Punic as third language of Rome

Punic survived as a spoken language for a while after the fall of Rome in the west. During Roman rule, it was spoken by all levels of society in North Africa but how do we make it so that Punic shares the same level (or close to) of cultural prestige that the Greek language had for Rome? And if possible, to have the use of Punic not be overshadowed by Latin, and even spread to Hispania, via the Phoenician colonies under Roman rule? What POD would it take?
 

scholar

Banned
Punic survived as a spoken language for a while after the fall of Rome in the west. During Roman rule, it was spoken by all levels of society in North Africa but how do we make it so that Punic shares the same level (or close to) of cultural prestige that the Greek language had for Rome? And if possible, to have the use of Punic not be overshadowed by Latin, and even spread to Hispania, via the Phoenician colonies under Roman rule? What POD would it take?
Make the Punic world as influential and important as Greece to the Romans.
 
There is some problems:

1. Carthage hasn't similar cultural and social affection to Rome as for Greek city states.
2. Romans hated Carthagians.

So you should make Carthage culturally and socially very influential so you could get Romans respect more Punic language. But I don't know how this could happen.
 
Maybe if Carthage somehow ends up negotiating a surrender where they submit to Rome in a more intact fashion?
 
Maybe if Carthage somehow ends up negotiating a surrender where they submit to Rome in a more intact fashion?

Hmmm.... Rome and Carthage ally against a powerful Greek force coming west (be it a better Pyrrhus, Alexander, a Diadochos, whomever) and fight together for a couple of generations. Making Greek despised by both, and Punic highly favoured.

Then the polities form a join overarching council to decide affairs (initially limited to military matters, but later expands) and each major colony gets representation on it. Kind of a confederation of city states.

The Army uses Latin, the Navy Punic, farmers mostly Latin, merchants mostly Punic.

How's that?
 
I think you need to keep Rome from burning Carthage to the ground and enslaving the local populace. Somehow, on the onset of the 3rd Punic War, Rome's got to be decidedly more merciful to their foe and rival.

I don't know what specifically could change this though
 
Wouldn't you have to have Punic be more widespoken to begin with? I mean, outside of Carthage and Utica, you had native Libyans who likely spoke their own language. Ditto with Sicily and Spain outside of the Phoenician colonies.
 
Top