The Hundred and Four, or Council of 104 ( Phoenician Miat, from the Mia - "hundred", grc, Εκατόν, la, Ordo judicum), was a Carthaginian tribunal of judges. They were created early in Carthage's history, and are described in Aristotle's ''Politics'' (4th century BC) as "the highest constitutional authority." The Hundred and Four were in charge of judging generals and the military, who exercised a great deal of independence from the government in Carthage. The Hundred and Four were intended to provide a check to ensure the military served the needs of the senate and the people. However, by the time of

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pun ...

, and his stint as

Suffet In several ancient Semitic-speaking cultures and associated historical regions, the shopheṭ or shofeṭ (plural shophṭim or shofeṭim; he, שׁוֹפֵט ''šōfēṭ'', phn, 𐤔𐤐𐤈 ''šōfēṭ'', xpu, 𐤔𐤐𐤈 ''šūfeṭ'', ...

(early 2nd century BC), the 104 had acquired tyrannical power. By leading a populist reform movement—including substituting annual rotation in office for the life tenure formerly enjoyed by the 104—Hannibal managed to restore a measure of popular rule. Until

's reforms the Hundred and Four held their position for life. During Hannibal's term as Suffett he used popular support to change the term to a year and to add a term limit of two years.Justin 19.2.5 and Livy 33.46.4; Serge Lancel, ''Carthage: A History'' (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1995), pp. 114-16, 403; Gilbert &

Colette Picard Colette Picard (''née'' Durand) (1913 – 11 October 1999, Versailles) was a French archaeologist and historian. As curator of the archaeological site of Carthage, she led excavations on the hill of Byrsa in 1947. Married to historian Gilbert ...

, ''The Life & Death of Carthage'', tr. Dominique Collon (London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1968), pp. 141-46; B.H. Warmington, ''Carthage'' (London: Robert Hale Limited, 1960), p. 196

Endnotes

References

*Warmington, B.H. ''Carthage, A History'', Barnes and Noble Books, 1993. Carthage {{Tunisia-stub