A PUNIC ANNUAL FESTIVAL IN SPAIN began
yesterday on the 12th:
Carthaginians and Romans Festival - Cartagena
By h.b. - Sep 12, 2007 - 4:59 PM
This fiesta takes place in the second half of September and celebrations run for ten days
The city which is home to Spain’s main Mediterranean naval base, Cartagena, in the Murcia Region, was, as its name suggests, founded by the Carthaginians.
It was founded as Qart Hadasht (Punic for new city) by the Carthaginian general, Hasdrubal, in around 227, and soon became the Carthaginians’ main centre of operations in the Mediterranean.
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Today, the people of Cartagena celebrate that period of their rich history with the Cartagineses y Romanos festival, running for 10 days in the second half of September.
These relatively recent celebrations open on the penultimate Friday of the month with a call to the gods for the sacred fire to light the torch which will remain lit night and day throughout the festival. Later on that night, is the presentation of the Carthaginian troops and the Roman Legions, before they march to the festival’s military camp.
The following days see a living chess tournament, the wedding of Hannibal and Himilce, a Roman circus, and the Carthaginians disembarking in the port before a re-enactment of Hannibal’s departure from Qart Hadasht to Rome with 90,000 troops, 12,000 cavalry and 50 war elephants.
The next Friday sees the recreation of the sea battle which formed part of the Roman forces’ two-pronged attack on the city more than 2,000 years ago, followed that afternoon by the Legions disembarking to join their land troops before Qart Hadasht is taken for Rome.
The battle ends with the capitulation of the Carthaginian commander, and a victorious march through the streets of New Carthage by the Legions who took the city for Rome.
The final day sees a homage to the Roman soldiers who fell in the battle, and forces from both sides parade through the streets of Cartagena.
Hannibal started from Cartagena when he began his campaign across the Alps to Italy and the city was later captured by the Roman General Publius Cornelius Scipio.
Some modern Punic warriors
