History of Phoenicia

by George Rawlinson

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices.Phoenicia was a great and highly influential ancient civilization that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean. Scholars generally agree that it included the coastal areas of today's Lebanon, northern Israel and southern Syria reaching as far north as Arwad. Phoenician civilization spread across the Mediterranean between 1500 BC and 300 BC. Phoenician colonies reached the Western Mediterranean, most notably Carthage, and even the Atlantic Ocean. Phoenician writing became one of the most widely used writing systems, spread by Phoenician merchants across the Mediterranean world, where it evolved and was assimilated by many other LandClimate and ProductionsThe People—origin and CharacteristicsThe CitiesThe ColoniesArchitectureAethetic ArtIndustrial Art and ManufacturesShips, Navigation, and CommerceMiningReligionDress, Ornaments, and Social HabitsPhoenician Writing, Language, and LiteraturePolitical HistoryPhoenicia, Before the Establishment of the Hegemony of Tyre.Phoenicia Under the Hegemony of TyrePhoenicia During the Period of Its Subjection to AssyriaPhoenicia During Its Struggles With Babylon and EgyptPhoenicia Under the PersiansPhoenicia in the Time of Alexander the GreatPhoenicia Under the GreeksPhoenicia Under the Romans

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Ancient History

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Canon George Rawlinson (23 November 1812 – 7 October 1902) was a 19th century English scholar, historian, and Christian theologian. He was born at Chadlington, Oxfordshire, and was the younger brother of Sir Henry Rawlinson.

Reviews

[Mr Douglas Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth look at an ancient civilization

This, the last in his series of books written over one hundred years ago by George Rawlinson looking at the civilizations of the ancient world gives an in depth of all that was known about all aspects of the life and history of the Phoenicians at that time. Painting a picture of a people whose ambition unusually among all nations was one of friendship and commerce rather than violence and conquest.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended.

Really interesting read which finally provides some historical context on the great Phoenician people. A particularly interesting chapter on the siege of Tyre by Alexandre the Great.

[Beverley Hopwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference book for my historical novel writing. Difficult to find much about the Phoenicians, but new discoveries have confirmed some things.

[Tony Gualtieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are surprisingly few books on Phoenician history for the general reader, and the few that exist generally devote much of their content to Carthage. This book sticks to the early history of what is now Lebanon. It's quite old and many of the specifics have been superseded by subsequent scholarship; however, as a portrait of the culture and its progress through the centuries, it remains unsurpassed.

[Kevin Milligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the version I read was on the nook and was digitized by Microsoft. You could tell that it was done by a computer for there were a lot of errors that were strange at best. Aegean was often displayed as 'g ean or /egein which seemed to come off as a mistake a human could not make. I know this text is over a hundred years and I do appreciate that I have a chance to read it on such a modern format but it made me laugh at times.
To the actual text I learned a lot about this Eastern Mediterranean civilization. I knew they were known as the purple coast but learning how they actually made the dye and protected it from other cultures so that they could form a powerful ancient trading civilization was very entertaining. I also enjoyed the alternative explanation for the founding of Carthage, my favorite ancient civilization. When Alexander brings the city of Tyre to its knees this text allowed me to share in their pain even though I am several thousand miles and years from the location and date.

[Adhoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapters 1 and 2 are fairly dry descriptions of Phoenicia's geography and climate/production (see map below). Both can be either skimmed or skipped without missing too much. The book was published in 1889 thus allowing the author to give a first hand account of the geography more or less as it was in Phoenician times, although the cedar forests were cut down as noted by the author.

Review in progress....



Original text with images available here.

Gutenberg version without images here.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very inexpensive but very, very out of date and contains no scholarship from the last century. Of real interest for the curious of how people in 1889 viewed the period, otherwise try and find something from the 20th or 21st century.

[keereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read

[Per · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2331/2...