North African coast and western Mediterranean · Iron Age
Carthaginian Empire
Rome's great maritime rival in the west
814 BCE – 146 BCE · 668 years
Originally a Phoenician colony, Carthage grew into Rome's chief rival for control of the western Mediterranean.
Where it sits on the calendar
Government
Oligarchy
Writing system
Punic script (Phoenician-derived)
Estimated peak population
700,000
How it ended
Invasion or conquest
Traits
Monumental architecture Bronze metallurgy Iron metallurgy Irrigation agriculture Standing army Long-distance trade Codified law Urban planning Seafaring Astronomical record-keeping
How Carthaginian Empire ended
The city was razed by Rome at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE.
See other civilizations that fell the same way →Notable for
- Dominant Mediterranean naval trade power for centuries
- Hannibal's crossing of the Alps
- Originally a Phoenician colony that outgrew its founders
Who else was alive at the same time
8 other civilizations in this dataset overlap with Carthaginian Empire's 668-year span.
See every overlap involving Carthaginian Empire →