Cartage & Wines

Founded by Phoenician colonists in 814 BC

, Carthage dominated the Mediterranean in the 4th century BCE * Polytésiste the Carthaginian religion is moving around Baal Hammon , god of fertility and crops, his cult was particularly demanding and s ' associated with that of tanit , goddess of fertility, birth and growth .

Carthage conquered Spain and Sicily or she faces the Roman power . The Punic Wars ended the reign of the Carthaginian empire on the Mediterranean and saw Carthage become a field of ruins in AV 146 BC, after a siege of four Years , a new city will be built on the ruins of the ancient city under the command of Julius Caesar

Center of the Punic city , Birsa hill overlooking the city and is easily reconaissable at the Cathedral of Louis IX , who died during the Eighth Crusade The ruins of Carthage brilliant mentioned they are only a few columns and foundations , however the organization of streets and panoramic views give an idea of ​​the past grandeur of the city

The Punic Wars consistèent in a series of three conflicts between Rome to Carthage , the city dominated the Mediterranean , while rome rising and ambitious power , challenged this rule and dreamed of expanding After a hundred years of conflict , Rome put his feet Carthaginian empire and razed Carthage.

The Tophet is the central part of the sanctuary or the sacrifices took place

The First Punic War or War of Sicily is the first of three wars against Carthage Romeet two major powers in the western Mediterranean . The Punic word comes from the name the Romans Poenici give their opponents, similar to the Phoenicians ( Phoenici ) . This conflict , committed to the control of Sicily and dure23 year 264 BC . BC to 241 BC. AD is one of the longest run by Rome. Its progress is known by the Greek and Latin authors , mainly Polybius .

The war begins with the landing of the Romans in Messina, who then submit the eastern part of the island, and build a navy . The first successful maritime Romans encourage land near Carthage to force its surrender , expedition ended in disaster for the Romans in 255 BC . AD The war then drags the Carthaginians securely hold the western coast of Sicily, while the Romans besieged their positions and alternate successes and disasters at sea 241 BC. AD ultimate naval battle with the advantage Égatesdonne islands in Rome , which requires Carthage exhausted abandonment of Sicily and a high price.

Rome is a new naval power in the Mediterranean , but in the opinion of historians , it creates a sense of revenge by his encroachments on the Carthaginian possessions of Sardinia and Corsica.

We know the Carthaginian fleet representations on coins or desstèles , and descriptions of Polybius, who reports that the main Punic ship combat was laquinquérème or ship with five banks of oars . This was the ship that the Romans copied to build their own. Polybius tells in its history, in 256 BC. BC, Carthage fielded a fleet of 350 ships, but nothing was left of it after the Punic Wars and the fall of Carthage in 146 BC . AD

The authentic power of Carthage was at sea: the Punic navy was the most powerful of the known world .

he Carthaginians followed the customs and speak the language of the Phoenicians , from which they derived their origin. After an elective monarchy , their government was , at least since the fifth century , an oligarchic republic two chief magistrates , called suffetes , kinds of consuls exercised executive power and directed the affairs of the republic. The suffetes , first elected in life , it seems , were then in financial theory. They shared their power with a senate of three hundred members , all from noble families , in which a board was created a hundred members to ensure the maintenance of the constitution, threatened by the military despotism . The concourse of people was used only in extraordinary circumstances , or in case of disagreement between the Senate and suffetes . Carthage, because of his wealth and the small number of its citizens, not composing his army of mercenaries .

As the Phoenicians , Carthaginians made ​​based their prosperity on their business , both maritime, by land with the interior of Africa. The religion of Carthage was also that of the Phoenicians . They worshiped , among other gods Tanit Eschmoun , Melqart and Baal Hammon to whom children were sacrificed . The letters and arts were also grown in Carthage , but a few medals , a few inscriptions, and rare fragments scattered in the Greek and Latin authors , are all that remains .

is only known by his enemies, the Greeks and Romans, who have not failed to slander its institutions and its laws they have also imperfectly known , it is also their slander is due the reputation of perfidy ( Punic faith ) that we did in the ancient Carthaginians. It is through the prism of inaccurate or incomplete testimony of Greek and Latin writers that historians have been trying to reconstruct the inner life of the great African city. As well as Venice in the Middle Ages , Carthage was an aristocratic republic , but as in Tyre , the popular party there was turbulent and powerful , in addition, the nobility was based on it rather than a hereditary fortune

Public functions are not rewarded , only the rich could exercise and they sometimes perpetuated in families who succeeded despite the chances of trade, retain generation a large fortune . Thus families and Mago Barca furnished from father to son for judges and generals. In the administration of the republic, the aristocratic party was represented by two suffetes and the Senate, the Democratic Party by the People's Assembly . The suffetes ( sofetim ) that could be compared to the Spartan kings and consuls of Rome, were, like the Hebrew judges , selected from the aristocracy, but it was necessary that their election was ratified by the people . They presided over the Senate, and had charge of civil administration , it is only by chance that they commanded the armies, the term of office appears to have been a year, but they were re-elected indefinitely, as Hannibal was suffete for twenty- two years. After suffetes , general ranked first , the Senate or the Council of the Hundred called , sometimes the troops were allowed to choose a leader whose nomination would however be remedied by the senate and the popular assembly .

" In appointing generals as in that of suffetes , says Aristotle, the Carthaginians are committed to two things , credit and wealth . "

Absolute master of military operations, the General was also the personal and full responsibility.

The Senate, composed , like Tyre, 300 members of the aristocracy , representing tribes from which citizens were divided , had senior management of all public affairs and deliberated on all issues affecting the state, it decide peace or war . This sovereign assembly was divided into different sections. The first section of thirty members , regulated the agenda of the Senate deliberations , preparing bills . A second section, the Council of Ten , consisted , as its name suggests, ten senators appointed to assist and monitor suffetes in their exercise of power. This kind of cabinet was very powerful , and that its members were Malchus put to death after forcing the gates of Carthage around the year 520 BCE.

Carthage, Phoenician or Punic Karthad Hadtha - language , that is to say , the new city, Kachedôn Greek , and Latin Carthago , was one of the largest and most famous cities of antiquity . Capital of a state that challenged the power of Rome, it was founded on the northern coast of Africa a colony of Phoenicians origin of Tyre , about the year 822 BC. BC ( or perhaps a few decades later ) . Carthage was reversed for the first time by the Romans in 146 BC and then finally destroyed by the Arabs in 698 AD. BC It was situated in 37 ° north latitude and 10 ° east longitude , at the bottom of the great gulf between the Ras Sidi Ali Mekki ( promontorium Apollinis ) and Ras Adar or Cape Bon ( promontorium Mercurii ) . Its location formed itself at the bottom of the Gulf , a narrow peninsula between Lake Tunis and the south bay north of Utica . The city, which could be up to 700,000 people, included three main areas , Megara , Birsa or citadel , and the area of the two ports ( the commercial port , outside and inside the military port or large port called cothon ) .