Carthaginian nobility surpassed the Roman decorations in luxury and splendor.

Seeing such a rich and prosperous city, the senator returned home in the most terrible mood. He expected to see signs of the decline of Carthage, but a completely different picture appeared before his eyes. Cato was well aware of the strategically advantageous position of Carthage and that as long as Carthage remains an independent unit, its proximity to Sicily and Italy is dangerous. Returning to Rome, he addressed the Senate, saying that such prosperity means only one thing: Carthage will soon appear at the gates of Rome with a huge army. His speech ended with the phrase that has become legendary all over the world: “ Carthage must be destroyed».

And Carthage, feeling that it will soon be razed to the ground, takes up arms. Women gave their hair, from which they twisted ropes for catapults. The Carthaginians released the prisoners, took into the army and the elderly. After 2 months of feverish work, 6 thousand shields, 18 thousand swords, 30 thousand spears, 120 ships and 60 thousand catapult cores appeared. Carthage had a serious arsenal of weapons, but the Roman forces were superior.

The most powerful fortifications in the ancient world were the walls of Carthage, and the townspeople counted on them. The fortification system consisted of three walls, the outer one was the most massive, made of stone and was then considered impregnable. The Roman legions were gathering at the walls of the city, and the Carthaginians were hastily building a new line of defense. The city had nowhere to wait for help, hiding behind the fortifications, the townspeople hoped against all odds that the walls would stop the Roman invasion.

Carthage held back the siege of the Romans for 3 years. And although they did not manage to overcome the walls, the Romans broke through from the sea. Residents did not give up even in the last moments, in the city there were battles for every street. During the siege, every tenth inhabitant of Carthage died, the population of the city decreased from 500 thousand to 50. The survivors of the battle were sold as slaves, and they never returned home. For 17 days, Carthage was completely burned. Nothing remains of the city.

24 years after the destruction of Carthage, the Romans rebuilt a new city in its place - with wide streets and squares, with white-stone palaces, temples and public buildings. Not even a few decades pass, and Carthage, which has risen from the ashes, turns in beauty and significance into the second city of the state.

By the beginning of the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire was in decline, and so was Carthage. And by the middle of the 5th century, the city was under the rule of Byzantium, and a century and a half later, the first military detachments of the Arabs came here. During the period of Arab rule, when the dynasties at war with each other changed very often, Carthage moved into the background.

Now on the site of the great city - a quiet suburb of Tunisia. In the horseshoe-shaped harbor of the former military fort, fragments of columns and blocks of yellow stone are visible - all that remains of the palace of the admiral of the Carthaginian fleet.
Excavations have been carried out here since the middle of the 20th century. The ruins of Carthage are located in several scattered places, and the most important excavation sites are located on a 6 km long site.Not far from Birsa, a whole quarter of Carthage has been preserved under a layer of ash.

Baths of Antonina - one of the largest resort complexes of that time, second in size only to the Roman baths of Caracalla and Diocletian. Little remains of its former grandeur - mainly underground rooms, load-bearing structures and ceilings. But, looking at these ruins, one can imagine the scale of these great terms.

The most mysterious place among all the ruins of Carthage is the open-air burial altar, where, according to the generally accepted version, the Phoenicians sacrificed their firstborn in order to propitiate the formidable gods. Urns with ashes were placed in several rows, and above them were the burial steles that can be seen today.

It is worth seeing the Roman amphitheater for 36 thousand spectators, the Maalga water tanks and the remains of the aqueduct that went to Carthage from the Water Temple in Zaguane (132 km). And you can get an idea of ​​​​the residential development of Carthage by visiting the quarter of Roman villas and the Punic quarter of Magon.

At the top of the hill of Byrsa, from where Carthage began, there is a cathedral in honor of St. Louis, who died here in the 13th century from the plague, during the Eighth Crusade. Nearby is the Museum of Carthage with a magnificent collection of artifacts.

Carthage is a country of unlimited possibilities, which appeared more than 2 thousand years ago. Wealth, power and ambition enabled these settlers to build an empire that for six hundred years held the entire Mediterranean in their hands. Very little remains of Carthage. But even this smallness is impressive evidence of the grandeur and luxury that Carthage had for centuries.

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"Carthage must be destroyed" (lat. Carthago delenda est, Carthaginem delendam esse) is a Latin catch phrase meaning an insistent call to fight an enemy or an obstacle. In a broader sense - the constant return to the same issue, regardless of the general topic of discussion.

Carthage (date Qart Hadasht, lat. Carthago, Arabic قرطاج, Carthage, French Carthage, other Greek Καρχηδών) is an ancient city in Tunisia, near the capital of the country - the city of Tunis, as part of the capital vilayet Tunis.

The name Qart Hadasht (in the Punic notation without vowels Qrthdst) is translated from the Phoenician language as "new city".

Throughout its history, Carthage was the capital of the state of Carthage founded by the Phoenicians, one of the largest powers in the Mediterranean. After the Punic Wars, Carthage was taken and destroyed by the Romans, but then rebuilt and was the most important city of the Roman Empire in the province of Africa, a major cultural and then early Christian church center. Then captured by the Vandals and was the capital of the Vandal kingdom. But after the Arab conquest, it fell into decline again.

Currently, Carthage is a suburb of the Tunisian capital, which houses the presidential residence and the University of Carthage.

In 1831, a society for the study of Carthage was opened in Paris. Since 1874, the excavations of Carthage were carried out under the direction of the French Academy of Inscriptions. Since 1973, Carthage has been explored under the auspices of UNESCO.

Carthaginian state

Carthage founded in 814 BC. e. colonists from the Phoenician city of Tyre. After the fall of the Phoenician influence, Carthage resubordinates the former Phoenician colonies and becomes the capital of the largest state in the Western Mediterranean. TO 3rd century BC e. the Carthaginian state subjugates southern Spain, northern Africa, western Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica. After a series of wars against Rome (Punic Wars) it lost its conquests and was destroyed in 146 BC. e., its territory was turned into a province of Africa.

Location

Carthage was founded on a promontory with entrances to the sea in the north and south. The location of the city made it the leader of the maritime trade in the Mediterranean. All ships crossing the sea inevitably passed between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia.

Two large artificial harbors were dug within the city: one for the military fleet, capable of accommodating 220 warships, the other for commercial trade. On the isthmus that separated the harbors, a huge tower was built, surrounded by a wall.

Roman era

Julius Caesar proposed to establish a Roman colony on the site of the destroyed Carthage (it was founded after his death). Thanks to its convenient location on trade routes, the city soon grew again and became the capital of the Roman province of Africa, which included the lands of present-day northern Tunisia.

After Rome

During the Great Migration and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire North Africa was captured by the Vandals and Alans who made Carthage the capital of their state. This state existed until 534, when the commanders of the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I returned the African lands of the empire. Carthage became the capital of the Carthaginian Exarchate.

A fall

After the conquest of North Africa Arabs the city of Kairouan, founded by them in 670, became the new center of the Ifriqiya region, and Carthage quickly faded away.