The Admiral's Palace, Which Commanded A View Of The Mouth Of The
Harbour And Of The Sea, Was Also A Building Of Considerable Taste.
Each
harbour had its particular entrance into the city:
A double wall separated
them so effectually, that the merchant vessels, when they entered their own
harbour, could not see the ships of war; and though the admiral, from his
palace, could perceive whatever was doing at sea, it was impossible that
from the sea any thing in the inward harbour could be perceived.
Nor were these advantages, though numerous and great, the only ones which
Carthage enjoyed as a maritime city; for its situation was so admirably
chosen, and that situation so skilfully rendered subservient to the grand
object of the government and citizens, that even in case the accidents of
war should destroy or dispossess them of one of their harbours, they had it
in their power, in a great measure, to replace the loss. This was
exemplified in a striking and effective manner at the time when Scipio
blocked up the old port; for the Carthaginians, in a very short time, built
a new one, the traces and remains of which were plainly visible so late as
the period when Dr. Shaw visited this part of Africa.
Carthage, at a comparatively early period of its history, possessed a very
large extent of sea coast, though in it there were but few harbours fitted
for commerce. The boundaries of the Carthaginian dominions on the west were
the Philaenorum Arae, so called from two brothers of this name, who were
buried in the sand at this place, in consequence of a dispute between the
Carthaginians and the Cyreneans, respecting the boundaries of their
respective countries. On the other, or western side, the Carthaginian
dominions extended as far as the Pillars of Hercules, a distance, according
to Polybius, of 16,000 stadia, or 2000 miles; but, according to the more
accurate observations of Dr. Shaw, only 1420 geographical miles.
Next to Carthage itself, the city of Utica was most celebrated as a place
of commerce: it lay a short distance to the west of Carthage, and on the
same bay. It had a large and convenient harbour; and after the destruction
of Carthage, it became the metropolis of Africa Propria. Neapolis was also
a place of considerable trade, especially with Sicily, from which the
distance was so short, that the voyage could be performed in two days and a
night. Hippo was a frontier town on the side of Numidia; though Strabo
says, there were two of the same name in Africa Propria. The Carthaginian
Hippo had a port, arsenal, storehouses, and citadel: it lay between a large
lake and the sea. We have already noticed the etymological meaning of the
word Cothon: that this meaning is accurate may be inferred from the word
being applied to several artificial harbours in the Carthaginian dominion,
besides that of Cartilage itself: it was applied to the port of Adrumetum,
a large city built on a promontory, - and to the port of Thapsus, a maritime
town, situated on a kind of isthmus, between the sea and a lake.
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