Carthage. Chronicles of the Legendary City-State from Foundation to Destruction

Carthage is the most enigmatic and least studied state of the ancient world. French historians J. Ch. Picard and K. Picard reconstruct the seven-century history of the legendary city-state, founded by the Phoenicians on African soil, relying on Greek and Roman sources, as well as on scientific data obtained during their archaeological expeditions. The authors describe the culture, religion, political structure, trade relations, and the relationships of Carthage with other countries, narrating how, over the centuries, a small Phoenician colony became wealthy and expanded, seizing more and more territories, until it turned into a formidable rival of Rome. In the last chapters, the historians highlight the military campaigns of Hannibal, one of the greatest military commanders of antiquity, and conclude their book with a description of the defeat and destruction of Carthage.