Phoenician Secrets: Exploring the Ancient Mediterranean

by Sanford Holst

The mysterious Phoenicians and the ancient Mediterranean are experienced in richer detail than ever before in this well researched and intriguing narrative. (There is a new edition of this book, see "Phoenicians".) Instead of seeing darkness in the years before classical Greece, we now see glimmers of light revealing a continuous parade of remarkable societies, great leaders and epic events. Drawing back the veil of secrecy surrounding the Phoenicians uncovers new glimpses of Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and people of other societies. Sanford Holst is one of the world's leading authorities on the Phoenicians, and appears in the BBC series Ancient Worlds. Elected a member of the prestigious Royal Historical Society for his work in this field, Holst has presented academic papers on the Phoenicians at universities around the world. Working with respected experts, often on-site, he has added photos, sources, and five years of additional research to his previous work. This is a walk through the idyllic ancient Mediterranean you will long remember.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History

380 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2011

About the author

Sanford Holst is a historian whose books bring the ancient Mediterranean to life. He wrote Amazon’s #1 book on the Phoenicians, as well as its fresh new second edition. Another of his books explores the influence of Solomon’s Temple on the sudden rise of the Knights Templar. He has presented academic papers at universities around the world, and is a member of the Royal Historical Society in London. He has explored archives and historic sites all across the Mediterranean and benefited from the work of many local experts. His informative websites are read by more than half a million people each year.

Reviews

[Gordon Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This history reads almost like a novel. It is extremely readable and actually quite gripping. I could not put it down and read it in only a few days. This is the only book I know of which traces the entire history of the Phoenicians across their roughly 3000 years of existence. Holst also recounts the contacts the Phoenicians had with the other peoples of the Mediterranean and this allows the reader to put events into context in a very helpful way. The book is more than just a history of the Phoenicians. As the title suggests, it really does explore the whole of the ancient Mediterranean.

In his introduction, Holst states that there are often varying opinions as to what actually happened in history, but that for the sake of brevity, he has simply presented the explanation of each event best supported by the available evidence. While this approach is pragmatic, it robs the reader of the opportunity to understand where there is consensus about the events Holst is reporting, and where he is venturing into more debatable interpretations. In fact, there are many places where he gives detailed accounts of the motivations of the Phoenicians that we cannot possibly know. At times, his narrative is highly speculative, but presented using language which makes it sound like fact.

Overall, he presents a very one-sided view of the Phoenicians as lovers of peace and equality. Though they quite probably were more peaceful and egalitarian than the societies which surrounded them ( as were many people whose prosperity was based predominantly on trade), it is probable that things were far more nuanced and changeable than the impression Holst gives us. Having said that, Holst does provide us at the end of the book with internet links to papers he has presented on some of the more debatable themes in the book so that the reader can follow these up.

Overall, there is a lot of new material in the book and it brings all the information together into a coherent and fascinating narrative. Despite the one-sidedness, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. However, if you want to balance out your view of the Phoenicians I suggest also reading 'Carthage Must be Destroyed' by Richard Miles after you finish 'Phoenician Secrets'.

[Steve Cran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the author's first book on the Phoenicians a few years ago and thought it was great. I learned a lot about the Phoenicians and their contributions to the development of the Mediterranean that I never knew before or could even imagine. When I bought this book I was expecting to learn something new. Short I was in the expectation of this book continuing where the other one left off. You can well understand my disappointment when I thought to myself while reading this book that hmm I read this before. I was read a few more chapters into the book it dawned on me that this was the same book just a different title.

As I read further on I realized that there was up to 30-40% new information. An update of an older work. Would have been nice if they kept the same title. Then again I might now have invested in the book. The book is a great read for the lay man. It is not burdened with overly academic language and vocabulary and it is very understandable. Such easy reading is refreshing. There is one drawback though and that is the lack of footnotes. I want to track down some of this information. Some of it I have questions about and want to make further inquiries, a bit difficult if the footnotes are not in place. In short I would advise getting this book as opposed to the older one. In fact the author's website is advertising this book not the old one. Very telling.

The Phoenicians are a fascinating group of people. The book give a great surface over view of that. The group started out in Byblos, a city by the sea. At first they were fishermen who made their living from the sea. Their first boats were made from dugout Cedar logs. Eventually their boat building became more advanced and they began trading with distant villages. The result what a rising standard of living. They hit the jackpot with Egypt. Egypt bought lots of timber for their Temple dedicated to Horus in Hierankopolis. The First Pharoah to unite the divided land was their best customer. The author has some new information here detailing the rise of Egypt from the Scorpion king, Aha Menas etc.

The Phoenician expanded their base of trade to the Mediterranean Sea basin and the Aegean. They traded with Cyprus, and founded colonies in Santorini, Malta and Gozo. They brought wares from different places and traded them all over their network. They kept their sources a secret. Secrecy was one of their principles. The Phoenician found a race of people who built nice temple to the Mother Goddess. The Phoenicians being great middle men introduced them to the Egyptians who hired them to build their pyramids. Strange that one day all the inhabitants of the island disappeared. The Egyptians may have taken them enmasse to build their pyramids.

The Pheonicians were of Canaanite stock but they were way different from the other Canaanites. For one they worshiped mother nature an eventually added in a horned god. The Canaanite were more warlike and had a pantheon of gods. One of the Phoenician secrets was to negotiate rather then fight. They also blended in with the others so it was hard to tell the difference. Women were also treated equally and their input was valued.

When the Amorites continued in conquering their main city Byblos rather than fight they made for themselves a new home. They packed up and shipped off to Crete.In Crete they blended in with the locals and formed the Minoan empire. Prior to the Minoan
Empire the Phoenicians set up up other Cities along the Lebanese coast. Cities like Sidon, Arwad and Tyre. As they settled Crete many would leave Tyre and Sidon and those areas were abandoned for up to 500 years after.

The Myceneans were the ones who would change things for the Phoenicians. They were aggressive and warlike. Eventually they would storm the island of Crete. The Phoenicians would simply pack up and leave when negotiations failed them. They ended up resettling their old cities. Things still started looking down for the Phoenicians. Their trading partners, the Egyptians got more and more aggressive. The Hittites rose to power and were hostile as well. The volcano on Santorini exploded destroying numerous Phoenicians colonies in the Aegean. New trading centers arose like Ugarit who offered stiff competition.

Salvation would come in the form of the Kaska people who lived near the Black sea area and were oppressed by the Hittites. The Phoenicians made friends with them and let them to have use of their ships. This provoked in an invasion of the Sea Peoples and they would storm the Aegean and the entire Middle East. All the obstacle the Phoenicians faced were obliterated. Everyone experienced conflict save for the Phoenicians.

Things went great for while until the Greeks started expanding out. They were rather aggressive. They would expand out under the Alexander the Great. Alexander sacked the entire middle east those that surrender were treated mercifully cities like Tyre who put up great resistance for 9 months faced horrible consequences. Tyre was an island city that held out against the Assyrians for 13 years before their leader finally gave up. The other cities just joined in and Hellenized.

Once colony that was immune to all of this was Carthage, set up by wealthy Phoenicians they engaged in farming and became a regional power. Later on Rome would go to war with them in a series of wars called " The Punic Wars" Hannibal became famous from all of this. Eventually Rome won out and Carthage fell. The author believes the Phoenicians still live on. They might. You will have to read the book and find out for yourself.

[Salina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the Phoenician's and the area of the Ancient Mediterranean as a whole, you will probably find this book interesting at the very least. I haven't been able to find anything quite as comprehensive as this, in regards to the Phoenician's, and will continue to reference it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, this was one one the best books on ancient times that I've read.

Second, I'm in love. With a historic people.

I've studied this time period for sometime and this was the people I wasn't seeing. As soon as they were added to the map everything just clicked into place. They are the source of everything I really connect to in this region.

I just wish Rome had been burned when it was still huts.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Karem Mahmoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's a Must Read. Special appreciation to my friend who introduced this book, hence her passion to phoenicians and lebanon.
to read and learn about phoenicians is to uncover the founding histories of humanity today. it's unique how such civilisation managed to create history and contribute to all civilisations of the antiquity, yet survive all these milleniums intact, preserved. it is astonishing how those sea people managed to keep their secrets hidden for thousands of years.
it is truly a journey that will help you to understand the legacy of Phoenicians to the humanity all time, and that was not accomplished by sword and war, it was by trade, peace, negotiations and secrecy.

it's a scientific book written by the most valuable person who spent his life learning and searching about phoenicians. yet it's a passionate book that takes you to the oldest days of humanity; 5000 BC, this is 7,000 years now.
a journey began 7,000 years ago, and till day, hereditary characteristics of Phoenicians have been found in lebanon and other places. the journey continues.

[Zachary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Establishes core principles for understanding Phoenicians and their culture. Holst argues for broad continuity from earliest possible records, 3200 BC, to the Roman period over 3000 years later without a break. His Phoenicians expand or contract, reckon with new challenges, but remain static. He believes their paucity of written records attributable to cultural secrecy enduring over millennia. They are pacifistic problem-solvers and adaptable to outside influences. He believes that they circumnavigated Africa.

Whenever Holst diverts from his core study, he errs. I’ve not seen a recent author go this “all in” on Sea Peoples. They discuss their role in Egypt, maybe report that people used to believe they sacked Hattusa or Ugarit, but few embrace the full Gaston Maspero unified Sea Peoples theory. Similar errors occur in the section on Rome: that Romans plowed salt into Carthage’s fields is a persistent myth. Holst even mistranslates Cato’s famous quip, which contains a gerundive in passive periphrastic where Holst wanted a simple perfect passive participle. These kinds of errors call into question the rest of his scholarship, which is presented with a bibliography only and no footnotes to better show sourcing. So… I cannot recommend. What’s the use of a supposedly authoritative book whose sources must all be consulted and verified?

[Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Buckminster Fuller's captivating chapter on the history of trade in the early parts of his epic "Critical Path", my curiosity about the Phoenicians peaked. This book serves as a guide to the history of trade, and beliefs related to how sea-faring, societal survival, and language could have developed in this part of the world. Many interesting points are presented and I feel like I was given a reasonably fair tour of what might have happened. Since there are so few remnants of documentation (on papyrus) and a lack of bombastic buildings a lot of educated guess work is the best we've got. Worth reading for people wanting an introduction nor reminder of ancient times I'd say.

[Charles DiFazio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I knew that the Phoenicians were a great and early sea-traveling people, I really knew little of the Phoenician culture and peoples. Reading Holst's work made me realize how important these people were to the people and cultures of the Mediterranean and beyond.

[Sahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great author. The mix of each era and explaining things that I never noticed. Great great book, and how amazingly this author put everything together, combine the, brings reason, and we read it. Highly recommended.

[Fearless Leader · Rating 4 out of 5]

His interpretations of Phoenician’s intents was very charitable.

[kwaku apea atakora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Depth history on the Phoenicians and their way of life. Very unique society. Strong and resilient. Worth the read. Cheers!

[Roderick Brunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first got started on this minor opus I expected to see all the presumptuous status quo of modern day assumption and rendering of historical fact {so-called}. The discerning thing about this work is the way the author lays out his deductions - through sound reasoning; along with an added something that’s missing from contemporary historical research – common sense. The combination of these relatively rare ingredients raises the quality of the historical inquiry in question well above the typical scholarly meanderings found in so many books on Phoenicia and the Phoenicians. Let’s face it, until we are able to locate Sanchuniathon’s exhaustive work in its entirety or even a more elaborate remnant of Philo’s translation of said work or some other hitherto unknown first hand chronicle, we’re all guessing!
With that said, there is far reaching guesswork, and then there’s sound postulation – which is genuine reasoning through scrutiny of knowledge; “Phoenician Secrets: Exploring the Ancient Mediterranean” by Sanford Holst, definitely falls into the latter category. I would like to have seen a more generous section on the relationship the Phoenicians had with certain regions of South America. A point of suggestion, by the way, which is well founded by various evidences, yet touched upon by far too few historians. Diogenes Vindex, I might add, astutely advances this thesis within his excellent monograph Derivation Incognita: A Comprehensive Study into the Peopling of America.
In any event, aside from this singular deficiency - in the end this work is exceptional. If you want just one representative of Phoenician history in your library, I’d choose this one or the exemplary effort by George Rawlinson, which, by the way, may be over one hundred years old, yet still my favorite; as it is the product of genuine analysis, being devoid of any pompous contemporary audacity.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into the authors writing style. I can see why people like it but it just wasn't for me. I got about 50 pages in and just stopped. Oh well, live and learn. He does know his history so if you are looking to learn about the Phoenicians then this is a good starting point.

[Raja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first I've read on the subject of Phoenician history and I'm really glad that's the case. The author's knowledge and passion for the subject made the read a very rewarding and pleasant experience. His writing style helped too, by keeping the book light and easy to read.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read! Probably the best book on the mysterious Phoenicians.