Free Republic

Some wars last longer than others but one of the longest wars in history was formally declared over on February 5, 1985. This was the Third Punic War which officially lasted 2,131 years although there wasn’t much fighting after 146BC as the forces of Rome finally defeated those of Carthage (now part of Tunisia) and the area became the Roman Province of Africa. Carthage destroyed The city was destroyed and for many years no-one was allowed to rebuild or resettle but when the Emperor Augustus came to power, he was aware of a plan by Julius Caesar to rebuild Carthage...

This is the first ancient DNA to be obtained from Phoenician remains. Known as “Ariche,” the young man came from Byrsa, a walled citadel above the harbor of ancient Carthage. Byrsa was attacked by the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus “Africanus” in the Third Punic War. It was destroyed by Rome in 146 B.C. Analysis of the skeleton revealed the man died between the age of 19 and 24, had a rather robust physique and was 1.7 meters (5’6″) tall. He may have belonged to the Carthaginian elite, as he was buried with gems, scarabs, amulets and other artifacts. Now genetic...

The rich heritage of Tunisia, maybe the only place where the Arab Spring stands a chance Modern-day Tunisians, more Westernized than most Arabs, see themselves as descendants of the great Carthaginian general who invaded Italy. The Arab Spring began in Sidi Bouzid, a small Tunisian town, at the end of 2010. In a desperate protest against the corrupt and oppressive government that had made it impossible for him to earn a living, food-cart vendor Mohamed Bouazizi stood before City Hall, doused himself with gasoline, and lit a match. His suicide seeded a revolutionary storm that swept the countryside and eventually...