Who were the Phoenicians?

Answer 1

The Phoenicians were a Semitic people who established an early civilization - from about 1200 BCE - on the Mediterranean coast near what is now Lebanon and western Syria where they established a series of independent city-states (eg Sidon, Tyre, Byblos, with a major city-state in Tunisia - Carthage). They were also one of the strongest of the maritime powers of their time.

They established trading colonies and posts all around the Mediteranean basin, in North Africa (Morroco, Tunisia, Lybia, Algeria, Egypt), the Italian peninsula, Sicily, Corsica, Spain, Portugal, Babylon. Phoenicia as a state and civilization lasted from 1550 BC to 300 BC when the main territory was conquered by the Persians.

The cities in the east were taken over by Persia, then the Hellenistic kingdoms in the 3rd Century BCE. The city of Carthage fought a century-long war with the rising power Rome and was demolished. By the 1st Century BCE Rome had absorbed the eastern cities as well into is empire.

As an ethnicity, the Phoenician were of Semite origin but were a mix of tribes which had moved in from the east into Lebanon and Syria.

They produced the alphabet from which Greece and Rome developed theirs. They are credited with inventing the bireme.

The Phoenicians were conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC, and then were divided into four vassal kingdoms thereafter.

They traded around the Mediterranean Sea purple and showed people how to use the alphabet. They lived in colonies and were spread out by Cyrus the great.

Answer 2

The Phoenicians were a Semitic people who established an early civilization - from about 1200 BCE - on the Mediterranean coast near what is now Lebanon and western Syria where they established a series of independent city-states (eg Sidon, Tyre, Byblos, with a major city-state in Tunisia - Carthage). They were also one of the strongest of the maritime powers of their time.

They established trading colonies and posts all around the Mediteranean basin, in North Africa (Morroco, Tunisia, Lybia, Algeria, Egypt), the Italian peninsula, Sicily, Corsica, Spain, Portugal, Babylon. Phoenicia as a state and civilization lasted from 1550 BC to 300 BC when the main territory was conquered by the Persians.

The cities in the east were taken over by Persia, then the Hellenistic kingdoms in the 3rd Century BCE. The city of Carthage fought a century-long war with the rising power Rome and was demolished. By the 1st Century BCE Rome had absorbed the eastern cities as well into is empire.

As an ethnicity, the Phoenician were of Semite origin but were a mix of tribes which had moved in from the east into Lebanon and Syria.

They produced the alphabet from which Greece and Rome developed theirs. They are credited with inventing the bireme.

The Phoenicians were conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC, and then were divided into four vassal kingdoms thereafter.

They traded around the Mediterranean Sea purple and showed people how to use the alphabet. They lived in colonies and were spread out by Cyrus the great.