Carthage — Hannibal's Oath

Your quest for the oath begins on Byrsa Hill, the seat of the ancient Punic citadel. It was here, around 814 BC, that Dido founded the city, its name stemming from the queen's cunning in encircling the area with fine strips of oxhide. Roman tradition, notably spread by Livy, places Hannibal's childhood oath before the altar of Baal on this very hill. At an altitude of 129 m, the Saint-Louis Cathedral of Carthage, built between 1884 and 1892 under Charles Lavigerie in a neo-Byzantine style, now overlooks the Punic ruins. Though desacralized in 1964, it retains frescoes illustrating the life of Saint Louis.

Continue to the National Museum of Carthage, founded in 1875 by Alfred Louis Delattre, which houses the world's largest collection of Punic artifacts, with 23,000 objects. Explore the stelae from the Tophet, dating from the 8th-7th century BC, which bear witness to Punic ritual practices. The main building, completed in 1890, is surrounded by botanical gardens featuring millennia-old olive trees, and the site has been subject to continuous excavations since 1830 by the French School of Rome, constantly revealing new facets of Carthage's history.

Next, descend to the Punic Ports of Carthage, 500 m from Byrsa, a circular military complex (cothon) from the 4th century BC capable of accommodating 220 galleys in its 7 ha basin. The adjacent rectangular commercial port, totaling 13 ha, was the strategic heart of the Carthaginian fleet during the Punic Wars, as reported by Polybius. These restored vestiges, with their slipways and arsenals, were key to the rivalry with Rome and Hannibal's departure point in 218 BC on his march to Italy.

Near the ports, discover the Tophet of Salammbô, a Punic sanctuary active from the 8th to 2nd century BC. Excavations from 1921-1923 uncovered 20,000 children's burial urns, dedicated to Tanit and Baal Hammon, with votive inscriptions in Phoenician. Romans, including Diodorus Siculus, denounced the controversial rituals associated with this 1 ha site, where altars and stelae imported from Sardinia were erected, marking a stark contrast with the Roman culture that would later be established.

Conclude your exploration of Carthage's historical layers with the Baths of Antoninus, built around 138-161 AD under Emperor Antoninus Pius. The second largest in the Roman world at 12 ha, they could accommodate 2,400 people simultaneously. 1 km from Byrsa, their remains reveal a 24 m long frigidarium, mosaics, and a hypocaust. Beneath their foundations, earlier Punic residential quarters recall the heritage crushed by Rome. Finally, the Amphitheater of Carthage, from the 2nd century AD, with its capacity for 30,000 spectators, testifies to Roman games and Christian persecutions, offering a final glimpse into Roman domination over the ancient Punic city and the history of Carthage.