Who Were The Carthaginians? | Ancient Carthage Documentary

Welcome to Chapter 4 of the series! This 1st episode takes a look at the Carthaginian Empire's beginnings from the late 800s BCE as rulers of the West Mediterranean, until its inevitable clash with Rome in the 200s BCE.

Carthage was a settlement in modern Tunisia that later became a city-state and then an empire. Founded by the Phoenicians in the ninth century BC, it would survive until the Roman siege. At its height in the fourth century BC, Carthage was one of the largest metropolises in the world, and the centre of the Carthaginian Empire, a major power in the ancient world that dominated the western Mediterranean.

Carthage was settled around 814 BC by colonists from Tyre, a leading Phoenician city-state located in present day Lebanon. In the seventh century BC, following Phoenicia's conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Carthage became independent, gradually expanding its economic and political hegemony across the western Mediterranean. By 300 BC, through its vast patchwork of colonies, vassals, and satellite states, Carthage controlled the largest territory in the region, including the coast of northwest Africa, southern Iberia (Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar) and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, and the Balearic archipelago.

Among the ancient world's largest and richest cities, Carthage's strategic location provided access to abundant fertile land and major maritime trade routes. Its extensive mercantile network reached as far as west Asia, west Africa and northern Europe, providing an array of commodities from all over the ancient world, in addition to lucrative exports of agricultural products and manufactured goods. This commercial empire was secured by one of the largest and most powerful navies in the ancient Mediterranean, and an army composed heavily of foreign mercenaries and auxiliaries, particularly Iberians, Balearics, Celtic Gauls, Sicilians, Italians, Greeks, Numidians and Libyans.

In spite of the cosmopolitan character of its empire, Carthage's culture and identity remained rooted in its Phoenician-Canaanite heritage, albeit a localised variety known as Punic. Like other Phoenician people, its society was urban, commercial, and oriented towards seafaring and trade; this is reflected in part by its more famous innovations, including serial production, uncolored glass, the threshing board, and the cothon harbor. Carthaginians were renowned for their commercial prowess, ambitious explorations, and unique system of government, which combined elements of democracy, oligarchy, and republicanism, including modern examples of checks and balances.

Welcome to our new MADE IN ANCIENT HISTORY series! This series is meant to be a deep dive into the Ancient and Classical periods all over the WORLD! This 4th Chapter is called Rise of Rome, and deals with how Rome, after they consolidated Italy, clashed with both Greece and Carthage, the 2 biggest Mediterranean powers.

THIS VIDEO IS FROM CHAPTER 4 OF OUR MADE IN ANCIENT HISTORY SERIES
Chapter 4 Playlist:    • Who Were The Carthaginians? | Ancient...  

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Music used:
Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod
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