UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
generations; further, they long remained politically subordinate to Tyre,
as was to be expected having regard to their prime function as anchorages
and supply points.
Carthaginian leadership of the western Phoenicians
The emergence of Carthage as an independent city, followed by her
leadership of the rest of the Phoenicians in the west and the creation
of an empire based in North Africa, with profound historical consequences
for the whole of the western Mediterranean area, began in the sixth century
before our era. One reason was the weakening of the power of Tyre and the
Phoenician homeland and their subjection to the Babylonian empire. More
significant appears to have been growing pressure from the Greek settlements
in Sicily. The most important of these, such as Syracuse, had grown
in wealth and population with great rapidity; they had been founded
primarily as a result of population pressures in Greece itself. During the
seventh century there appears to have been no great conflict between
Phoenicians and Greeks, and Greek imports are known from many
Phoenician sites in the Maghrib; but in — 580 the city of Selinus
(Selinunte) and other Sicilian Greeks tried to drive the Phoenicians from
their settlements at Motya and Palermo. Carthage appears to have taken
the lead in repelling this attack, which if successful would have led the
Greeks on to threaten the Phoenician settlements in Sardinia and opened
the Spanish trade from which they had so far been excluded. Following
this success the Phoenician settlements on Sardinia were consolidated. Also
during this century an alliance was formed between Carthage and Etruscan
cities on the west coast of Italy. A joint victory in about — 535 prevented
Greeks from settling on Corsica. A finalsuccess in this period was in Africa
itself; a Spartan named Dorieus tried to found a settlement at the mouth
of the Kinyps river (Oued Oukirri) in Libya. Carthage regarded this as an
intrusion and within three years was able to drive out the Greeks with
help from the native Libyans.
The burden of leadership of the Phoenicians of the west seems to have
been too heavy for the manpower available for Carthage. Up to the sixth
century they relied, as did the city states of Greece, on their own citizens.
In the middle of the century under the leadership of Mago, founder of
a dominant family in the city, the policy of hiring mercenary troops on
a large scale was initiated, a policy followed for the remainder of
Carthaginian history. Of the non-Carthaginian elements which were hired,
the Libyans provided the biggest share, which became still larger when
Carthage acquired territory in the interior and levied troops compulsorily
(see below). They were particularly useful as light infantry. As mercenaries,
or under treaties of alliance at a later date, Numidian and Mauretanian
cavalry from the northern parts of modern Algeria and Morocco were a
significant part of all large Carthaginian armies; Spanish, Gallic, Italian
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