How Did Carthage Build Their Power

Our focus thus far has been on Rome and how it emerged as a great power. To the east another great power was developing and it was only a matter of time before the two would meet. Carthage, by many accounts, was a mighty empire and an equal to Rome. With two great powers vying for supremacy, conflict is unavoidable.
Carthage was a culture focused on trade. Great merchants bought and sold goods from both the east and west – linen, dyes, frankincense, gold, silver and tin are just a few of the commodities that made them wealthy and powerful. The Carthaginians formed alliances and sought to control many of the colonies of the Mediterranean. Carthage had a government that included several assemblies that resembled the Roman government, but the true power rested in the hands of a few wealthy families and a they delegated all military control to one permanent general. A great naval power, Carthage looked to extend its reach across the Mediterranean to Sicily and even Italy, putting it into direct conflict with
When Carthage actually took Sicily, the Romans responded by building ships and starting a Navy from scratch. This led to the start of the first Punic War and Carthage was defeated in BC 241. In BC 218, Hannibal went to war with Rome once again – invading Northern Italy from Spain and enjoying a number of victories before being defeated in North Africa in the year BC 202. Carthage was now heavily indebted to Rome, both giving them their navy and paying heavy tributes for many years, but upon paying off those debts, believed that the treaty was no longer in effect. Rome took issue with this and decided to dismantle Carthage, thus triggering another war in BC 149 that led to the downfall of Carthage. The lands, the people, any remaining wealth of Carthage now belonged to Rome (Mark,