The Council of Thirty: A Special Commission of Carthaginian Diplomacy?

Some ancient writers mention a council that belonged to the Carthaginian Senate. This commission was made up of thirty members of high Socio-political status in Carthage. They would have acted throughout Punic history in diplomatic missions of special importance for the survival of the city. In general, this study investigates the existence of a specific instrument of this nature, examining the characteristics that can be drawn for the literary evidence, and its fields of action. It also aims to address the intrinsic problem of the analysis of Carthaginian political institutions from the perspective of Greco-Roman sources.