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).

Tom Vasel (born on September 8, 1976) is a well known podcaster and reviewer of board games.^[1][2] Vasel co-hosts a long-running and popular^[3] gaming podcast titled The Dice Tower, and as of 2011^[update] has posted over 1200 reviews on the internet database BoardGameGeek.^[4]

As of August 2003^[update], Vasel taught mathematics at the International Christian School in Uijeongbu. He assumed the role of Pastor of Uijongbu Baptist Church, succeeding Pastor Rick Kelley in March 2007. After leaving South Korea, he has worked as a teacher in Florida.

The Dice Tower[link]

Since May 2005, Vasel has co-hosted The Dice Tower, a podcast about board games and wargames. Originally, Vasel represented players who prefer designer games, while Joe Steadman advocated for those who prefer wargames. Steadman left the show in May 2006 after the 50th episode. Vasel, hosting alone with occasional input from Sam Healey for a few shows, rearranged the format to include recorded segments by guest reviewers and players. Gradually Healey began to take a larger role and was eventually promoted to co-host. Healey has since left the show and been replaced by the show's voice-over man, Eric Summerer.

Each episode of the podcast includes several regular segments and several occasional segments. The core of every episode is the "Gaming Top Ten", where Vasel and Summerer provide their top ten games in a particular category. Most shows start with Vasel and Summerer discussing the games that they have recently played. News from the boardgaming world usually follows, which is in turn followed by a segment from German contributor Moritz Eggert. The podcast also features frequent contests, where listeners can enter to win one or more games from a sponsoring company.

The Dice Tower web site features past top-ten lists and Vasel's in-depth reviews of boardgames. Vasel's reviews are also used by board game publishers and retailers for promotion of their games.^[5][6]

The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund[link]

Following the loss of his infant son Jack Vasel at the end of 2010, Tom Vasel established the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, at www.jackvasel.org. The fund is a not-for-profit with a simple goal: raising and distributing funds to help gamers in their hour of need.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tom Vasel's blog at The Dice Tower
• Tom Vasel at BoardGameGeek

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Chris Jarrett (born 1956 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American pianist^[1] and composer who has lived in Germany since 1985. Chris Jarrett is mainly performing as a solo pianist, being influenced from classical music as well as from jazz improvisation. In addition to this, he is leading the Chris Jarrett Trio and the quartet Four Free.

Chris Jarrett's older brother, Keith Jarrett, is considered one of the most influential living jazz pianists.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chris Jarrett Official Web Site.