The Phoenicians: The History and Culture of One of the Ancient World’s Most Influential Civilizations

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures*Includes ancient accounts describing the Phoenicians and their history, language, and culture.*Includes a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents“These 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. It’s 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 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 The History and Culture of One of the Ancient World’s 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.

Genres: History, Ancient History

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Brian]

Audiobooked. I'm not sure how prepared the narrator was for this book. You can hear him pause before each unfamiliar word he reads, then he mispronounces antiquity basics like 'Herodotus' and 'Chalcedon'.

[Teri Orthwein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

Talk about a good book on the history of an incredible people in our own country. I found myself taking in the information as much as I can, and as soon as I can

[Jacki Basten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting reading

Well written and to the point. Very informative. It met my expectations. No real complaints. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to know about these people.

[Alicia Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much on Phoenicians outside of Tyre and Carthage.

[Katie J Dvorak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of ancient Phonecia

While editing is slack, the excitement of the story grips the reader's imagination. I enjoyed learning about country identities of Old Testament country names. The writing style was casual and didn't tax the brain with long, complex sentences. I enjoyed finding quotes from ancient documents and historians.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 3 out of 5]

An outstanding introduction...

[Hudson G. Carpes · Rating 4 out of 5]

FENICIOS E COMÉRCIO

Em algumas páginas conheci mais do que pensei sobre o início do comércio entre nações. Fenícios desbravaram um mundo muito antes dos ibéricos no séc. XV.