This new publication, which has the ambition to address a central issue for the history of the ancient Mediterranean, deserves attention for several reasons: the author is a young historian of Phoenicians Studies, the publisher is prestigious and the period reviewed is one of the richest in the history of the western Mediterranean.

Drawn largely from the author's doctoral thesis, defended at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne, this study is original in that it relies on a varied bibliography mixture between classic data sources that retain a certain amount of information on the Phoenician-Punic civilization, and the latest findings from archaeology.

This book is a presentation of Phoenician Carthage, from its founding to the first half of the 2nd century BC. AD under the general aspect of its history and culture, such as sources allow us to rebuild.

In his book, Khaled Melliti teach us that research on Carthage Punic go way back, thanks to its role of the city in Greek history and especially Roman, but also following European trends towards a rediscovery of the Orient.

The book contains seven balanced parts, according to current standards of academic dissertations.

In his introduction, forty pages or so, Khaled Melliti reminds us that the foundation of Carthage, the ancient Qarthadašt, whose name means "new town", is part of the phenomenon of "Phoenician colonization" a population movement, which from the Lebanese coast, crossed the sea to found many institutions in the central and western of the Mediterranean.

It also reminds us of the various traditions that relate to the date of the founding of Carthage and the legendary story of Tyre installation, the new inhabitants of the site, in a very distant land of their country, and it focuses on posteriority of this information to the events narrated.

In his first chapter, the author studies the maritime and commercial power of the Carthaginian who runs after the defeat of Himera 480 BC. by the allied Greeks of Sicily.

It examines, in its second part, the military and urban reforms carried out by the leaders of the city in an era marked by the rise of the Greek and Macedonian threats.

The third part of the book explores the insertion of Carthage in the Hellenistic Koine.

According to the author, these Greek-Carthaginian relationship took a decidedly political turn when the oligarchy of the city of Elissa had to manage the loss of Etruscan alliance.

The fourth part of the book search the causes of the First Punic War (264-241 BC.).

The author emphasizes the geostrategic reasons. The Carthaginians occupying the western Sicily, sought to establish their monopoly on the entire island. They took the decision to seize the city of Messina, who asked for help from the Romans. Thus the Roman legions landed at Messina in order to defend it.

The fifth section analyzes the time of between the wars (241-218 BC.).

Having lost its possessions in Sicily, Carthage turned to Spain, which had been the seat of ancient Phoenician settlement.

A first aim of the Spanish company was without a doubt the one to provide to the city of Carthage metals, in order to face the payment of debts of the first Punic war.

The conquest of Spanish territory, which is just after the mercenary war, was the work of the Barcid family.

The Spanish enterprise was a good success. On the death of Hamilcar in 229 BC Asdrubal was elected general by the army.

This extended his power along the southwest coast, where he founded a new Carthage, Carthago Nova, Cartagena, which became something of his own capital.

The sixth chapter examines the Second Punic War (218-202 BC.).

In a very critical historical context, the Carthaginian leader Hannibal captured the town of Sagunto, allied to Rome.

Hannibal, leaving Spain in 218 BC. BC, gained Italy by land to carry the war there with an army equipped with 37 elephants.

Successive wins (in Ticino, on Trebia late 218 BC), in Cisalpine and the Lake Trasimeno (217 BC), Cannes (216 BC), cause the allied southern italics to leave Rome in favor of Hannibal, who also gets the covenant of Philip V of Macedon. In 212 BC. BC, the Carthaginian general succeeded in taking Taranto and beats the Romans in Capua. However, he is blocked in southern Italy, without reinforcements from Carthage and Rome can stop to retake the town of Capua (211 BC). Syracuse and all Sicily, who had taken the side of Carthage, fall into the hands of the consul Claudius Marcellus and Publius Cornelius Scipio went to Spain, taking Cartagena (209 BC.). Hasdrubal, brother of Hannibal, came with a reinforcement army is defeated and killed on the banks of Metauro (207 BC). Hannibal retreated to Crotone. Rome attack Carthage in Africa itself, where Scipio landed in 204 BC. BC and has an ally in the person of Numidian prince Masinissa. Hannibal was recalled to Africa (203 BC.). Mago, another brother of Hannibal, vainly tries to create a diversion by landing in Liguria. Hannibal is defeated by Scipio at Zama (202 BC.). Carthage defeated, cedes Spain, delivers its fleet, promises to pay 10,000 talents and commits to undertake no war without the consent of Rome (201 BC.). Soon after, she exiled Hannibal.

In the last chapter, the author passes under his microscope Carthaginian politics, structural reforms after the war, and the historical context of the third advance - "Roman war."

In this regard, we can say that the scope of this book largely transcends the specific case of specialists Phoenician-Punic world to reach a wider audience.

We would like to emphasize that, at different levels, the book by Khaled Melliti demonstrates great maturity historiographical and fidelity to the methodology of the founding fathers of the Phoenicians Studies.

We will leave it to the reader to have direct knowledge of the seven topics proposed by the author.

Regards,

Pete