ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Carthage and the Phoenicians

From the purple-dye cities of Phoenicia to Carthage, its round harbour, its goddess Tanit and its war with Rome.

Chapters

0:07 Phoenicia
0:58 Carthage
1:49 Hannibal
2:22 The Fall

On-screen text

0:07 The Levant coast, c. 900 BC
0:14 The Levant coast, c. 900 BC
0:31 Tyre and Sidon — the purple cities Historical record · Phoenician city archaeology (Tyre, Sidon)
0:49 The tradition: Elissa of Tyre founds Carthage Tradition / scripture · Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus 18.4–6
0:58 Carthage, North Africa
1:05 Carthage, North Africa
1:22 Carthage, c. 200 BC — the round harbour Historical record · Excavations at Carthage (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
1:40 Tanit — the sign on the stones Historical record · Punic stelae
1:49 The war with Rome
1:56 The war with Rome
2:13 218 BC — Hannibal crosses the Alps Historical record · Polybius, Histories 3
2:22 146 BC
4:12 Carthage, 146 BC Historical record
5:10 Why did Rome raze Carthage? The Institute's interpretation
5:52 Rome destroyed Carthage in 146 BC Historical record · Polybius; Appian, Punic Wars
6:35 The Institute reads: the fall was total The Institute's interpretation
7:16 What remains of Carthage's glory? The Institute's interpretation
7:52 Carthage, 146 BC – end Historical record
8:33 History records the silence after the fire The Institute's interpretation

Sources

Historical record: Phoenician city archaeology (Tyre, Sidon) · Excavations at Carthage (UNESCO World Heritage Site) · Punic stelae · Polybius, Histories 3 · Polybius; Appian, Punic Wars

Tradition / scripture: Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus 18.4–6

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 249 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (26) — the next things to make

Hannibal: The march on Italy.
an army with war elephants struggling through snowy Alpine passes, soldiers in cloaks
Close-up of Roman soldiers fastening heavy wooden ladders to the lower battlements, ropes strained, faces set in grim determination.
A massive Roman catapult creaks, its arm drawn back, a stone projectile poised to launch toward the city wall.
The stone slams into the stone wall, a thunderous crack echoing, fragments scattering, a new breach widening.
A slow pan across burning houses, smoke billowing, wooden beams collapsing, the city’s heart igniting.
Roman soldiers pour through the breach, torches raised, their silhouettes stark against the inferno behind them.
Close-up of a Roman boot crushing a colorful mosaic tile, shards scattering like tiny mirrors on the ground.
A Carthaginian defender lifts a spear, eyes fierce, then drops it as a Roman sword slices through the air.
A Roman standard, its eagle perched atop a ruined gate, flutters defiantly against the crimson sky.
Pan right across deserted market stalls, overturned jars and broken wares glinting in the fading light.
Roman soldiers beat drums, marching out of the ruined city, smoke still curling behind them.
The sun sinks, casting a deep red hue over the ruined skyline, the city bathed in a final, mournful glow.
Pull back to reveal the entire city reduced to smoldering ruins, the coastline a thin line of darkness.
A ghostly silhouette of a woman stands at a doorway, her form wavering like a memory, not a factual presence.
A lone palm tree survives amid the ash, its fronds swaying gently in the night breeze.
A brief card fades in over the graffiti.
Pan left over a broken aqueduct, arches toppled, water nowhere to be seen.
Embers drift upward on a night wind, glowing briefly before fading into the dark sky.
A cracked stone road stretches forward, weeds pushing through fissures, nature reclaiming the path.
A lone Carthaginian survivor stands on a hill, gazing toward the empty plain where his city once thrived.
Pan right over distant hills as the first light of sunrise paints the sky in pale gold.
A Carthaginian child picks up a smooth shell from the sand, holding it gently as if treasuring a memory.
Pull out to reveal the empty plain where the city once stood, the horizon flat and silent.
A single marble column stands silhouetted against the sky, its capital eroded, a lone sentinel of memory.
The screen fades to black, lingering ash particles drift across the darkness, the echo of distant drums fading away.