Phoenicians

The Phoenicians were a Canaanite ethnic group politically organized into city-states along the coastal plain at the foot of the Lebanon mountain range. Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos were among the most prominent of their city-states. Their geographic location offered access to two natural resources in high demand in the ancient world: the cedars of Lebanon and Mediterranean sea snails that were used to manufacture purple and blue dyes. Such exports were supplemented by high quality metal and glassware. Their wealth came from exporting timber, textiles, glassware, and metal products, as well as trade and transport of merchandise through their vast trading network.

The Phoenicians were the most advanced mariners in the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea from the 10th to the fifth centuries bc. They established colonies throughout the Mediterranean, most notably at Carthage in North Africa. They formed other colonies in Spain and Mediterranean islands such as Sardinia and Cyprus. Through this trading network, their prestige and influence spread far beyond their geographical boundaries. In addition to economic exports, the Phoenicians had a global cultural impact through their export of the West Semitic alphabet, passed to the Greeks by 750 bc. The Greeks modified the alphabet, which was later adopted by the Romans for Latin and ultimately came to be the primary alphabet used by the Western world.

Douglas Mangum

Further Reading

Phoenicia BEB