Carthaginian foreign policy appears to have changed dramatically with the arrival of Mago I, king of Carthage, who ad been chosen as general after his predecessor was ousted for seeking royal power, as related by Justin, a Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire.

If previously Carthage had tentatively colonized the island of Ibiza on its own, it now takes the lead, establishing itself firmly as the dominant Phoenician military power in the western Mediterranean.

Although she remains an economic dependent of Tyre, Carthage now acts increasingly independently.