Carthage

kar'thij, a famous Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa. According to tradition it was founded by Queen Dido, who fled from Tyre with her followers. She bought as much land of the Africans as might be covered by an ox hide. In selecting the land the hide was cut into a thong, and as much territory was claimed as could be surrounded by the hide. While without foundation the tradition typifies the dealings of Carthage with its neighbors. The date of its founding is given commonly as 878 B. C. Tyre and Carthage appear to have been allies.

Carthage appeared on the scene as one of the great Mediterranean powers about 600 B. C. While Greece was grappling with the Persian invasions, Carthage seized what seemed a favorable opportunity to attack the Greek colonies in Sicily and southern Italy. Though unsuccessful, the attempt showed an early ambition to be supreme in the Mediterranean world. Carthage had the finest harbor in North Africa, only 100 miles distant from the island of Sicily. The city was governed by a council, or senate, of 100 rich merchants. Its army was drawn from the Carthaginian provinces,--from Africa, war elephants, black Libyans armed with pikes, and Numidians, who rode fleet horses, like the Cossacks of today. They were dressed in the skins of lions, and were armed with lances and bows. Bands of Iberians with sharp-bladed swords were brought from Spain, and companies of half-naked Gauls were hired to fight with great two-handed swords. From the Balearic Isles they drew companies of slingers, who threw pebbles or balls of lead.

The Carthaginians claimed exclusive control of the western Mediterranean, and ships went as far as the British Isles for tin. If the inhabitants of a Mediterranean town permitted a ship from any other country to touch for trade they were punished. If a foreign ship was overtaken, its rowers were pitched into the sea and the ship confiscated. The Carthaginian merchants sent to Tyre for cargoes of oriental productions brought by a caravan from the far East. Silver they obtained from the mines of Spain and Sardinia. They had oil and wheat to sell from vast African estates, worked by slaves or subject people. Their own workmen made jewelry, arms, and idols for the trade.

Carthage was a proud, powerful, wealthy city until it came into conflict with Rome. Two such cities as Rome and Carthage could not exist as neighbors. A deadly grapple followed, lasting 215 years. Carthage had the most powerful navy in the world, with more money and more men than Rome. Three wars followed in quick succession. They are called the Punic Wars, a shortened term for Phoenician. The First Punic War lasted from 364 to 341 B. C. At its beginning the Carthaginians declared, "Without our permission, Rome cannot even wash her hands in the sea." Rome, however, built up a navy and, after suffering several defeats, finally vanquished the Carthaginians and laid waste Carthaginian territory in Africa. As the result of this war, Carthaginian supremacy on the Mediterranean was lost. Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica passed into the hands of the Romans. One scheme by which the Romans gained a great advantage was the invention of a platform hinged at one end to the Roman ship, something like the drawbridge of a castle. Upon approaching a Carthaginian ship this drawbridge, filled with armed men standing behind their shields, was lowered until the outer end rested on a Carthaginian deck, affording the Roman soldiers an opportunity to attack at a great advantage.

The Second Punic War was precipitated by the Carthaginians who invaded Italy with a large army by way of Spain, France, and the north. Hannibal was in command. He very nearly brought Rome to the verge of ruin, but failed to capture the largest cities. The Romans under Scipio carried the war into Africa, and Hannibal was summoned home with his army to defend Carthage. The result of this war was a complete defeat for Carthage. It became, in a way, subject to Rome.

The Romans, however, did not feel safe. Cato, the senator, returned from an embassy to Carthage, and exhibited some enormous fresh figs that he had brought back with him, and declared that they were produced but three days' journey from Rome. He dwelt at length upon the danger of permitting so powerful an enemy to exist, and closed his speech with the words, repeated upon every possible occasion: "Carthage must be destroyed." With such a sentiment an opportunity soon came. It matters not what the excuse may have been, Carthage was besieged; walls were built across the entrances to the harbors to prevent ships from bringing in food; ditches were filled up; movable towers and battering rams brought into use. The inhabitants were half starved, yet defended themselves valiantly; women cut off their hair to make ropes for the war engines used to hurl stones, but Carthage was doomed. Military operations began 149 B. C. In the spring of 146 B. C. the city was taken in an assault lasting seven days. The inhabitants were put to the sword or sold into slavery. The city was set on fire; the stone walls were torn down, and the very ground plowed up, sprinkled with salt, and cursed. The Carthaginian territories were made a Roman province with the capital at Utica. Two hundred years later the Romans rebuilt Carthage. It was taken by the Vandals and retaken by Belisarius. The remains of an enormous aqueduct with which he brought water from the far distant mountains may still be seen. In the early centuries Carthage was a center of Christianity, but in 697 the city was destroyed by the Arabs. It is now but a shapeless ruin, with scarcely a name.

See Tyre; Hannibal; Fabius; Phoenicia