The Only Use
Carthage
in
Moby Dick
(Auto-generated)
- Besides though New Bedford has of late been gradually monopolising the business of whaling, and though in this matter poor old Nantucket is now much behind her, yet Nantucket was her great original—the Tyre of this Carthage;—the place where the first dead American whale was stranded.†
Chpt 1-3Carthage = an ancient city state on the north African coast
Definitions:
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(1)
(Carthage as in: the ancient city-state) ancient North African city and trading empire, near modern Tunis, that became a powerful rival of RomeCarthage was founded by Phoenician traders and grew rich by controlling trade across the western Mediterranean, including parts of Spain and islands like Sicily.
It fought three major wars with Rome, called the Punic Wars. The Carthaginian general Hannibal is famous for leading his army (and war elephants) over the Alps to attack Rome during the Second Punic War. In the end, Rome destroyed Carthage in 146 BC and later rebuilt the site as a Roman city.
Carthage was destroyed again in 698 during the Arab conquest of North Africa, and the nearby city of Tunis eventually became the main center in the area.
Today, "Carthage" can also symbolize a once-great power that was completely defeated. -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, Carthage can refer to any city with that name including the modern city in Tunisia that includes the site of the ancient city.