- published: 31 Oct 2012
- views: 501232
Carthage (/ˈkɑːrθɪdʒ/; Arabic: قرطاج Qarṭāj) is a city in Tunisia that was once the center of the ancient Carthaginian civilization. The city developed from a Phoenician colony of the first millennium BC into the capital of an ancient empire. The area of Carthage was inhabited by Berber people, who also became the bulk of Carthage's population and constituted a significant part of its army, economy, and administration. Native Berbers and settling Phoenicians in Carthage mixed in different ways, including religion and language, creating the Punic language and culture.
The first civilization that developed within the city's sphere of influence is referred to as Carthaginian. The city of Carthage is located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis across from the center of Tunis. According to Greek historians, Carthage was founded by Canaanite-speaking Phoenician colonists from Tyre (in modern Lebanon) under the leadership of Queen Elissa or Dido. It became a large and rich city, thus a major power in the Mediterranean. The resulting rivalry with Syracuse, Numidia, and Rome was accompanied by several wars with respective invasions of each other's homeland.