It is believed that the Phoenician Queen Dido founded Carthage around 900 BC. The Romans ultimately brought the Carthaginian Empire to ruin as a result of the Punic Wars. Because of its central location, however, they realized that is was a necessary strategic location in their empire. Under Julius Caesar, the city was revived and ultimately flourished as a colony. Unfortunately, Carthage’s plight as a foreign conquest did not end there. The Vandals, Muslim Conquerors, and the Byzantines all had their hand in Carthage’s history. Many ruins were left behind including Roman villas, the ancient Antoine Baths, the Sanctuary of Tophet, and the Punic Port that still harbors remarkable views of the sea.