Born c. 500 B.C.
Died ?

Phoenicia was an ancient civilization that dominated the Mediterranean world around 1250 B.C. The Phoenicians were great navigators and traders, and as they roamed the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea they founded ports and colonies along its shores. One of the most important of these was Carthage, an independent city-state (a self-ruling area made up of a city and its surrounding territory) located on the north coast of Africa, near present-day Tunis.

It is believed that Hanno was a leading statesman and admiral of Carthage during the fifth century B.C. By that time, other peoples had challenged the dominance of Phoenicia in the Mediterranean. The Carthaginians had recently suffered defeats in war against the Greeks of Sicily, and were anxious to maintain their control over western Mediterranean shores. This spurred an enormous exploring and colonizing expedition from Carthage along the west coast...