The Second Punic War: Blog 2 Carthage

Alright, these first couple of blogs will focus on the set up of the Second Punic War. This specific one will focus on the Carthage.

Time for a little back story. The Phoenicians were a people that lived in coastal cities near the Mediterranean Sea. They lived in what would now be considered modern day Syria and northern Israel. The Phoenicians were a maritime and commercial based society being that their society was based on trade with other sea ports. Over many years, Tyre became the largest and most powerful of the commercial hubs. Tyre began to establish trading posts across the Mediterranean Sea, first in Cyprus and on the coast of Africa. Then they began to establish posts in Sicily, Sardinia, and, most impressive of all, Spain. The city of Gades was established on the southern portion of Spain to trade with local Spanish tribes for their silver. But why did the Phoenicians need silver from that far away?

Tyre

Because the Assyrians, who are a people entirely based on military conquest, were the Phoenicians’s neighbors. The Assyrians liked the Phoenicians mostly for their wealth and access to large amounts of luxury items so a tribute was established[1]. The Assyrians get their luxury items and the Phoenicians get to keep their got independence.[2] This deal lasted for many years but eventually the Assyrians invaded and caused significant damage on the Tyre. As a result, Tyre abandoned their colonies and trading outposts and quickly waned in power year after year.

Carthage, if you believe the legendary story passed down through their ancestors, was founded in 814BC by Queen Elissa who was running away from royal strife within Tyre. However, this may be historical hindsight on the parts of the historians of the age. [3] Carthage was a colony which allowed trade ships a good resupply point on their way from Spain to Phoenician mainland. After the fall of Tyre, Carthage became independent and attempted to start its own trade networks. Carthage reestablished colonies in Sardinia, Sicily, and Spain. It quickly became an economic powerhouse within the western Mediterranean. Carthage strategy for economic control involved sending trade representatives to cities in order to establish trade relations. More and more Carthaginians would appear in this ports. Before long, Carthage had an economic stranglehold on the trade of these cities as they pushed out competition. Cartage’s influence spread to the new areas and they grew their new merchant empire.

Sardinia was eventually invaded by an army from Carthage to further cement their power within the island. Soon Sardinia was a full-fledged part of the Carthaginian Empire. Carthage began expanding into northern Africa. Whether it was by alliances or through military campaigns, Carthage soon controlled large portions of Africa. The Etruscans and the Carthaginians forged an alliance allowing the Etruscans to become the most dominant force within the Italian peninsula. The Hellens of Sicily were eventually assimilated into the Carthaginian’s colonies until around half of Sicily was under their control[4]. The kingdom of Syracuse was the hold out for Sicily. Thus with trade the Carthaginians had established their dominance within the region. Carthage was now the mover and shaker f the balance of power in region. A little known fact was one of the Italian city states that Carthage started sending merchants to was, in fact, their future enemy, the Romans. Rome and Carthage eventually signed a trade agreement creating an alliance between the two city states.[5] It’s interesting how relations of nations change over time.