The existing evidence suggests a substantial Greek colony within Carthage, documented through ancient sources and Punic inscriptions. This colony notably comprised artisans, philosophers, educators, military personnel, along with “adventurers”.
This influence is evident even within the Carthaginian aristocracy. A notable illustration is found in the case of Epicydes and Hippocrates, Punic officers during the Second Punic War, who happened to be the grandsons of a Syracusan exile.
- We also possess abundant evidence of Greco-Punic unions, involving noble women of either Greek or Carthaginian descent.
- Their presence is also attested by votive steles in the the sanctuary of Baal-Hammon or Tophet, a place where, among other things, sacrifices of children were known to take place.
In 396 BC, Carthage introduced the cult of Demeter and Kore, possibly in response to a longstanding request from its sizable Greek community. This decision may have aimed to address the aftermath of the desecration of a Syracusan goddess’s temple, including a plague and a revolt.
There is also the case of Greek mercenaries who, for some of them chose to settle in the city. This is notably exemplified by this “Agesandros of Cyrene,” a possible soldier who may have been part of Ophellas’s expedition in the late 4th c. BC.
The city also witnesses the settlement of numerous Greek artisans, particularly sculptors, engravers, and bronze workers. Similarly, the Greek presence is affirmed by the existence of a Pythagorean school in Carthage, successively led by: Miltiades, Anthen, Hodios, and Leocritus.
This presence is attested in other parts of the Punic domain. In Kerkouane, a Libyo-Greek couple was buried according to their respective ancestral traditions. Moots et al. 2023 showed diverse profiles among Kerkouane’s inhabitants, indicating both Greeks and mixed individuals.
