Carthage

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Map_of_Rome_and_Carthage_at_the_start_of_the_Second_Punic_War.svg/2560px-Map_of_Rome_and_Carthage_at_the_start_of_the_Second_Punic_War.svg.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Carthage Carthage! Founded by Phoenicians (from the Levant) so they can be Lizardmen! They own Tunisia and the spot above (originally earmarked for the Arabians) and also Sardinia and Corse (the islands west of Italia). Religion is undecided as of now. Libya is the battleground of choice between Romanus Aegyptus and Carthage. It is ruled by Dido/Elissa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Carthage#Foundation_legends Describes Carthage offering shelter to someone from Troy after it falls, Dido (the Queen) predicts conflict between Rome and Carthage.

‘colonies were established in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Iberia, and to a much lesser extent, on the arid coast of Libya’. Suits this perfectly! They operate across the coast of these countries with Tunisia as the centre. Not as active in Libya because the coast is so arid – this means wars there are particularly brutal. ((Aegyptus and Rome probably unified because of their common Carthaginian enemy!))

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_period CRTL+F - go to Carthage 2 and you’ll find interesting stuff (Spartan mercenary captain hired)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punics - look at for the cities of Carthage.

Sneak into the decadent cities of Carthage.

Incredibly diverse - the army is made of foreign mercenaries from every country under the sun. Really play up this aspect.

They are Semitic like the Arabic and Jewish (Awaiter) peoples so are lizards. Really civilised respectable ones.

Malta - Mdina is the largest city. It looks like.