The Punics (from Latin pūnicus, pl. pūnici) were a group of western Semitic-speaking peoples from Carthage in North Africa who traced their origins to a group of Phoenician settlers, but also to North African Berbers. Punics were probably a mix of Berbers and Phoenicians in terms of culture and ancestry. Unlike other Phoenicians, Punics had a landowning aristocracy who established a rule of the hinterland in Northern Africa and trans-Sahara traderoutes. In later times one of these clans conquered a Hellenistic-inspired empire in Iberia, possibly having a foothold in western Gaul. Like other Phoenician people their urbanized culture and economy was strongly linked to the sea. Overseas they established control over some coastal regions of Berber North Africa like modern-day Tunisia and Tripolitania (modern-day Libya), Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, the Baleares, Malta, other small islands of the Western Mediterranean and possibly along the Atlantic coast of Iberia, although this is disputed. In the Baleares, Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily they had strong economic and political ties to the independent natives in the hinterland. Their naval presence and trade extended throughout the Mediterranean to the British Isles, the Canaries, and West Africa.^[1] Famous technical achievements of the Punic people of Carthage include the development of uncolored glass and the use of lacustrine limestone to improve the purity of molten iron.

Most of the Punic culture was destroyed as a result of the Punic Wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 146 BCE,^[2] while traces of language, religion and technology could still be found in Africa during the early Christianisation, 325 to 650 CE. After the Punic Wars, Romans used the term Punic as an adjective meaning treacherous.

In archaeological and linguistic usage Punic refers to a Hellenistic and later-era culture and dialect from Carthage that had developed into a distinct form from the Phoenician of the mother city of Tyre. Phoenicians also settled in Northwest Africa (the Maghreb) and other areas under Carthaginian rule and their culture and political organisation were a distinct form. Remains of the Punic culture can be found in settlements from the Iberian Peninsula in the West to Cyprus in the East.

814 BC to 146 BC[link]

The Punic religion was based on that of their Phoenician forefathers, who worshiped Baal Hammon and Melqart but merged Phoenician ideas with Numidian deities and some Greek and Egyptian, such as Apollo, Tanit and Dionysis, with Baal Hammon being clearly the most important Punic deity.^[3] Punic culture became a melting pot, since Carthage was a big trading port in the known world but they retained some of their old cultural identities and practices, such as child sacrifice. This was not outside of regional norms, as many cultures of the time made human sacrifices, including the Greeks, Celts, and Romans.

The Punics carried out significant sea explorations around Africa and elsewhere from their base in Carthage. In the fifth century BC Hanno the Navigator played a significant role in exploring coastal areas of present day Morocco and other parts of the African coast, specifically noting details of indigenous peoples such as at Mogador.^[4][5] Punics pushed westerly into the Atlantic and established important settlements in Lixus, Volubilis, Chellah and Mogador, among other locations.

Greek-Punic and Roman-Punic Wars[link]

Being trade rivals with Magna Grecia, the Punics had several clashes with the Greeks over the island of Sicily in the Greek-Punic Wars from 600 - 265 BCE. They eventually fought Rome in the Roman-Punic Wars, between 265 - 146 BCE, but lost due to being outnumbered, lack of full governmental involvement and reliance on their navy. This enabled a Roman settlement of Africa and eventual domination of the Mediterranean Sea. Cato the Elder famously ended all his speeches, regardless of subject, with the imperative that Carthage be utterly crushed, a view summarised in Latin by the phrase Praeterea censeo Carthaginem esse delendam meaning, "Moreover, I declare, Carthage must be destroyed!". They were eventually incorporated into the Roman Republic in 146 BC with the destruction of Carthage but Cato never got to see his victory, having died in 149 BC.

146 BC to 700 AD[link]

The annexation of Carthage wasn't the end of the Punics. After the wars, the vicinity of Carthage was placed under a curse by the Romans, so that no one would live there and the place would not be repopulated. There were, however, other Punic cities in North Africa. Although the area was partially romanized and the some of the population adopted the Roman religion (while fusing it with aspects of their beliefs and customs), the language and the ethnicity persisted for some time. People of Punic origin prospered again as traders, merchants and even politicians of the Roman Empire. Carthage was rebuilt about 46 BC by Julius Caesar. Places in the area were granted for settlement as benefits to soldiers that had served in Roman armies. Carthage again prospered and even became the number two trading city in the Roman Empire, until Constantinople took over that position. As Christianity spread in the Roman Empire, it was especially successful in Northern Africa. Carthage became a Christian city even before Christianity was legal. It is possible that Saint Augustine himself was Punic, as he was aware of Punic words. One of his more well known passages reads: "It is an excellent thing that the Punic Christians call Baptism itself nothing else but salvation, and the Sacrament of Christ's Body nothing else but life." ("Forgiveness and the Just Deserts of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants", 1.24.34, AD 412)

The last remains of a distinct Punic culture probably disappeared somewhere in the chaos during the Fall of Rome. The demographic and cultural characteristics of the region were thoroughly transformed by turbulent events such as the Vandals' wars with Byzantines, the forced population movements that followed and the Arabic conquest in the 7th century.

Noted Punic[link]

• Septimius Severus (Roman emperor from the mainly Punic Libyan city of Lepcis Magna, founded by Phoenicians)
• Caracalla, his son
• Tertullian, an early Christian theologian (born in the highly multiethnic, Phoenician-founded city of Carthage)
• Vibia Perpetua (early Christian martyr, also born in Carthage)
• Cyprian (also born in Carthage)
• Hannibal, greatest Carthaginian general

See also[link]

• Phoenician languages
• Carthage
• History of Tunisia
• Poenulus ("The Puny Punic"), a comedy by Plautus, shows the vision the Romans had of Punics. A number of lines are in the Punic language.
• Punica, the genus of pomegranates, known to Romans as mala punica ("the Punic apple").

Line notes[link]

References[link]

B. H. Warmington, Carthage (2d ed. 1969) T. A. Dorey and D. R. Dudley, Rome against Carthage (1971) N. Davis, Carthage and Her Remains (1985).

Damir "Dado" Polumenta (Serbian: Дадо Полумента, Dado Polumenta; born 29 August 1982 in Bijelo Polje, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia) is a popular Montenegrin singer/songwriter in the Balkans living in his hometown, Bijelo Polje. His uncle, Šako Polumenta, also a singer, has helped Dado's music career.

Music career[link]

His first album, Jasmina, released in 2000 for Best Records, brought little success in his career. However, after a four-year hiatus, Dado became prominent in the Ex-Yugoslav music industry after the release of his second album "100 stepeni" in 2005 for Grand Production.

Controversy and comeback[link]

Dado has a son (Dorijan) with Serbian model Anamarija Kikoš, with whom he has lived for three years. She was his unmarried partner at the time but they broke up shortly after the child was born.

In due course, he left Grand Production and, through his uncle, signed with Gold Music. Soon after, he released his third album, Volim te... in 2007. Shortly after the release of his third album, he won the award for "Best Montenegrin Singer in the Diaspora" at Montefolk Festival 2007, as well as the "Oscar of Popularity" in Podgorica for his contribution in the popularization of Montenegrin music in the diaspora.

Not soon after, he released a cover version of the Greek song "Beautiful" by Christos Dantis. This version of "Beautiful" featured lyrics that showed his constant love for his ex-girlfirend Anamarija even after all the regrets he had faced with her.

A year later, in May 2008, it was announced that Dado had recorded a duet with Šako entitled "Ljepša od noći", which was released on 10 July as part of Šako's studio album "Sanjao sam san..." and became the album's biggest hit. Just two months later, on 26 June 2008, Dado released another single, a ballad titled "Moja srno", which was performed in the "Vogošća Festival 2008" in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 15 December 2008, Dado released a fourth album, entitled Zauvijek tvoj (Forever yours), two months later than originally stated for release (October 2008). Dado believes that this album will be his "milestone in work as in life".

On 9 November 2009, Dado released new single "Fali mi ljubav" as announcement of new upcoming album in 2010. All releated information about it can be found on official web site, www.dado-polumenta.com

20.03.2010 – Dado Polumenta created his official Facebook fan page where he will communicate with his fan. Share new video, pictures, news and upcoming events. http://www.facebook.com/dado.polumenta.fanpage

25.05.2010 - As an announcement on upcoming new album, Dado Polumenta issue a new duet song with, one of the most popular Serbian singer, Aca Lukas. New song has the name “Sedam Subota” and can be downloaded from officiral Dado’s web site. www.dado-polumenta.com Shortly after, Dado and Aca made an official video clip.

Discography[link]

• Jasmina (2000)
• 100 stepeni (2005)
• Volim te... (2007)
• Zauvijek tvoj (2008)
• Buntovnik (2010)
• Virus (2011)

Awards[link]

• "Oscar of Popularity", 2007
• "Best Montenegrin Singer in the Diaspora", Montefolk 2007
• "Singer of 2010 year", Nachtwerk 2010

External links[link]

• Official Website

Selma Bajrami (born 4 July 1980) is a popular Bosnian pop-folk singer who gained enormous popularity after her hit single Kakvo tijelo Selma ima.

Background[link]

Selma's father Fadil (born 1957) is an Albanian who moved to Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1965 from the town of Đakovica in south western Kosovo, while her mother Enesa (born 1960) is a Bosniak from the town of Tuzla. Selma has a sister Fahira (born 1977) and brother Enes (born 1984).^[1]

Career[link]

Selma began her career in 1994, at the age of fourteen, singing with a band in kafanas and bars.

She released her first album in 1998. The album was called Kad suza ne bude, which was, for the most part, written and composed by Milić Vukašinović.

Her second album was made in the studio of Mića Nikolić. This album, titled Ljubav si ubio gade, included a couple of hit singles. Her third album Revolucija was released in 2001 and her fourth album Žena sa Balkana was released in 2002. It was produced by Dejan Abadić and took on a different sound from her previous albums. With hit songs such as Nano, Škorpija, Žena sirena and Bićeš moj, Selma gained even greater popularity than before. The song Žena sirena (English translation: Siren) became Selma's nickname, which she herself is proud of.

The songwriters of her fifth album, Kakvo tijelo Selma ima, included Dragan Brajović Braja, Dragiša Baša and Nanin from Tuzla. The song Ljubavi jedina was written by Selma herself. This album was the second one produced under Dejan Abadić.^[2]

Her sixth album, Ostrvo tuge was released in 2007 and included the hit songs: Lijepe žene, and the title track. Her seventh album was called "Voli me do bola", released in 2010 and included the hit songs Farmerice, Bakšiš, Sarajevo and the title track.

Discography[link]

• Kad suza ne bude (1999)
• Ljubav si ubio gade (1999)
• Revolucija (2001)
• Žena sa Balkana (2002)
• Kakvo tijelo Selma ima (2004)
• Ostrvo tuge (2007)
• Voli me do bola (2010)

She also released a greatest hits album in 2008 entitled: Najveci hitovi.

References and notes[link]

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