You Phoenicians they are part of one of the most important civilizations of antiquity – the Phoenician civilization.
They lived in Northern Palestine, between the Mediterranean Sea and the territory that today corresponds to Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
The Phoenicians are known as the people of the sea. That's because they were great maritime merchants and contributed to the development of Astronomy.
The Persians and Hebrews also stand out in ancient civilization.
Map of Phoenician city-states and their trade routes
Hebrews, Phoenicians and Persians
The Phoenicians coexisted and traded with various peoples. They had as neighbors the Hebrews who also lived in the region where the present State of Israel is located.
With the Persians, in addition to trade, the Phoenicians still had to face them as enemies due to the expansion of the Persian Empire.
Read more about Hebrews and Persians.
Religion
The religion of Phoenicia was Polytheism where they practiced rituals of animal sacrifice.
The Phoenicians mainly worshiped three gods, who are known by different names:
he - was the ultimate god – the one who had created the world, but not necessarily the gods. Nothing happened without her consent and that's why he knows everything. El is represented as an old man, sitting on top of the mountain, far removed from humanity. To reach his graces, the faithful must turn to his wife, Astarte.
asherah - wife of El - mother goddess, of the sea, of the flocks and of the crops. One of its symbols is the palm tree, a tree that stands out in the desert for its resistance, just as it stands out among the gods.
Baal - son of El and Astarte - was the god of storms and mountains, in charge of fertility. He is known by various titles as Knight of the Clouds or Master of the Lands, a warrior who fights the forces of death. As El's son he also acts as regent in his father's absence.
Economy
High relief showing the landing of wood by Phoenician navigators
The Phoenicians were dedicated to handicrafts, even inventing transparent glass. In agriculture, they cultivated olives and vines, and dedicated themselves especially to fishing and maritime trade.
They did not develop large agricultural activities, taking into account that the region they inhabited was mountainous and not very extensive.
They expanded fabric dyeing techniques. The dyeing with a purple hue, made from a mollusk, which was much sought after by the elite, stands out. From this color comes the word "Phoenician".
They built large and imposing ships that allowed them to expand their trade. They built ports and traveled long distances exchanging goods such as cedar wood, glass, ivory and dyes.
Politics
Importantly, there has never been a unified country called “Phoenician” as we understand it today.
Phoenicia was made up of several city-states, such as Arad, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon and Ugarit. Each of these cities was governed independently that could either be allies or war with each other.
Political power was based on maritime routes and was in the hands of the men who dominated the sea, constituting the Thalassocracy.
This word comes from the Greek and means “thalassa”- sea and “kratia”- strength, power.
Culture
Phoenician culture was influenced by the peoples they traded to the point that many scholars identify few original elements.
However, they stood out in the minting of coins and printed there the designs of their boats and myths.
They used music and dance to praise the gods in rituals performed in the countryside or in the center of cities.
Alphabet
The greatest legacy of the Phoenicians that has come down to our days is the alphabet.
Unlike other peoples such as the Egyptians or Babylonians who developed a script based on symbols, the Phoenician alphabet represented phonemes. This alphabet would be the origin of Western writing.
It had 22 consonants and, later, the Greeks would add the vowels.
It was created with the objective of facilitating commercial relations.
Read more at Alphabet Origin.
The End of the Phoenicians
When Cyrus II, king of Persia, conquered Phoenicia, the Phoenicians fled and founded Carthage.
After three conflicts for domination of the Mediterranean Sea, during the Punic Wars, Rome destroys Carthage and dominates the Mediterranean trade.
Curiosity
Some scholars believe that the Phoenicians were in Brazil leaving marks, such as materials with Phoenician inscriptions and similarities with indigenous culture.
However, there is no proof of the veracity of this theory.
read more:
- Antique
- Mesopotamian Civilization
- Paganism
- Questions about Mesopotamia
