cloths, works in gold, silver, ivory, amber, and even glass. In fact, the Phenicians imported largely raw material, made it up, and re-exported it in its manufactured forms, being specially skilful in the preparation of purple and scarletdyed fabrics. Those European products they also exported, either raw or manufactured, into Asia by means of caravans which went to Syria, Palestine, Armenia, Arabia, Egypt, Babylon, and still farther east, by way of Damascus, Tadmor, and then Thapsacus on the Euphrates, whence they could go by water and get into the Indian Ocean and India itself. But besides these caravans, their ships sailed also from the Red Sea to the land of Ophir, which is now said to be the coast between the mouth of the Indus and the present Bombay, as well as along the north coast of Africa to Mauretania (Morocco), where they founded a colony called Auza. Once, at the command of Necho II., King of Egypt, some Phenician sailors even circumnavigated Africa (about 620 B.C.), but they did not make any further use of their knowledge.

9. Rise of Carthage.—But in course of time the Phenician power declined considerably amid the warfare and confusion caused in Asia and in the Babylonian Empire by the invasions of Sargon the Tartar (710 B.C.) and previous wars in the eighth century B.C. Many of the merchant princes of Tyre emigrated to Carthage, and when the Persian monarchy was founded by Cyrus in 538 B.C., many others, not liking the change, came to reinforce the previous settlement. The result of these migrations was the rapid growth of Carthage, and in a short time the Phenician power was inherited by this colony, and by new rivals, which now first appear, namely the Greek colonies, of which we shall speak later. Carthage, or Kirjath Hadeschath1 as its own people called it, was founded on a peninsula in a little bay on the Gulf of Tunis, which formed a splendid natural harbour. The land round about was fertile, being well watered by the river Bagradas (Mejerda), and producing corn, wine, and oil in

1 Kirjath means town and Hadeschath new, being so called to distinguish it from the "old town," Tyre. Kirjath is a prefix frequently found in Biblical names (Kirjath Jearim).

abundance. The foundation is said to have taken place about a century before that of Rome, which would make it about 850 B.C. The city very soon gained great wealth and maritime power, conquered Sicily, the north-west coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands, and thus gained complete possession of the western half of the Mediterranean. This Carthaginian power is proved by a statement of the historian Polybius, who mentions a treaty made between Carthage and Rome in 509 B.C., by which the Romans were forbidden to sail (westward) beyond "the Fair Cape," a promontory just north of Carthage, and later the Romans were even forbidden to trade with Sardinia, for both this island and Corsica belonged to the Carthaginians. They were left undisturbed for centuries in their possessions, and even when the great Persian conqueror Cambyses wished to fit out a fleet to subdue them in 525 after his conquest of Egypt, he was compelled to forbear, since the Phenicians who provided and manned his fleet refused to fight against their kinsmen. So their power grew and prospered.

10. Carthaginian Navigation, and Trade with Africa. -They had inherited the riches of Spain, and now founded several towns there, including New Carthage on its southeast coast. From Spain they still continued the voyages formerly made by the Phenicians to the north, and in the south they penetrated still farther, venturing along the west coast of Africa as far as Sierra Leone. They also used caravans for journeys in the northern part of Africa to Egypt, and so to the Red Sea. The route led from Carthage to Djerman in Fezzan, thence to Zuila or Zala, then to the oasis of Aujila, then to the oasis of Jupiter Ammon or Siwa, and after that through the desert to the Nile. Their ships of course also traded along the African coast, especially with the country south of the Gulf of Cabes, which land was then called Emporia or the Markets, because of its busy life and

1 The African coast was explored as far as here by Hanno about 520 B. C., who was sent out upon a special voyage of discovery and wrote an account of it. Another explorer, Himilco, was sent to the "northern coasts of Europe," and is said to have voyaged for four months, apparently in the Atlantic.

fertility. Hither came the products of the interior of Africa, which the caravans also collected—gold, ivory, slaves, ostrich feathers, ebony, and dates. In exchange Carthaginian traders exported thither corn, meal, wine, and various kinds of ornaments and gaudy clothes such as African traders use to the present day. Their export and import trade with North Europe and Asia was the same as that carried on by the Phenicians.

11. Decline and Ruin of Carthage.—At the height of its power Carthage was very rich and mighty; but its increasing empire led it into difficulties which ultimately proved its ruin. It wished to complete the conquest of Sicily and gain the eastern half of the island, and thus came into collision with the rulers of Syracuse and the Greek colonies. Among these Greek leaders worthy of note was Gelon, who fought a desperate battle with the Carthaginians in 480 B.C.; Dionysius, who lived at the end of the fifth century B.C. (397 B.C.); and Agathocles, who lived at the end of the fourth century (309 B.C.) Then the Carthaginians met Rome, which had now subdued Italy and was extending its power outside that country. We need not here go into the details of the long and desperate conflict that decided which nation was to rule supreme in the Mediterranean. At first Carthage

gained the advantage owing to her naval and maritime strength; but she had one fatal weakness in her defence, she possessed no native army of her own, but had to rely on mercenaries, and these in the end proved her ruin. The First Punic War lasted from 264 to 241 B.C., when Carthage was defeated and had to give up Sicily and Sardinia, and afterwards Corsica. After twenty-three years war broke out again in 218 B.C. Hannibal, the great Carthaginian, led an army over the Alps into Italy, and at one time it seemed as if Rome would be utterly crushed. But the fortune of war turned, and Carthage was again defeated (202 B.C.), being made a dependent ally of Rome. Finally, in the Third War (149 B.C.), the Romans utterly destroyed the city of Carthage and made its territory a subject province.

12. The Greeks and their Colonies.-The second nation that inherited the trade of the Phenicians was the Greeks,