Gulf of Tunis

The gulf of Tunis (rear RTL الخليجالتونسي) is a Mediterranean Golfe extending on nearly 150 kilometers between the course Sidi Ali El Mekki (with a few kilometers in the east of Ghar El Melh) and the course Rass Eddar (or Cape Bon strictly speaking), with a few kilometers in the north of El Haouaria, located at the north-eastern point of the Péninsule of the same name.

Geography

The central part of the gulf corresponds to the town of Tunis which profits thus from a well protected site and favorable to the establishment of large a port commercial. A bay is articulated in the gulf of Tunis, on a few tens of kilometers, “bay of Tunis”, which is spread out between the course Carthage (Sidi Bou Saïd) with north and Korbous in the south. She constitutes a space Littoral very urbanized.

The littoral, in particular in its central part, consists of a long dune cord fed with the wire of the centuries by the Sédiment S carted by the Medjerda on the one hand and the Oued Miliane on the other hand.

The depths are in general low and the sablo-muddy funds. A Reef of Posidonie S ( posidonia oceanica ), protected space, characterizes the marine Flore.

History

Located at the limit of the gulf, what is called generally the “beautiful headland” is an geographical area quoted in the first treated signed between Rome and Carthage but which does not help however with its exact localization. According to the text, it delimits the gulf of Carthage and is thus to be the maritime limit most significant for the punic city. But a probable error of the Greek historian Polybe prevents from determining if it is about the course Bon (located at the North-East of Carthage) or the Cape Farina (north-western limit of Carthage). The historian states only that it was interdict with the Romains to sail beyond this course.

Descriptions of Polybe

Polybe, the historian friendly hostage of Rome but of Scipion the African was old a Hipparque (military chief) and thus very attentive with the important military details. In the first book of its Stories , it evokes a naval Bataille - the Bataille of the Cape Ecnomus having taken place lasting the First Punic War (256 av. J. - C.) - during which the Carthaginian fleet led by Hamilcar Barca and Hannon Large the is beaten by the Roman Consul Marcus Atilius Regulus whereas it tries to stop a Roman invasion of the North Africa: Thereafter, the Romans, after having made provisions of vivres and having repaired the captured ships the ships which sailed at the head of the others approached under the headland called Ermeo, which, located in front of the entirety gulf of Carthage, advances in the open sea towards the Sicily and they sailed along the coast in order to join the city called Aspis…

The description of the “Cape Ermeo” (RTL gr. ἠ ᾶκρα ἠ Ἐρμαἰα and Promunturium Mercuri for the Romans) would be thus the current course Bon. The Roman ships stops “under” the course Ermeo then “continued” until Aspis before continuing towards the south and is. “Cape Bon” indeed indicates the southernmost limit of a coastal navigation for the ships which come from north and which goes to Egypt. In the successive paragraphs (paragraphs 11-12 of chapter 36), the narration of the vicissitudes of this fleet confirm the course of the return towards Rome. However, one also knows that the Romans knew the course Farina under the name of Promunturium Apollineum or Promunturium Pulchri , Promunturium Pulchri being translated without difficulty into “beautiful headland”. For the Greek also, this headland was “beautiful”, Polybe even using to him word RTL gr. Καλὸν ( Kalos ).

Thus, in its third book, after having deferred the text of the treaty in the preceding chapter, Polybe specifies: The beautiful headland is thus that which is in front of same Carthage, turned with north, beyond whose the Carthaginians categorically prohibit the Romans from sailing with long ships because he want, seems to me it, that they know neither the area of Bissatide, nor that of Small Syrte which they call Empori because of the fertility of the zone.

Without discussing the definition of a “long ship” whose today function is not clear - mercantile or military -, one can notice that Polybe itself creates confusions on this geographical denomination: the comment above makes almost obligatory the bond between the “beautiful headland” and the course Bon. However, if this constitutes the southernmost limit, to sail towards the Libya and Egypt while skirting the coasts as that was to be practiced in these times was then impossible, from where uncertainty.

Assumptions

In conclusion, one can pose two assumptions:

the “beautiful headland” is the current course Bon. While sailing of Sicily towards Carthage, the Romans and their allies would have had a Western limit which even excluded Carthage it and a southernmost limit which excluded all the coast which went towards Libya. Thus, all the North-African coast would be prohibited with the Roman ships.
the “beautiful headland” is the current course Farina known by its Roman name of Promunturium Pulchri . In this case, the explanations of this limit and the specific quotation are more logical. With this limit, the Romans could reach Carthage but, not being able to go beyond the course Farina, Carthage protected the Western Mediterranean and the Numidie where its influence was not consolidated yet and where it will not be it before the period between the first and the second Punic War when Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal Barca, will leave to the conquest the Hispanie. To defend the Spanish shopping malls were to probably be the objective of Carthage since, in the second treaty, the cities of Utique, Mastia and Tarse are explicitly defended.

References

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