A Queen Who Built a Legacy
The story of Terra Delyssa begins with Queen Elyssa — also known as Dido — the legendary founder of Carthage in 814 BC. A Phoenician princess from Tyre (modern Lebanon), Elyssa fled her homeland after her brother murdered her husband. With her loyal followers, she sailed across the Mediterranean, landing on the coast of present-day Tunisia, where she set out to build a new city and a new life.
How She Won the Land
Upon arrival, Elyssa asked the local Berber ruler, King Iarbas, for land. He agreed — but with a mocking condition: she could have only as much land as could be covered by a single bull’s hide.
Resourceful and determined, Elyssa instructed her people to cut the hide into a long, thin strip. They stretched it in a wide arc along the coastline, claiming far more land than the king expected. The hill they secured was called Byrsa, meaning “citadel,” and it became the foundation for the city of Carthage.
The Omen of the Horse
As Elyssa’s people began building their new city, they discovered a horse’s head buried in the earth. In Phoenician culture, the horse symbolized courage, prosperity, and conquest. To Elyssa and her followers, this was a divine omen: Carthage would grow into a strong, victorious city blessed with power and resilience.
Today, this symbolism endures in the Terra Delyssa emblem. Our logo depicts a horse crowned with an olive branch as its mane — a tribute to strength, fertility, prosperity, and the agricultural heritage Queen Elyssa brought to North Africa.
Her Sacrifice and Immortality
Elyssa’s story ends in sacrifice, though details vary. According to the most enduring version, King Iarbas later demanded her hand in marriage. Loyal to her late husband and unwilling to endanger her people, Elyssa made the ultimate choice: she ordered a funeral pyre and took her own life, securing Carthage’s independence.
After her death, Elyssa was revered as a goddess. Her spirit lived on in the city she founded and in the legends preserved on coins bearing her likeness — and that of the horse.
Terra Delyssa Today
By naming our olive oil Terra Delyssa — the Land of Elyssa — we honor this queen’s legacy of courage, ingenuity, and devotion. Just as Elyssa brought olive culture to Carthage, we continue the tradition of cultivating Tunisia’s olives and sharing their richness with the world.
The horse in our emblem is more than a symbol of ancient Carthage; it is a promise: every bottle of Terra Delyssa represents strength, prosperity, and authenticity.