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Carthage:A Civilization Ahead of its Time

[Professor M’hamed Fantar of Tunis El Manar University visited Korea from May 1 to 8 to discuss ways to promote academic exchange between Korea and Tunisia. Professor Fantar, a distinguished scholar of ancient civilizations and religious studies, shared his knowledge about the civilization of Carthage with Korea’s academic circles.]



Today, much of what people know about the ancient civilization of Carthage is based on Greek and Roman historical records. In addition, the artifacts of the ancient society of Carthage, including architectural remains, tombs, earthenware, and jewelry, also serve as valuable sources of information about the people and culture from this long ago time.

Advanced Democracy of Carthage
Carthage maintained a democratic political system that was based on elections. A Greek philosopher regarded the constitution of Carthage as being more advanced than that of the ancient Greek city-states because it attained a careful balance between the aristocrats, middle class, and common people of Carthaginian society. An administrative head was known as a “suffet,” or judge. The constitution of Carthage outlined the governmental system that included a legislature, administration, and judiciary, which were established through an electoral process.
The Carthaginians actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, with an emphasis on fruit-bearing trees, such as olive, fig, and pomegranate, along with grape vines and rice plants. It is widely recognized that Mago, a Carthaginian scholar, wrote encyclopedic texts on agriculture in the fourth century B.C. The Carthaginian people also promoted a variety of industries, including pottery, mining, and jewelry making. As confirmed by Carthaginian records, they took much pride in their craftsmanship and industrial skills. Merchants from Carthage had a talent for building robust trade relations thanks to their fleet of vessels that linked together the major civilizations of the Mediterranean region. The people of Carthage were skilled navigators with a bold sense of exploration. With this maritime capability, Admiral Hanno was able to sail across the Mediterranean to Gibraltar, from where he made his way along the African coast to Cameron, before returning home to Carthage. This voyage, in the fifth century B.C., was an effort to discover routes for gold. As for Admiral Himilco, after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar he headed northward and reached the British Isles, in the fifth century B.C., establishing the prowess of Carthage as a dominant naval power of ancient times.

Civil and Open Society
Carthaginian society was characterized by civility and openness. It was a vibrant society that enabled the coexistence of various classes related to economic standing, social status, and political influence. It was divided into three classes of regular citizens, foreigners, and slaves. Citizens enjoyed freedom and citizenship, along with maintaining property rights and having cultural knowledge.
They contributed to the building of a sound society and state by fulfilling their political, administrative, and religious obligations. Those who accumulated wealth emerged as the forefront of society and played a key role in various sectors, including the economy, politics, religion, and culture. As a center of maritime routes in the Mediterranean region, Carthage enjoyed the economic benefits of region-wide trade and exchange. Craftsmen were part of the middle class who engaged in various commercial and business lines, including blacksmith, jewelry, accessories, and ceramics.
There were communities of various foreign groups, including the Greeks, Egyptians, and Iberians, in Carthage and other large Phoenician cities. The foreigners included Greeks and Egyptians who engaged in commercial trade, but most were lowincome persons that had sought refuge in Carthage due to political suppression in their home country.
The openness of Carthage society allowed the inclusion of various social classes, including people from foreign countries.

Slavery and Women’s Rights
In ancient times, slavery was a common aspect of everyday society. In Carthage, however, slaves were treated as human beings who were granted basic rights. They had a right to visit a temple for worship, and to marry and accumulate savings to buy their freedom. The process of liberating slaves was governed by legal procedures.
Although not allowed to participate directly in the political process, women could engage in religious and economic endeavors. There are records about women who became priests and also leaders of religious councils. The courage of Carthaginian women during the wars against the Romans has been highly lauded in historical s. Women would cut their hair so that it could be woven into ropes that troops on land and at sea used for the defense of their country. Moreover, the city of Carthage was actually founded by a woman called Elisa, or Dido. Today, the fact that women in Tunisia enjoy the same rights as men seems to be somewhat rooted in this ancient development.

Spread of Influence
The Carthaginians gathered regularly to worship their gods. They believed in Baal Hammon and his wife Tanit. People would make their way to the Tophet, a sanctuary dedicated to their two gods, to offer money and tribute. According to custom, children who died young would be cremated and buried at the Tophet. According to their belief in Baal, families who experienced the loss of children would be rewarded by the gods.
Carthaginian society, played an important role in spreading its civilization to various Mediterranean states, including Sardinia, Sicily, and Spain. It also contributed to the spread of its alphabet to the Western areas of the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians introduced their alphabet and writing system to Greek cities, which remain in use in various countries in the Arab world and Europe. All of the writing systems in these countries originated from the Phoenician alphabet. Carthage was a center of learning of this alphabet, which facilitated the promotion of scholarship and knowledge in various countries throughout the Mediterranean. Moreover, the Phoenician alphabet serves as the foundation for knowledge and democracy.
Previously, writing was a privilege accorded only to the elite of society, like aristocrats and high priests.
At the time of the pharaohs, it was not possible for the common people to learn Egyptian reading and writing. However, the Phoenicians d an alphabet that contained 22 characters, so that everyone, regardless of social or economic status, could learn to read and write. This writing system thus contributed to the dissemination of democracy as well as literature and philosophy.

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