Carthage was one of a number of Phoenician colonies that were established in the western Mediterranean region. It was established to facilitate trade between the Phoenician towns of Sidon and Tyre, as well as other coastal cities in Lebanon.
In the 10th century BC, a number of Semitic civilizations established themselves on the eastern Mediterranean coast. When the Phoenicians resided in what is now Lebanon, they were referred to as such by the Greeks. Because ancient Hebrew and Phoenician are closely related, the Phoenician language may be helpful in translating Phoenician documents.
Despite the consensus among historians that Carthage was the world’s wealthiest city due to its trade and commerce, very little evidence of its opulence has survived. So, why did it take so long for the United States to become a significant exporter of manufactured goods?
Because the vast majority of the goods it exported were perishable, such as textiles, raw metal, food, and slaves. For tin, silver, gold and iron, Phoenicians in the western Mediterranean were the most profitable trading partners. The Carthaginians, like their Phoenician forebears, created and sold Tyrian purple dye, a shellfish-derived colour. Tyrian dye production was centred in the Phoenician colony of Mogador, on Africa’s northwest coast.
Carthage was built by Phoenicians who came from the Levant. In Phoenician, the word “New City” signifies “new city”. Philistos of Syracuse, a Greek historian from Syracuse around 300 BC, claims that Carthage was founded around 1215 BC, or before the fall of Troy in 1180 BC; Timaeus of Taormina claims that Carthage was founded 38 years before the first Olympiad; modern historians accept this "late" foundation date of 814 BC.
Throughout the Mediterranean, Carthage, the city itself and the resulting republic, became a great commercial power. At this time, Carthage was not distinct from any other Phoenician colony located in Northwest Africa or the Mediterranean during the 800-700 BC era.
Within seven centuries of its founding, Carthage had become one of Europe’s most significant trade hubs. The Punic Wars (264–146 BC) pitted the embryonic Roman Republic against Carthage, culminating in Rome’s victory in 146 BC. A Roman Carthage was erected on the ruins of ancient Carthage. Enduring an Arab invasion in late 7th century, Carthage was utterly destroyed, with its defences destroyed and water supply cut off, as well as its ports rendered ineffective. Tunis has replaced Carthage as the regional capital, which has been relocated to a new neighbourhood.
FAQs
-
What led to the downfall of Carthage?
Carthage’s destruction was the result of Roman aggression motivated by vengeance for previous conflicts as well as avarice for the city’s fertile agricultural areas. The Carthaginian loss was thorough and complete, terrifying Rome’s adversaries and friends alike.
-
What race were Carthaginians?
The Carthaginians were Phoenicians, which implies they were Semitic people in the traditional sense. The name Semitic refers to a group of people from the ancient Near East, which includes areas of northern Africa (e.g. Assyrians, Arabs, and Hebrews).
-
Are Phoenicians Israelites?
The Phoenicians, like the Israelites, Moabites, and Edomites who lived nearby, were Canaanite people, as were the Israelites, Moabites, and Edomites who lived nearby. Canaanites are an ancient Semitic-speaking people that first appeared in the Levant at least in the third millennium BC, according to archaeological evidence.
-
Is Phoenician older than Hebrew?
The Phoenician language is documented somewhat earlier than Hebrew, which has its earliest inscriptions dating back to the first millennium B.C.E. Hebrew finally developed a long and rich literary legacy (see, for example, the biblical writings), while Phoenician is only known through inscriptions, and has no literary tradition at all.
-
Did the Phoenicians speak Aramaic?
The first known Phoenician inscription is thought to have been written in the 11th century BCE. The first known inscription from Phoenicia proper dates back to the 1st century BCE, at a time when the language was already being replaced by the Aramaic language. Besides being spoken in Phoenicia, the language was also spoken in many of the kingdom’s colonies.
People who read this blog, also read this:
