In the Roman army of the time of the Punic Wars (3rd 2nd century bc), the slingers were auxiliaries from Greece, Syria, and Africa.
Punic interests were turned toward commerce rather than art, and Carthage controlled much of the Western trade in the luxurious purple dye from the murex shell.
There may be a few silver coins from the Punic culture in Spain, most likely minted around the mid-to-late 3rd century bce in what soon became known as Carthago Nova (now Cartagena), but these coin images are arguable because they may depict his father, Hamilcar, or other relatives instead.
Arguments about the virtual lack of Punic literature are largely moot; when the Romans sacked the city, Carthage's libraries and archives were either given to Numidian kings or did not survive the destruction.
After Hannibal's life, the Romans likely recalled every silver Punic coin they could find including any that might have shown Hannibal and melted them down to make new Roman coins with their own images.
The vessel sank with a mixed cargo that included millstones, ingots, and decorated Greek pottery, some scratched with personal Punic names such as "Slave of Melqart" (MLQRT'BD) or "Baal Is Merciful" (B'HLM).
Slavery was well established as a form of agricultural labour before the Punic Wars (slaves must have produced much of the food during the peak mobilization of citizens from 218 to 201).
The first Punic war was fought to establish control over the strategic islands of Corsica and Sicily.
Perhaps the war in Iraq and fall of Baghdad last year will turn out to be as important a milestone in history as the eradication of Carthage during the third Punic war, which marked the rise of the Roman empire.
Phoenician spread from its home in modern Lebanon along the northern coast of Africa, where (pronounced in Latin as Punic) it became the language of the Carthaginian empire.
Immediately after the Second Punic War the Roman Senate moved to settle affairs with Philip, despite the war-weary centuriate assembly's initial refusal to declare war.
