Educational Media Reviews Online

Located on the northern coast of Africa, just a night’s sail from Sicily, Carthage has a multilayered history. The city was first established as a colony of Tyre by the Phoenicians. Legend has it that Dido was the founder of Carthage as well as its first queen. The original occupants of the land, Berbers and others, were co-opted, enslaved, or fled. After the Punic wars, Carthage was rebuilt as a Roman city. When the Romans in turn lost their footing in history, Carthage passed through many hands eventually coming under Islamic rule.

The Carthaginians were both noted traders and sailors, controlling the western Mediterranean Sea and maintaining Carthage as a commercial center. The Romans, after establishing themselves in Rome and the surrounding country, sought to curtail Carthage’s powers. The Punic wars followed, with the Second Punic war the most famous due to the exploits of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. Apparently, more than a match for Roman military minds, Hannibal led them on a less than merry chase for 16 years. Surprisingly, Carthage lost all three wars, but maintained its power until the Romans razed the city after the third war.

Later, Carthage was rebuilt as a Roman city and became the center for the North African colonies. The city was famed for its baths, aqueduct and commerce. The farmland surrounding the city was used to produce large quantities of wheat as well as olives and other fruits to feed the citizens back in Rome.

William McAbian et al have produced a solid documentary. The introduction paints a broad-brush coverage of the history of Carthage from its founding to French occupation. The documentary then covers in more depth the early history up through Roman rule. Each section is preceded by a title, which may be a bit academic for some, but helpful for instructors should they choose to show only certain segments.

The documentary consists mainly of video footage of the ruins of Carthage itself, supplemented with still photos and interviews with two professors. In general, the production is good and the narrative easy to follow. One draw back is that the narrator’s voice might be too smooth and melodic for any sleep deprived students. Instructors of younger classes should note that one whole section focuses on child sacrifice, which was practiced extensively by the Carthaginians.

This documentary is recommended for junior high audiences and up. It would be suitable for use in the following disciplines: history, classical studies, anthropology, and religion.