

CARTHAOK. 



CAHTHAdK. 



and low, whilst Tterra Bomba rur* to a moderate height. The 

 entrance of the port is to DIUTOW that only one vend can outer at 

 tint*, and as some sandbank* occur in it a pilot U always required. 

 It t* defended by two strong cattle*. The harbour iteelf U about aix 

 mile* long; it- width vanet from two to four miles. It hat a 

 sufficient depth of water and good anchorage, and iu surface in as 

 liula agitated at that of a river. 



On the northern itland and at the moat northern corner of the 

 harbour it tituated the town, on a sandy tract of land. It occupies 

 the whole width of the ialand, to that its north-western wall* tUnd 

 on the beach, and the south-eastern on the harbour. To the eaat of 

 the town U another low itland, on which the suburb, called Xixiinani, 

 lUndt : both are connected by a wooden bridge. Another bridge 

 unite* the suburb with the mainland. 



The town it regularly built, with straight but rather narrow streets, 

 which art- still more narrowed by the projecting balconies, so that 

 they nearly exclude tbe daylight, and give the town a gloomy aspect. 

 The houses hare commonly two stories, and are built in the usual 

 Spanish style, with dead walls towards the streets, but inclosing a fine 

 open space within, on which lofty and airy rooms open, and which is 

 surrounded by a corridor. The town is strongly defended, and on 

 the land side surrounded by aereral fortresses and by a massive citadel. 

 Among the public buildings are several fine churches and seven 

 convents. The immense cisterns situated within the walls of the 

 town are justly admired by travellers, and the water preserved in 

 them is excellent. The climate is hot and yellow fever often makes 

 great ravages. 



The inhabitants, who amount to between 18,000 and 20,000, are 

 mostly a mixed race, descendants of Spaniards and Indian women. 

 The majority are tailors and fishermen, but many are shopkeepers and 

 mechanics. 



The commerce of this town was formerly considerable. But since 

 the revolution in South America its commerce is limited to exporting 

 the produce of the valley of the Rio Magdalena, end importing the 

 manufactured goods which are consumed in it. Kvcn t!r- trade his 

 recently declined in favour of Savanilla, a small port n little west of 

 tbe mouth of the Magdalena. The chief exports of Curtngena nrc 

 now confined to the precious metals. 



CARTHAGE, called by the Romans Carthago, by the Greeks Kar- 

 ektdox, an ancient city and state in the north of Africa, long the rival 

 of Home, was a colony of the Tynans, and one of the latent Phoenician 

 settlements on the African coast of the Mediterranean. There seems 

 to have been an older Phoenician settlement on the spot (probably nn 

 emporium or trading establishment), which, according to Appinu and 

 others, was founded before the siege of Troy, and lieiieo much confu- 

 i-ion has arisen concerning the foundation of Carthage, which Appian 

 refers to the year B.C. 1234, and others assign to various dates between 

 this year and that of tbe building of Rome. According to Aristotle, 

 Carthage was founded 287 years later than Utica. The name Carthago 

 it most probably tbe Roman pronunciation of the Phoenician Karth- 

 hailtha, which means ' new city.' Most ancient writers agree iu following 

 an old tmdili-.il that Carthage was founded by Elissa or Dido, whose 

 husbond.bi ing murdered by bis brother-in-law Pygmalion, king of Tyre, 

 fled with many attendants and other citizens, and landed on a penin- 

 sula on the coast of Africa, between Tunes and Utica, which were 

 older Phoenician colonies. She purchased or agreed to pay rent for 

 a piece of ground to build a town upon, which was called Bozra (' a 

 fortress'), a name which the Greeks altered into Byron ('a hide'). 

 The name of Byrsa, and perhapa the shape of the peninsula, which 

 resembled an ox-bide, gave rise to the well-known fable of the manner 

 in which the Libyans were cheated out of their ground. As the town 

 increased, the inhabitants excavated a port, which was called Cothon, 

 and became a great maritime and commercial emporium. This i* tin- 

 part of the town which Dionysiun and Velleius Paterculus say waa 

 built 60 years before Rome (B.C. 813). Megan, Magar, or Magalia, 

 which was like a great suburb with fine gardens, probably owed its 

 name to tbe first Phoenician habitations, called Magar or Mngalia in 

 the language of the country. 



Of tbe early bittory of Carthage we know little or nothing nxcept 

 that it toon became a great commercial and maritime state. What we 

 know of iu institutions is derived chiefly from a chapter in Aristotle's 

 ; -a. The government of Carthage was municipal ; and the city 

 ruled over all the rest of the country. The spirit of the constitution 

 MOM to have been highly oligarchical. The chief authority was 

 rested in the senate, which appears to have been composed of the 

 bead* of a few rich, old, and powerful families, who divided among 

 themselves tbe chief offices of the state. The senators appear to have 

 beta f..r life. The senate contained within iUelf a select body or 

 council of state, which the Greek writers call Gerusia, or ' council of 

 aocienU/ Aristotle (' Politics,' ii. 20) says the Carthaginian* had a 

 body of 1 M magistrates, similar to the Ephori of Sparta, but selected 

 with greater discernment from among the most worthy ; and that the 

 kings and the Gerusia of Carthago resembled the kings and tbe Gem- 

 sla of SparU in their respective offices. Justin says that the Gfrusia 

 was a el-ct body chosen from among tbe senators to watch over 

 and investigate the conduct of the magistrates and especially of 

 the Rm-ral* r*' timing lim from foreign command, and that it 

 was first established at the time when the house of Msgo, by iU vast 



influence and popularity, excited fears of some ambitious designs. 

 Two attempts at establishing tyranny wore actually made ; one by 

 Hauno (B.C. Sim. and tbe other by Hauiilcar (n.c 306). They both 

 failed, and their author, suffered death. This ' Council of the Hun- 

 dred ' U also mentioned by Aristotle at forming the highest magis- 

 tracy, and deciding all causes. It was probably the same as the Ordo 

 Judicum spoken of by Livy (xxxiii. 46). the Council w- re also 

 guardians of the public morals, and, like the other civil magistrates, 

 received no salary . The members, according to Aristotle, were elected 

 by tbe Pentorchiea, or ' Boards of Five ' (probably a permanent com- 

 mittee of the senate), who are supposed to have managed tbe financial 

 affairs of the state. They filled up their own vacancies, and no one 

 was admitted into them who had not previously served the state in 

 some official capacity. 



At the head of the executive were two Suffetes (Shopht-tiui, or 

 judges, like those of the Hebrews), whom the Greek and Roman 

 writers call kings. They presided in the senate, and laid before that 

 assembly their reports on public affairs. It would teem that the 

 Suffetes were renewed annually, but whether the same persons were 

 re-elected is not known : they were always selected out of a few lead- 

 ing families. The election of the generals and foreign governors, 

 which was the next office to that of suflVte, took place iu tbe Gerusia, 

 but was afterwards referred to the senate and the people for their 

 approbation. A suffete was at times general also, and as such headed 

 the armies of the republic, while his colleague remained at home. 

 When the senate and the suffetes could not agree upon some particu- 

 lar point*, the question was referred to tbe people or citizens at large 

 for their decision. Aristotle observes that bribery was rotor' 

 and that offices were bought and sold at Carthage. One variety of 

 this corruption waa the habit of constantly regaling the citizens in 

 collective banquets of the curia;, or political clubs. What proportion 

 the demos, or people, bore to the whole population, is unknown ; 

 " but whether more or lees considerable," says Grote, in his summary 

 on the political constitution of Carthage (' History of Greece,' vol. x.j, 

 "it is plain that it* multitude was kept under dependence to the rich 

 families by stratagems such as the banquets, the lucrative appoint- 

 ments, with lots of land in foreign dependencies, Ac. The purposes of 

 government were determined, its powers wielded, and the great offices 

 held Suffetes, Senators, Generals, or Judges by the members of a 

 small number of wealthy families; and the chief opposition they 

 encountered was from their feuds amongst each other. In the main 

 the government was conducted with skill and steadiness, as well for 

 internal tranquillity on for systematic foreign and commercial aggran- 

 disement. Within the knowledge of Aristotle Carthage had never 

 suffered either the successful usurpation of a despot or any violent 

 intestine commotion." In the later ages of the republic however, 

 bitter factions divided the state, and boys as eagerly as men took part 

 in the popular tumults. (Polybius, xv. 30.) 



Of the private and domestic manners of the Carthaginians we 

 know very little. Their punishment* were severe, and even cruel. 

 Crucifixion was the most common mode of death. \V. in . . gather 

 from Polybius, Appian, and others that conjugal and parental feelings 

 were strong among them. The magistrates during the time of tli.-.r 

 office were required to abstain from wino. Their religion which 

 was originally gloomy and cruel, they derived from Phoenicia. 

 Melcarth ('king of the city'), the Tynan Hercules, was the tutelar 

 deity of Carthage, as he was of Tyre and all her colonies; he is 

 identified by some with Baal and the Sun, by others with the Aas. rian 

 Bel and the planet Jupiter. Tho Carthaginians also worshipped 

 Saturn. Melee or Moloch, to whom they immolated the children of 

 the noblest families, and sometimes the captives token in war to 

 propitiate his wrath. Astaroth or Astarto, the goddess of the moon, 

 was another of their deities. They had also on the summit of Ityrsa 

 a magnificent temple sacred to Esmun or Aesculapius. Among 

 tut Heroes the Genius of Death, and Dido, Hauiilcar (who fell 

 at the battle of Himera), the brothers Pliilicui and lolaus (a Sardinian 

 worthy) were worshipped. There was probably no sacerdotal caste at 

 Cartilage. Sacrifices were offered by the highest personages in the state. 



The wealthy citizens of Carthage paid great attention to the cultiva- 

 tion anil improvement of their estates, which were tilled by the forced 

 labour of the subject Libyans and slaves (for Carthage trafficked largely 

 in slaves both white and block). The country in the neighbourhood of 

 Carthage, and it. deed all that tract which formed its real territory, 

 and which nearly corresponds to the present Itep in v of Tunis, was 

 beautifully cultivated and extremely fertile. When Agathoclet 

 landed in Africa, and when Regulus half a century later, Scipio 

 Africanut half a century later still, and Scipio .Kur.linniin another 

 half a century after that, invaded the Carthaginian territory, their 

 march lay through rich fields covered with herds of cattle, ami irri- 

 gated by numerous streams; vineyards and olive grounds were 

 spread on every side, innumerable small towns and villages were 

 strewed over the country, and at they drew near to tbe ' Great 

 Carthage ' the neighbourhood was thickly studded with the country 

 seats of tbe wealthy citizens. Mago, a suffete of Carthage, who is 

 supposed by tome to be the same as the head of the powerful family 

 of that name, who flourished about n.c. 650, wrote a work on ngri- 

 uHiire. in 28 books, which it tbe only work mentioned at having 

 been carried away by the Romans out of the libraries of Carthage 



