?Carthaginian society: a nascent democracy
The city of Carthage, the capital of the powerful Carthaginian Empire that dominated the shores of the Mediterranean for centuries, was also the birthplace of the first great civilization in North Africa. Carthaginian society created institutions that ensured a balance of power and a degree of democracy rarely achieved in the ancient world.
Founding myth
Queen Alice
Legend has it that Princess Helissa, who came from the Phoenician city-state of Tyre, founded Carthage. After her brother Pygmalion, king of Tyre, killed her husband, Achaerba (Zacharbaal), the city's high priest, Helissa and her allies fled Phoenicia and settled in North Africa, where they founded Carthage, of which Helissa became its first queen. It is difficult to determine the historical basis of this legendary story.
The legend of Elissa is best known from the Aeneid (epic poem) by the Roman poet Virgil, which tells of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome. According to the Aeneid, Elissa fell in love with Aeneas during his time in Carthage and they married in secret, thus breaking a promise she had made to her late husband never to remarry. Aeneas then abandoned her and returned to Italy to found Rome. In desperation, Elissa took her own life. Elissa's disappointed love is presented as the source of the rivalry between Carthage and Rome.
From foundation to independence
Tanit sign, symbol of Carthage
Carthage was founded around 814 BC as a Phoenician trading post . The Phoenicians were a people of traders, buying agricultural and craft products from the local population and exporting them from their ports. The Carthaginian population was, from the beginning, a mixture of Phoenicians and local Berbers.
By the 7th century AD, the mother city, Tyre, was in decline. At the same time, Carthaginian culture had developed characteristics distinct from Phoenician culture. These circumstances allowed Carthage to gain independence around 650 BC, before beginning its colonial campaigns in the western Mediterranean. Breaking with the peaceful trading traditions of the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians quickly sought to extend their power in the region by force.
Carthaginian Monarchy
During the first centuries of its independence, Carthage had a monarchy. The exact functions of the king are not known; it is possible that Greek and Roman historians mistakenly described Carthage as a monarchy due to their ignorance of the Carthaginian political system.
The first kings of Carthage came from the army. The most influential royal dynasty was the Magonian dynasty (550-340), whose descendants continued to hold the reins thereafter.
In 480, after the death of King Hamilcar I, Carthage limited royal powers by creating a “council of elders” (adereum). In 308, after the last king, Bomilcar, unsuccessfully tried to restore full royal powers, Carthage became a republic.
Carthaginian Republic
rebuilding carthage
At the head of the Carthaginian Republic were two schophytes (judges), elected for a one-year term, who exercised their authority in a collegial manner. They administered the daily affairs of the state, presided over the adirim (council of elders) and acted as judges during trials. Their function was above all ceremonial.
Unlike similar offices in other ancient states, the suffet (magistrates) exercised no military power. The Carthaginian army enjoyed significant independence from the civil authority. At the same time, few military personnel exercised civil responsibilities (with the exception of Hannibal, who was a suffet). Generals were elected or appointed by the administration, usually for the duration of the war rather than for a clearly defined term of office.
Most political power, especially budgetary and diplomatic management, was exercised by the aderim, which Roman historians likened to a senate. This council consisted of 30 members elected from among the most influential Carthaginian families. Some particularly important decisions required the unanimous consent of all members and the two shofts. During the Second Punic War, the aderim began to exercise some authority over the army for the first time.
The Council of Hundred (Mates) was the supreme legal body. Its primary responsibility was to supervise the work of the military and civil authorities, to ensure that they complied with the constitution and served the interests of the nation. This council had the power to impose fines, or even sentence death by crucifixion. Its members held office for life, until Hannibal, as praetor, reformed and reduced the term of office to one year.
Carthaginian coins
The Carthaginian economy was based on trade agreements with various partners throughout the Mediterranean world, as well as on tribute from its colonies and subject peoples. The Carthaginian monopoly on the tin trade, which they bought from the Tartessians in Spain , made Carthage the only major producer of bronze in the region. Its merchant fleet, which was larger than that of the ancient Phoenician city-states, regularly cruised to all the major ports of the Mediterranean, as well as the Atlantic coast of Africa, and even Britain. One of these ships could carry up to 100 tons of products. Thanks to this commercial empire, Carthage became an extremely wealthy city.
?Is Carthage a democracy
?Can Carthaginian society be considered democratic
All Carthaginian citizens elected the members of the adirim and the shuft. The separation of civil and military power, as well as the division of powers between civil institutions, sought to balance the powers, so that no institution could exercise absolute power. In the event of continued disagreement between the members of the adirim, a popular assembly was convened to make the final decision by vote. The Carthaginian people certainly had a greater influence on public affairs than they did in Rome, or even in most Greek cities.
However, only members of certain aristocratic families could be elected as members of the adirim or council of hundreds. The majority of the population was therefore excluded from all the most important public offices. Carthaginian society should therefore be considered a rule of the wealthy, but with more developed democratic elements than most other ancient societies.
Moreover, if similar institutions were established in other cities under Carthaginian sovereignty, they had no representation at the central level: they were entirely subject to Carthaginian authority and obliged to pay an annual tribute.
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