Carthage is a famed city of antiquity, the capital of Africa Propria. For many years disputed with Rome for the sovereignty
of the world. According to Velleius Paterculus, this city was built 65, according to Justin and Trogus 72, according to others 100 or 140 years before the foundations of Rome were laid. Anyway, there's no doubt that the Phoenicians were the founders.
The beginning of the Carthaginian history, like that of all other nations, is obscure and uncertain. In the 7th year of Pygmalion king of Tyre, his sister Elisa (or Dido) is said to have fled, with some of her companions and vassals, from the cruelty and avarice of her brother Sichaeus.
First she arrived at the island of Cyprus, where she met a priest of Jupiter, who was desirous of attending her; to which she readily consented, and fixed the priesthood in his family. At that time, it was a custom in the island of Cyprus, for the young women to go on certain stated days, before marriage, to the seaside, there to look for strangers, that might possibly arrive on their coasts, in order to prostitute themselves for gain, that they might thereby acquire a dowry. Out of there, the Tyrians selected 80, whom they carried with them. From Cyprus they sailed directly for the coast of Africa; and finally they landed safely in the province called
Africa Propria, not far from Utica, a
Phoenician city of great antiquity. The inhabitants received these countrymen with great demonstrations of joy, and invited them to settle among them. The common fable is that the Phoenician imposed upon the Africans in the following manner: they desired, for their indended settlement, only as much ground as an ox's hide would encompass. The African laughed at this request; but they were very surprised when, upon their granting it, they say Elisa cut the hide into the smallest shreds, by which mean it surrounded a large territory; here was then built the citadel called Byrfa.
The new city soon became populous and flourishing, by the accession of the neighbouring Africans.
The most probable account on the death of Queen Dido is offered by Justin, a roman historian.
A neighbouring prince named Jarbas would have been interested in marrying Dido and enlarge his personal domain. So he proposed marriage with Dido, through his ambassadors, and threatening war in case of refusal. But Dido didn't find comfortable the proposal, and thought that she ought to sacrifice herself for the good of the country. The unhappy queen, rather than submit to be the wife of a man - who was considered by her nothing more than a rude barbarian - caused a funeral pile to be erected, and put an end to her life with a dagger.
After the death of her noble founder, Carthage had a fast and and great development.
About 503 years before the birth of Christ, the Carthaginians entered into a treaty with the Romans. It related mainly to matters of navigation and commerce. From it we learn that the whole island of Sardinia, and part of Sicily, were then subject to Carthage. We know also that they were very well acquainted with the coasts of Italy, and had made some attempts up on them before this time; at this point a spirit of jealousy took place between the two republics.
The famous Punic wars were not too far. The result of the conflict are destined to shape the geography and the political domain of the Mediterranean sea, along for many centuries.
Nowadays the archaeological discoveries reveal how developed was the Carthaginian
civilization - and of course, something of their cultural conquests were kept by the Romans.