Carthaginian Empire (No Roman Empire)
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Sign of Tanit, the cultic or state insignia
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Carthaginian Empire and client states in c. 200 AD Carthaginian Empire and client states in c. 200 AD | |
| Capital and largest city | Carthage |
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| Recognized languages | Punic, Phoenician, Berber, Ancient Greek, Gaulish |
| Religion | Punic religion |
| Demonym(s) | Carthaginian |
| Establishment | |
• Founded by Phoenician settlers | c. 814 BC |
• Independence from Tyre | c. 650 BC |
• Muslim conquest | 675-689 |
• | 689 |
| Currency | Carthaginian shekel |
The Carthaginian Empire was an informal empire of Phoenician city-states throughout North Africa and South Europe, starting as the city of Carthage in 814 BC, and collapsing in 689 AD. In the late 7th century, Carthage was conquered by Arab Muslims under the Umayyad Caliphate and subsequently Islamized.
Carthage was the dominant naval power of the western Mediterranean, and influenced Southern Celtic cultures through trade. Carthage provided an array of commodities from all over the ancient world, in addition to lucrative exports of agricultural products and manufactured goods. Carthage did engage in conquest. However, instead of simply incorporating the conquered areas into their empire, they created client states so that they would pay tribute and provide troops during conflicts.
Government
The "Suffetes" (judges) were in charge of administering the government. Every two years, two were elected by the populace. The real authority, however, was held by a council that was made up of the heads of the richest families and whose members were appointed for life. As a result, Carthage's government is frequently said to be oligarchic. Additionally, a council of 30 people, to whom the majority of authority was assigned, managed the elected Senate, which had around 300 members.
Language
The Semitic language Punic, which originated in the Carthaginians' ancestral homeland of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon), was spoken by the people of Carthage. Around the time Carthage rose to prominence as the foremost Phoenician city under Mago I, Punic is thought to have progressively broken away from its Phoenician parent, but academic efforts to distinguish the dialects have been inconsistent and imprecise. Punic was written from right to left in horizontal lines without any vowels, just like its Phoenician parent language.
Economy
Carthage's trade network was very large, including southern Gaul, Iberia, portions of Italy, the Sahara desert, the Mediterranean Sea and possibly the Canary Islands. Aristotle claimed that the Carthaginians had trade agreements to control their exports and imports with a variety of trading partners. Their merchant fleet, which was even larger than that of the early Phoenician city-states, traveled to all of the main Mediterranean ports, as well as Britain and the African Atlantic coast.
The Carthaginian Empire relied heavily on trade with Tartessos and other cities in Iberia, from which they obtained large quantities of silver, lead, copper, and most importantly tin ore, essential for the production of high-quality bronze products. Maintaining the monopoly on tin was one of the major sources of power and prosperity for Carthage; Carthaginian merchants strove to keep the location of the tin mines secret. This tin was then exported to southern Gaul and northern Italy in exchange for mercenaries and auxiliaries.