Phoenician Civilization

Where did the Phoenician’s Trade?

The “Royal Purple” Dye The Phoenicians traded goods they got from other lands—wine, weapons, precious metals, ivory, and slaves. They also were known as superb craftspeople who worked in wood, metal, glass, and ivory. Their red-purple dye was produced from the murex, a kind of snail that lived in the waters off Sidon and Tyre. One snail, when left to rot, produced just a drop or two of a liquid of a deep red-purple color. Some 60,000 snails were needed to produce one pound of dye, which only royalty could afford.

Phoenician Colonies: Commercial Outposts Around the Mediterranean Phoenicians never united into a country. Instead, they founded a number of wealthy city-states around the Mediterranean that became colonies.. Colony = a territory settled and ruled by people from a foreign land. The colonies were about 30 miles apart— about the distance a Phoenician ship could sail in a day. The greatest Phoenician colony was at Carthage in North Africa.

Purpose of Colonies Overseas settlement in colonies provided an outlet for excess population, new sources of raw materials, trade goods, and new trading partners.

Colonization of the Mediterranean

Phoenician City of Byblos: “Home of the Alphabet”

Phoenicia’s Great Legacy: The Alphabet As merchants, the Phoenicians needed a way of recording transactions clearly and quickly. So, the Phoenicians developed a writing system that used symbols to represent sounds. The Phoenician system was phonetic— that is, one sign was used for one sound. In fact, the word alphabet comes directly from the first two letters of the Phoenician alphabet: aleph and beth.

“Why are the Phoenicians known as the “Carriers of Civilization”? Trading societies, such as Phoenicia, extended the development of civilizations beyond the Fertile Crescent region.

As they traveled around the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians introduced this writing system to their trading partners. The Greeks, for example, adopted the Phoenician alphabet and changed the form of some of the letters. The Phoenician contribution to the world was enormous. With a simplified alphabet, learning was now accessible to more people. One of their most lasting contributions remains the spread of the alphabet.

Phoenician Alphabet

Carthage: Phoenicia’s Mightiest Colony With a population of roughly 400,000, Carthage was one of the largest cities in the world by 500 B.C.E.

Carthaginian Empire Unlike Assyria, Carthage did not directly rule a large amount of territory. Beyond its own city-state the Carthaginians ruled most of their commercial “empire” indirectly, and allowed other Phoenician communities in the western Mediterranean to remain independent.

These Phoenician communities looked to Carthage for military protection and followed its lead in foreign policy. Only Sardinia and southern Spain were put under the direct control of a Carthaginian governor and army, presumably to safeguard their agricultural, metal, and manpower resources.

Foreign Policy of Carthage Carthaginian foreign policy reflected its economic interests. Protection of the sea lanes, access to raw materials, and fostering trade mattered most to the dominant merchant class. Indeed, Carthage claimed the waters of the western Mediterranean as its own.

Carthaginian Bireme Ship The Carthaginian fleet consisted of fast, maneuverable oared warships, called biremes. Each ship had a sturdy, pointed ram in front that could pierce the hull of an enemy vessel below the water line, while marines (soldiers aboard a ship) fired weapons. Innovations in the placement of benches and oars made room for 30, 50, and eventually as many as 170 rowers.

Foreign merchants were free to sail to Carthage to market their goods, but if they tried to operate on their own, they risked having their ships sunk by the Carthaginian navy. Treaties between Carthage and other states included formal recognition of this maritime commercial monopoly.

Map Labeling Label the following items on the map located on the back of your power point worksheet. Use the maps provided in the power point. Title your map “Colonization of the Mediterranean” Phoenicia, North Africa, Egypt, Anatolia, Greece, Italy, Carthage, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Crete, Tyre, Jerusalem Color in the areas of Phoenician and Greek colonization. Draw the Phoenician Trade Routes

Two Forms of Empire Direct Rule Indirect Rule Empire appoints own officials to rule the colony. Empire maintains close control over the conquered. Goal is to assimilate (absorb) conquered peoples into the empire’s dominant culture. Indirect Rule Local rulers kept in charge, but must follow the empire’s directives and policies. Greater independence for the colony. Goal is to extract wealth from the colony, and ensure loyal colonial rulers.