Suniatus of Carthage

Suniatus was renowned in 4th-century BC Carthage as the wealthiest and most influential statesman outside the military aristocracy. Serving as suffete and leading diplomat, he was a fierce political adversary of Hanno the Great.

Seeking to thwart Hanno's military appointments, Suniatus sent secret letters written in Greek to Dionysius of Syracuse warning of Carthaginian military plans. Intercepted by the Senate, Suniatus was tried and executed for high treason. In reaction, the Senate passed an extraordinary law forbidding all Carthaginian citizens from learning or writing Greek, a decree that stood for decades.