C arthage is of the great cities of antiquity whose name has stood the test of time. The city was a Roman metropolis in North Africa. Like all outposts of the Roman Empire, Carthage had to go through several phases of development to earn its status. It began as a small town built on the ruins created by the Punic Wars and eventually earning the title "civitas." But status is not derived entirely from population. In order to become a municipality in the Roman Empire, a city has to look like Rome. That means fora, amphitheatres, monuments, hippodromes, public baths, aqueducts and more all arranged with Roman architectural sensibilities in mind. Though the Romans were the most successful people to call this land home, they were not the first. The current remains of Carthage were built on the ruins of a Phoenician city of the same name established around 800bc. It was destroyed by troops under the command of Scipio Africanus Minor in 146bc. This sort of thing is common in cultures around the world and continues today. What makes Carthage unique is the fact that the city had been abandoned for over one hundred years when the Romans arrived in 44bc. They were determined to re-make the area in Rome's image, even reshaping Byrsa Hill to fit their dreams. Successive conflicts and invasions wore on the city's Roman architecture. From 439 to 533 it served as the capital of the Vandal empire before being nearly destroyed by the Arabs in 698. The city remained populated, but never really recovered. Today Carthage is one of the world's great archaeological and architectural treasures. Its power waned with the Empire, but its ruins still inspire a sense of magnificent wonder that endures.
