The Phoenician Civilization

February 21, 2016

AP World History

The Phoenician Civilization

The Phoenicians were a sea-travelling, trading civilization with numerous contributions to our way of life. Their most notable was the creation of the alphabet. They also produced purple dye and some advances in shipbuilding as well as navigation. The Phoenicians also had a reputation for being able to trade almost anything anywhere, along the Mediterranean Sea.

Interaction Between Humans and the Environment

The Phoenician people originated in the Middle East on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea near present day Israel and Lebanon as early as 2500 BC. These people were descendants of the original Canaanites from the early Bronze Age and spoke a dialect of their language called Phoenician. These descendants then settled on the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. A few hundred years later, the arrival of the “sea people” set them apart from the other people. They taught the Phoenicians how to build harbors, mooring, docks, and piers. These people, like the Phoenicians, were expert navigators and were able to show the Phoenicians the way to find metal and other goods. After this combination, the Phoenicians began their shipbuilding and trading and the Phoenician Civilization would be born as a confederation of maritime traders.

These traders relied heavily on ships to transport their trading goods. As a result, the Phoenicians discovered a new building technique called pegged mortise and tenon joints^[1]. This design allowed for stronger ships to be built. The Phoenicians also developed a new ship called the bireme, which was a fast, lightweight galley with a sail and two rows of oars on each side. To escort these ships, they had special warships which had a ramming device attached to the front of the ship. This device would ram the enemy ship and create a hole in their hull, causing them to sink. As a trading people, the Phoenicians came up with new tricks to aid in trade. They lined their ships with brush to keep cargo from shifting and damaging the hull, they used amphorae^[2] to store trade goods such as wine and grain, and even used the North Star to help navigate the sea at night. All of these contributed to making the Phoenicians successful.

The Phoenician people have been around since 2500 BC and most of that time was spent under Egypt’s influence. Around 1200 BC, Egypt began to decline, then collapsed in 1175 BC. This caused disruptions for many other cultures, allowing for the Phoenicians to flourish. Around 800 BC, the Phoenicians had established trading posts and colonies all around the Mediterranean which included Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and even beyond the Strait of Gibraltar. Many of these posts and colonies would become independent states. One of the colonies, Carthage, was established in North Africa around 814 BC. The Phoenicians also could have circumnavigated Africa and even discovered and colonized the Americas, though there is much dispute. In 572 BC, the Assyrians took over and began a harsh rule. These conditions drove many Phoenicians to leave and migrate to their western colonies.

Development and Interaction of Cultures

        The Phoenicians had a polytheistic religion, which was derived from the Canaanite people, and as a result, kept many of their gods to stars, planets, and constellations. There was also an influence from other cultures. They recognized the Egyptian god Osiris, the worshipped the Greek hero Hercules, and had some Mesopotamian influence. The Phoenicians might also have influence many of the Greek gods, such as Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and also the goddess Aphrodite. The Phoenicians had both gods and goddesses. The Pantheon was usually headed by the God Baal, who was considered the Ruler of the Universe, Lord of the Earth, and Rider of the Clouds. He controlled thunderstorms and was usually portrayed holding a lightning bolt. The Phoenician goddesses such as Astarte or Ashtarte, who was the Queen of Heaven, were also important to the Pantheon. The Phoenicians built temples to honor their gods^[3], usually located near the palace. The temples had political, administrative, and economic purposes as well as religious. The temples were run by priests, but also employed sages, musicians, diviners, and scribes. Many of the gods and goddesses were related to nature. As a result, in times of distress, first-born children and animals were sacrificed. Additionally, after victories in war, prisoners were sacrificed as a thanks and tribute to the gods.

        Phoenician art lacked unique features. Foreign cultures highly influenced the Phoenician artists, especially the Egyptians as many of their artists were taught on the banks of the Nile and Euphrates. There was also Aegean, northern Syrian, Cypriot, and Assyrian influenced. This caused their art to be an amalgam of existing styles. Phoenician artisans were highly skilled architects and were even lent to King Solomon in building the Great Hebrew Temple to Yahweh by Hiram, King of Tyre.

        In addition to ships, the Phoenicians produced several advances, the greatest being the creation of an alphabet. Their system was in a strict and consistent form. There were 22 consonants and vowels were spoken but not written. Personally, I think this is much simpler than using thousands of ideograms and pictograms like the Egyptians and Sumerians. The alphabet was spread by the Phoenicians through trade with other civilizations. The Greeks soon adopted the system but change some of the letters with vowels. After that, the Romans took the system and made the letters look very similar to how they do today. There were also advances in kilns, pottery, and metalworking. One advance was the addition of intake valves to hearths to regulate airflow^[4] and raise the temperature of the iron. They also added calcium to their iron to make it stronger. Finally, the Phoenicians, though not the first civilization to do it, smelted copper and tin together to create the stronger, more durable bronze.