Utica, << YOO tih kuh, >> was an ancient city in North Africa. It was the oldest Phoenician colony on the coast of the western Mediterranean Sea. It stood about midway between present-day Tunis and Bizerte, in northern Tunisia. According to legend, Utica was founded in 1101 B.C. However, scholars now believe it was founded in the 700’s B.C. Utica was an important seaport, but its site is now about 7 miles (11 kilometers) from the sea. Some ruins of the city remain.
At first, Utica and the neighboring colony of Carthage were almost equal in power. With Motya, a colony in western Sicily, they gave Phoenicia control of the Mediterranean passage to the Straits of Gibraltar, threatening Greek sea trade.
Carthage later became an independent power and began to challenge Rome by the 300’s B.C. Utica fought on the side of Rome during the Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.) between Rome and Carthage. Rome won the war and made Utica the capital of its new province of Africa. Utica was conquered by Arabs in the A.D. 600’s.
