from Part III - Urbanism and the Countryside
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2025
This chapter examines the urban and architectural transformation of Carthage in Late Antiquity, focusing on how the city evolved under Roman, Vandal and Byzantine rule between the fourth and seventh centuries. It discusses Carthage’s role as a political, economic and religious hub in the Mediterranean, emphasising the continuity of its strategic and commercial significance, particularly as a centre for grain production and trade. The study details how Carthage’s harbours, warehouses and marketplaces adapted to shifting imperial priorities. It also explores urban planning, noting how the city’s grid layout, monumental basilicas and elite residences reflected both Roman traditions and late antique adaptations. Religious transformation is another central theme, with a focus on the growth of Christian architecture, including churches, martyr shrines and cemetery basilicas. The chapter reassesses the impact of Vandal rule (439–533 CE), challenging traditional narratives of decline by presenting evidence of continued economic activity and urban maintenance. Under Byzantine rule (533–698 CE), Carthage experienced renewed investment in fortifications, infrastructure and religious buildings, though signs of urban contraction emerged by the seventh century. Thus this chapter demonstrates that Carthage remained a dynamic and resilient city despite political upheavals and its eventual conquest by Islamic forces.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.