num_pages: 42
description: *Includes pictures*Includes ancient accounts describing the Phoenicians and their history language and culture.*Includes a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contentsThese people who had formerly dwelt on the shores of the Erythraean Sea having migrated to the Mediterranean and settled in the parts which they now inhabit began at once they say to adventure on long voyages freighting their vessels with the wares of Egypt and Assyria... - HerodotusOf all the peoples of the ancient Near East the Phoenicians are among the most recognizable but also perhaps the least understood. The Phoenicians never built an empire like the Egyptians and Assyrians; in fact the Phoenicians never created a unified Phoenician state but instead existed as independent city-state kingdoms scattered throughout the Mediterranean region. However despite the fact there was never a Phoenician Empire the Phoenicians proved to be more prolific in their exploration and colonization than any other peoples in world history until the Spanish during the Age of Discovery. The Phoenicians were well-known across different civilizations throughout the ancient world and their influence can be felt across much of the West today because they are credited with inventing the forerunner to the Greek alphabet from which the Latin alphabet was directly derived. Nonetheless the Phoenicians left behind few written texts so modern historians have been forced to reconstruct their past through a variety of ancient Egyptians Assyrian Babylonian Greek and Roman sources. Its not even clear what the Phoenicians called themselves because the name Phoenician is derived from the Greek word phoinix which possibly relates to the dyes they produced and traded (Markoe 2000 10). The mystery of the ancient Phoenicians is further compounded by the fact that archaeologists have only been able to excavate small sections of the three primary Phoenician cities: Byblos Sidon and Tyre. Despite the inherent problems in reconstructing Phoenician history there are enough primary sources available to accurately place the Phoenician people in their proper historical context within the ancient Near East and scholars have found that given their extensive exploration colonization trade and manufacturing (among other things) the Phoenicians deserve to be considered alongside the other well-known peoples of antiquity.The Phoenicians: The History and Culture of One of the Ancient Worlds Most Influential Civilizations comprehensively covers the history culture and lingering mysteries behind the Phoenicians profiling their origins and their lasting legacy.. Along with pictures of important people places and events you will learn about the Phoenicians like never before in no time at all.
language: None
title: The Phoenicians: The History and Culture of One of the Ancient World's Most Influential Civilizations
publisher: None