Sulci or Sulki (in Greek , Steph. B., Ptol.; , Strabo; , Paus.), was one of the most considerable cities of ancient Sardinia, situated in the southwest corner of the island, on a small island, now called Isola di Sant'Antioco, which is, however, joined to the mainland by a narrow

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmu ...

or neck of sand. South of this isthmus, between the island and the mainland, is an extensive bay, now called the Golfo di Palmas, which was known in ancient times as the ''Sulcitanus Portus'' (Ptol.).

Origins

The foundation of Sulci ( Punic:) is expressly attributed to the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

(Paus. x. 17. § 9;

Claudian Claudius Claudianus, known in English as Claudian (; c. 370 – c. 404 AD), was a Latin poet associated with the court of the Roman emperor Honorius at Mediolanum (Milan), and particularly with the general Stilicho. His work, written almost ent ...

, ''B. Gild.'' 518), and it seems to have become under that people one of the most considerable cities of Sardinia, and one of the chief seats of their power in the island. However, as noted by archaeologists the city was founded by Tyrians during the late 9th century bc, and most of the inhabitants were probably native Sardinians, it remained independent until Carthage conquered it in the late 6th century bc Its name was first mentioned in history during the First Punic War, when the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Gisco, having been defeated in a sea-fight (the Battle of Sulci, 258 BCE) by Gaius Sulpicius Paterculus, took refuge at Sulci, but was slain in a tumult by his own soldiers (

Zonaras Joannes or John Zonaras ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Ζωναρᾶς ; 1070 – 1140) was a Byzantine Greek historian, chronicler and theologian who lived in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). Under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos he held ...

viii. 12).

Caesar's civil war

No other mention of the name occurs in history until the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

between Pompey and

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

. The citizens of Sulci received in their port the fleet of Nasidius, the admiral of Pompey, and furnished Pompey with supplies; for which service they were severely punished by Caesar, on his return from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, 46 BCE. Caesar imposed on the city a contribution of 100,000

sesterces The ''sestertius'' (plural ''sestertii''), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin. The na ...

, besides heavily increasing its annual tribute of corn (Hirt. ''B. Aft.'' 98). Notwithstanding this infliction, Sulci seems to have continued under the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

to be one of the most flourishing towns in the island. Strabo and Mela both mention it as if it were the second city in Sardinia; and its municipal rank is attested by inscriptions, as well as by

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

. (Strab. v. p. 225; Mel. ii. 7. § 19; Plin. iii. 7. s. 13; Ptol. iii. 3. § 3; Inset. ''ap'' De la Marmora, vol. ii. pp. 479, 482.) The

Itineraries A travel itinerary is a schedule of events relating to planned travel, generally including destinations to be visited at specified times and means of transportation to move between those destinations. For example, both the plan of a business trip ...

give a line of road proceeding from Tibula (at the extreme north of Sardinia) direct to Sulci, a sufficient proof of the importance of the latter place. (Itin. Ant. pp. 83, 84.) It was also one of the four chief episcopal sees into which Sardinia was divided, and seems to have continued to be inhabited through a great part of the Middle Ages, but ceased to exist before the 13th century.

Present day

The remains of the ancient city are distinctly seen a little to the north of the modern town of

Sant'Antioco Sant'Antioco (; sc, Santu Antiogu) is the name of both an island and a municipality ('' comune'') in southwestern Sardinia, in the Province of South Sardinia, in Sulcis zone. With a population of 11,730, the municipality of Sant'Antioco it is t ...

, on the island or peninsula of the same name: and the works of art which have been found there bear testimony to its flourishing condition under the Romans. (De la Marmora, vol. ii. p. 357; Smyth's ''Sardinia'', p. 317.) The name of Sulcis is given at the present day to the whole district of the mainland, immediately opposite to Sant'Antioco, which is one of the most fertile and best cultivated tracts in the whole of Sardinia. The Sulcitani of Ptolemy (iii. 3. § 6) are evidently the inhabitants of this district. The Itineraries mention a town or village of the name of Sulci on the E. coast of Sardinia, which must not be confounded with the more celebrated city of the name. (Itin. Ant. p. 80.) It was probably situated at Girasole (De la Marmora, p. 443) or

Tortolì Tortolì (; sc, Tortolì or ; la, Portus Ilii) is a town and '' comune'' in Sardinia, in the Province of Nuoro. Geography Tortolì is situated on the eastern coast of Sardinia. Its port and greatest hamlet is Arbatax, which has also an airpor ...

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