The city was founded as a colony by the Phoenicians, an ancient Semitic-speaking thalassocratic civilization that originated in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean. Although the foundation date is disputed, Timaeus of Taormina, a Greek historian places Carthage’s founding in 814 BC, a date that is generally accepted by historians.

Carthage was built on a peninsular, allowing the city to flourish from maritime trade as ships crossing the sea had to pass between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia. Two large harbours were constructed, one for harbouring a navy of some 220 warships whilst the other was solely for trading vessels.