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Carthaginian civilization
(800 BC to 146 BC)
Strengths:
- Transports 30% faster
- Fire Galley +25% attack
- Academy units and all elephant units +25% hit points
During the beginning of the last millennium BC, the Phoenicians began establishing colonies around the Mediterranean to compete with the Greeks for trade. The most important Phoenician colony was Carthage. It was founded around 800 BC near modern Tunis in North Africa. While the home cities in Phoenicia were repeatedly conquered and subjugated, the colony of Carthage prospered and expanded to become one of the great powers of the Western Mediterranean.
True to their Phoenician heritage, the Carthaginians became great seafarers, traders, and colonizers. There is some evidence that they circumnavigated Africa and very questionable evidence that they reached the Americas. They capitalized on the trade of Iberian silver and British tin. Carthaginian settlements spread along the North African coast, into western Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Minorca, and much of Spain (modern Cartagena in Spain was called Carthago Nova, or New Carthage). During the fifth and fourth centuries BC they fought with the Greeks for trade and colonies, especially in Sicily. In the third century, they began a titanic clash with the rising power of Rome.
The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage were fought to decide which power would dominate the Western Mediterranean. The first war (264-241 BC) was fought over Sicily. The Romans were not a naval power but built fleets from scratch based on the plans of a captured ship. Their first two fleets defeated Carthaginian fleets but were in turn lost to storms. Their third fleet completed the defeat of the Carthaginians at sea. The Carthaginians were forced out of Sicily, and lost Corsica and Sardinia as well.
The Second Punic War (218-201 BC) was a temporary improvement of Carthaginian fortunes and a near victory. The war was triggered by the great general Hannibal who marched out of modern Spain, across modern France, and into modern Italy across the Alps with a large army, including war elephants. In a brilliant campaign of 16 years, Hannibal defeated the Romans at every turn, although he lacked the critical strength to take Rome itself and end the war. Unable to defeat Hannibal's army in Italy, the Romans attacked the Carthaginians first in Spain and then in North Africa. Hannibal was called out of Italy to defend the homeland. At the decisive battle at Zama, the Romans destroyed the Carthaginian army.
Carthage was forced to give up its overseas possessions, pay a large indemnity, reduce its fleet, and become subservient to Rome. By 150 BC the city had recovered and was seen again as a threat. When the Carthaginians attacked Numidia, a Roman ally, the Romans responded by attacking Carthage once more. This time the city was destroyed utterly and its power broken forever. A symbolic furrow was plowed through the city and sewn with salt to show that the city would not be allowed to revive.
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