Carthagian Empire

Carthage was founded in 814 BC by Phoenician settlers from the city of Tyre, bringing with them the city-god Melqart. According to tradition, the city was founded by Queen Dido (or Elissa or Elissar) who fled Tyre following the murder of her husband in an attempt by her younger brother of bolstering his own power. A number of foundation myths have survived through Greek and Roman literature, see Byrsa for one example. In 509 BC a treaty was signed between Carthage and Rome indicating a division of influence and commercial activities. This is the first known source indicating that Carthage had gained control over Sicily and Sardinia. Due to Carthage's situation as a colonial descendant of a sea-faring nation, whose links to other Phoenician colonies and other trading partners was sea based, and due to the relative paucity of resources and opponents in Africa to the south, the Carthaginian military was unusual in that it developed a navy as its primary defence force, rather than an army.