The Development of Carthage in the 8th Century BC

After the Phoenicians fell under a Syrian occupation in the mid-8th century BC, their ships and crews were commandeered to support Assyrian campaigns. In Carthage, with its population bolstered by Levantine refugees and its trade networks firmly established, was well positioned to profit handsomely from the new state of affairs. By the end of the 8th centuryBC, Carthage had become a bustling urban center, with a population already approaching 30,000 people,. making it one of the biggest cities in the world at that time.