Ancient Tunisia (1100 BC - 647 AD)
Tunisia, homeland of the Numidians, was colonised by the Phoenicians.
They built a trading nation and were the founders of the naval bases of
Outih (Utica in -1100), Hadrametum (Sousse),
Hippo Diarrhytus (Bizerte), Thines (Tunis)
and Qart Hadasht (Carthage in -814). Carthage declared its independence
from Tyre and went on to take control over an entire empire in the
Western Mediterranean.
After several battles with the Greeks in Sicily (-480 à -275), Carthage
began a titanic struggle against Rome in the 3 "Punic" Wars
(-264 to -241, -218 to -201 and -149 to -146). The third Punic War ended
with the defeat and the destruction of Carthage. Thus disappeared a
political, economical and social organization that is now judged to have
been exemplary.
The new Roman province of "Africa Proconsularis", the first
established Roman Colony, went on to expand its territory at the expense
of the Numidians. The resistance of the Numidian kings Massinissa and
Jugurtha (-118 à -105), relentless as it may have been, eventually
proved to be no match for "Provincia Africa". The Punic
culture in Carthage was soon to be replaced by Roman rule and later on
by Christianity (Tertullien, St. Cyprien, St. Augustine). The region was
strongly urbanised and prospered to become one of the most prominent
provinces in the Roman Empire up to the fourth century AD.
After a social and religious crisis (Donatism) had weakened Roman
Africa, the Vandals easily overran the region (439) and established a
particularly oppressive military regime. The Byzantines re-captured
Carthage in 534. Their rule (534 to 647) never brought along the peace
and security the region so badly needed at that time (rebellions,
ambitious governors, religious crises, Berber uprisings...).