The Carthaginians

In The Carthaginians: Masters of the Western Mediterranean, Elliot Rowan brings into focus the powerful maritime civilization that rivaled Rome and dominated trade across the ancient sea. From their great harbor city in North Africa to their far-reaching settlements in Iberia and Sicily, the Carthaginians built an empire grounded in commerce, navigation, and strategic ambition. Their ships crossed vast distances, their armies fought on foreign soil, and their influence shaped the Mediterranean for centuries.

Drawing on archaeological discoveries from Carthage and its wider world, Rowan reconstructs a society known largely through fragments. The remains of harbors, fortifications, and urban districts reveal a city of remarkable scale and organization. Coins, inscriptions, and religious sites offer insight into a culture rooted in Phoenician tradition yet adapted to new lands. From sacred spaces to bustling markets and shipyards, Carthage emerges as both a center of ritual and a hub of enterprise.

Rowan explores Carthage's political system, its expansion into North Africa and Iberia, and its long struggle with Rome, culminating in the campaigns of Hannibal. More than a story of war, this book reveals a civilization that helped shape a connected Mediterranean world. Though its city was destroyed and its voice largely lost, its legacy endures in trade, culture, and memory.