User:Roy/Realm draft
Phoenicia
In honour of the old Carthaginian Empire, and their founders, the Phoenicians.
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| Continent / Island | East Continent | ||||
| Capital | Sir Temple | ||||
| Largest City | Parm | ||||
| Government System | Republic (Ruler) | ||||
Choice of Government: Republic
Although the foundation myth of the city-state of Carthage features the royal princess Dido, by c. 500 the city was clearly governed as a republic. Punic epigraphic sources always mention republic-type magistracies. Carthage had stable institutions with many Greek-like features; elected magistrates, a senate and a citizen assembly. At the head of the Carthaginian republic were two annually elected magistrates, the “suffete” (Punic: sptm or shouphetim, suffete in the Latin, a kin-word to the Hebrew shopet, meaning ‘Judge’), who convoked and presided over the Carthaginian senate. The magistracy of suffete is often named as basileus by the Greek sources; they are equated with Roman consuls by Livy (Livy, 30.7.5).
Unusually, however, the suffetes were not entrusted with military responsibilities, this responsibility instead being delegated to influential public figures who were elected as generals. Certainly by the third century BC we do not hear of suffete’s also being elected as generals. These generals were elected by the citizens for particular theatres of campaigning or a specific military task, and their tenure was not annual , but rather for the duration of the campaign. It appears that Punic generals had ‘kingly’ (i.e. absolute) authority while they were on campaign; the record shows that generals could make pacts with foreign states (although these were required to be ratified at Carthage). These extensive powers were matched by the risk they ran if they failed. Unusually in a republic, a defeated general was liable to be recalled and executed: this was the fate of Hanno who lost the decisive sea battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC.
There were various minor magistracies and officials attested within the republic, such as rab (a title much attested on Punic inscriptions, perhaps responsible for finances, though its functions are not clear), public scribe (sprm) and market inspector.
Senate
- ‘The Mighty Ones’ (Punic: h’drm or hadirim)
The senate’s formal name was ‘The Mighty Ones’ (Punic: h’drm or hadirim), and it was comprised of representatives of Carthage’s noble families. The senate was the centre of Carthage’s government, and served as its legislature. The senate promulgated laws, established foreign policy, waged war and made peace, received foreign delegations and kept watch over the conduct of the city’s generals.
Military Council
- Council of Ba'al
While in theory Carthaginian generals were elected by the citizen assembly, in practice it seems that the assembly merely ratified the army’s own choice. This may have always been the case but the Xanthippus incident in the First Punic War may have marked the beginning of a change:
“But the troops, eager as they were for battle, collecting in groups and calling on Xanthippus by name, clearly indicated their opinion that he should lead them forward at once. The generals when they saw the enthusiasm and keenness of the soldiers, Xanthippus at the same time imploring them not to let the opportunity slip, ordered the troops to get ready and gave Xanthippus authority to conduct operations as he himself thought most advantageous” ( Polybius, 1.33.4-5.)
Citizen Assembly
Although the government of Carthage was dominated by these oligarchic institutions, it is also reported that there was an assembly of Carthaginian citizens too. If the suffetes and the senate agreed on referring a matter to the people, this was done. Likewise, if the suffetes and the senate could not agree on a matter, it would be resolved by the citizen assembly. In this way, the oligarchic institutions of the republic were under pressure to reach agreement or else the matter would be settled by the assembly. It is unclear which Carthaginians were regarded as citizens; clearly women and slaves were excluded, and so too perhaps were Punic men of low economic status. Inhabitants of other Phoenician cities like Utica were not citizens; nor were the subject Libyans. It was the citizen assembly that elected suffetes, generals, and even on occasion passed laws.
Culture
The ‘traditional’ picture of the Carthaginians being fundamentally peaceful seafarers and merchants, keenly interested in exchange and political stability, rather than war and conquest, is a dramatic oversimplification of the truth. While it is true that Carthaginian citizens appear to have been exemptfrom military service, and Carthage relied upon mercenary, allied an d levy troops throughout the First and Second Punic Wars, this is not to say that the Carthaginian aristocracy were not as militaristic as other Mediterranean states. There was clearly a tradition of military command among many Carthaginian aristocrats, such as the Mago family in the fifth century BC and the Barcid family in the third century BC. In the fifth century we hear of formations of heavy infantry such as the Sacred Band that were reputedly recruited from among Carthaginian noblemen. Aristotle observed that “In some places there are also laws designed to foster military virtue, as at Carthage, where men reputedly receive decorations in the form of armlets to the number of campaigns in which they have served” (Aristotle, Pol. 7.2, 1324b5). Further, it should be remembered that the oarsmen, sailors, marines and officers that crewed the Carthaginian fleet were mostly recruited from among the Carthaginian citizens themselves, and in a fleet of 120 quinqueremes this would have totalled more than 50,000 men. Given that Carthage had a total population that likely did not exceed 400,000 men, women and children, to launch such a fleet was a very great commitment of manpower indeed! Hence, the notion that the Carthaginians were largely peaceful traders and merchants that hired others to fight their wars should not be exaggerated.
Religion
Carthaginian religion was based on Phoenician religion (derived from the faiths of the Levant), a form of polytheism. Many of the gods the Carthaginians worshiped were localized and are now known only under their local names.
Pantheon
The supreme divine couple was that of Tanit and Ba'al Hammon. The goddess Astarte seems to have been popular in early times. At the height of its cosmopolitan era, Carthage seems to have hosted a large array of divinities from the neighbouring civilizations of Greece, Egypt and the Etruscan city-states. A pantheon was presided over by the father of the gods, but a goddess was the principal figure in the Phoenician pantheon.
Constitution
Sources
- RTR: Fate of Empires - Preview Six - http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=226450
- Carthage - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage
