founded the city in 814 BC, as retold by the Greek writer
Timaeus of Tauromenium. The settlers of Carthage brought
their culture and religion from Phoenicia, now present-day
Lebanon and adjacent areas.[44]
After the series of wars with
Greek city-states of Sicily in
the 5th century BC, Carthage
rose to power and eventually
became the dominant
civilization in the Western
Mediterranean. The people
Carthaginian dependencies and of Carthage worshipped a
protectorates through the Punic Wars pantheon of Middle Eastern
gods including Baal and
Tanit. Tanit's symbol, a
simple female figure with extended arms and long dress, is a popular icon
found in ancient sites. The founders of Carthage also established a Tophet,
which was altered in Roman times. Statue of the Carthaginian
general Hannibal Barca
A Carthaginian invasion of Italy led by Hannibal during the Second Punic
War, one of a series of wars with Rome, nearly crippled the rise of Roman
power. From the conclusion of the Second Punic War in 202 BC, Carthage functioned as a client state of
the Roman Republic for another 50 years.[45]
Following the Battle of Carthage which began in 149 BC during the Third
Punic War, Carthage was conquered by Rome in 146 BC.[46] Following its
conquest, the Romans renamed Carthage to Africa, incorporating it as a
province.
During the Roman period, the area of what is now Tunisia enjoyed a huge
development. The economy, mainly during the Empire, boomed: the
prosperity of the area depended on agriculture. Called the Granary of the
Empire, the area of actual Tunisia and coastal Tripolitania, according to
one estimate, produced one million tons of cereals each year, one quarter
of which was exported to the Empire. Additional crops included beans,
figs, grapes, and other fruits.
Ruins of a 2nd-century By the 2nd century, olive oil rivaled cereals as an export item. In addition
temple in Dougga, one of to the cultivations and the capture and transporting of exotic wild animals
nine World Heritage Sites in from the western mountains, the principal production and exports included
Tunia
textiles, marble, wine, timber, livestock, pottery such as African Red Slip,
and wool.
There was even a huge production of mosaics and ceramics, exported mainly to Italy, in the central area
of El Djem (where there was the second biggest amphitheater in the Roman Empire).
