In the beginning, Carthage was only a small port for Phoenician merchants. No one regarded them as anything more than that. Over time, Carthage became very powerful and was a great trading city. Eventually, Carthage was the strongest city in the Mediterranean area before they were conquered by Rome. “The Carthaginian Republic then was one of the longest-lived and largest states in the ancient Mediterranean”. 1
Carthage had many strengths. They used these strengths for their benefit in the three Punic Wars they fought against Rome. A strength that Carthage had was their wealth. They were the richest city in the Mediterranean. Even the poorest in Carthage lived in nice houses. The Carthaginian Government could use this money to get new soldiers, armour, and many other things they can benefit from …show more content…
The harbour in Carthage was tremendous. The harbor had 220 docks in it. There was a lot of room for ships. The harbour had large columns and Greek sculptures. “The Carthaginian trading ships sailed daily to ports all around the Mediterranean Sea while their navy, supreme in the region, kept them safe and, also, opened new territories for trade and resources through conquest.”2
During the Punic Wars, Hannibal and his army destroyed a lot of Rome. During this time a lot of farms were bought up by landowners. These owners had these huge farm estates called latifundia. A lot of peasants, known as plebeians, swarmed