About Tunisia - Tunisia Guide & Information

‘Punic’ is a term that refers to the people, events and lifestyle that surrounded Carthage from 1200BC to 146BC, at which point Carthage was obliterated by the Roman takeover and the Punic era fell into oblivion.

The Phoenicians arrived around 1200BC, displacing the native Berbers as the prevailing culture. Given this Punic base, Phoenician culture, religion, and government was able to prosper, and its grip on the western Mediterranean increased, especially due to its other trading sites dotted around the area. In the fifth century Carthage expanded its territory, acquiring the Cap Bon Peninsula and the fertile Oued Majardah, later establishing its control over industrious farm lands within several hundred miles. However, the native Berbers did not take this domination lightly and in 396 there was a great uprising, with thousands of rebels streaming from the mountains, obliging Carthage to be besieged for days on end. However, the Berbers lacked cohesion, their leaders were bribed and the takeover was ultimately ineffective. The Greeks, under Agathocles, were the next to try their luck with Carthage, landing on the Cap Bon Peninsula in 310 and threatening invasion of the Phoenician city. However, they were also unsuccessful and Carthage went on to become the wealthiest city of the ancient world until its Roman defeat in the Punic Wars in 146BC.

The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage between 264-146BC, and they were almost certainly the most major wars of the ancient world. Before the wars the Punic empire was the most prevalent force in the Western Mediterranean area, having an extensive maritime empire, whilst Rome was the ascending power in Italy. The Romans were initially interested in expansion via Sicily, part of which lay under Carthaginian control. The struggle was costly to both powers, but after more than twenty years of war, Rome emerged victorious. The effect of the long war destabilised Carthage so much that Rome was able to also seize Sardinia and Corsica.

The Second Punic War (218-201BC) is most remembered for Carthaginian Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps, with much of his army on elephants. He surprised Italy from the north and resoundingly defeated the Roman army in several battles. However, Rome managed to re-rally its troops to the point where they had conquered Carthage up to its doors – by the end of the Second War Carthage had given up its entire empire, and controlled only the city itself.

The Third Punic War was a much smaller engagement and primarily consisted of a single main action, the Battle of Carthage. However, this was the final push Carthage needed to collapse, and the battle resulted in the total destruction of the city, and the enslavement of the entire population. The Roman victories over Carthage in these wars gave Rome a pre-eminent status it would retain until the fifth century.