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Missionaries
of Civilization
The
Phoenicians were instrumental in disseminating their form of writing
which became our modern alphabet and in opening up various civilizations
and cultures of the Mediterranean basin to each other. Both sciences
and pseudosciences spread from Egypt and Mesopotamia to Phoenicia
and Anatolia. The Phoenicians, in particular, transmitted much
of this knowledge to the various lands of the Mediterranean, especially
to the Greeks. The direction taken by these influences can be
followed from Egypt to Phoenicia, Syria and Cyprus. The evidence
comes thanks to a combination of excavated art forms that prove
the direction of movement, as well as to Greek tradition. The
latter lays great stress on what the early Greek philosophers
learned from Egypt. Mesopotamian influence can be traced especially
through the partial borrowing of Babylonian science and divination
by the Hittites and later by the transmission of information through
Phoenicia. The Egyptians and Mesopotamians wrote no theoretical
treatises; information had to be transmitted piecemeal through
personal contacts.
Phoenician,
what's in a name?
It
is not certain what the Phoenicians called themselves in their
own language; it appears to have been Kena'ani (Akkadian: Kinahna), "Canaanites." In Hebrew the word kena'ani has the secondary
meaning of "merchant," a term that well characterizes
the Phoenicians.
The
Greeks gave the new appellation Phoenicians to those Canaanites
who lived on the seacoast and traded with them. Phoenicia is the
Greek work for "purple". The most probable reason for
giving this name is the famous Tyrian purple cloth which the Phoenicians
manufactured and sold to the rich of the ancient world. The Romans gave the new appellation Punic to the Phoenicians of the western Mediterranean.
Ethnic
Origin and Language
Recent DNA studies on who the origin of the Phoenicians show that they are of ancient Mediterranean sub-stratum. Their original homeland was the eastern Mediterranean and they did not come from any other place, as previously thought.
They
spoke Phoenician which is very close to Aramaic, yet much older. Phoenicians had
a language and culture like those of other Semitic speaking peoples.
Geography
and Major Cities
Baalbeck
Berytus
Byblos
Caesarea
Carthage
Sidon
Tyre
Ugarit
Zarephta
Political
Structure and Colonies
Their
city states had a loose alliance and they established colonies
in the far corners of the Mediterranean.
Religion
and Mythology
They
worshiped fertility gods and goddesses and their belief system
was influenced by other religions in the Eastern Mediterranean
and had some influence on Greek and Roman mythologies. At the
beginning of the Christian era, Phoenicians were the first to
accept the new faith after the Jews.
Troubled
History
Phoenician
cities, at the cross-roads of the East, were often invaded and
subjugated by foreign conquerors which include Egyptians, Assyrians,
Babylonians, Macedonians, Persians,
and Romans, in addition to others. However, the Phoenicians were
basically traders not warriors; and trade and war do not work
well together.
Creators
of Alphabet
They
created a form of alphabet which evolved and was adapted by the
Greeks to become the backbone of modern alphabet.
Commerce
and Other Achievements
The
Phoenicians were sea-faring traders who carried merchandise and
goods across the Mediterranean. They circumnavigator Africa and
used the Polar Star as a navigational guide.
Important
Visitor to Phoenicia (as opposed to invaders)
Herodotus
Jesus Christ of Nazareth
Saint Paul
Saint Peter and other Apostles
Origen, Christian Scholar
Others (more to come)
Very
Important Phoenicians (VIPs)
Antipater of Sidon, Phoenician epigrammatist (150 BC - 127 BC)
Aquilina
of Byblos, Christian martyr (died in 293 A.D.)
Augustine, Saint
Barbara of Baalbeck/Heliopolis, Christian martyr (died in 237
A.D.)
Cadmus, "Teacher of the Phoenician Alphabet"
Christina of Tyre, Christian martyr (died in 300 A.D.)
Cyprian, Saint
Dorotheus, Jurist and Professor of Roman Law
Eusebius Bishop of Berytus (Beirut)
Eusebius of Caesarea, Christian Icon
Frumentius, Saint, Apostle of Abyssinia
Hanno, Circumnavigator
of Africa
Himilco, Voyager
Hiram the Architect, Solomon's Temple Designer
Jezebel Princess of Sidon and Queen of Israel (wife of King Ahab
of Israel)
John Mark Bishop of Byblos designated Bishop by St. Peter
Pamphilus, Saint
King Hiram of Tyre
King Abi-Milki of Tyre
King Ethbaal of Sidon (father of Princess Jezebel)
King Ahiram of Byblos
King Rib-Addi of Byblos
King Zimrida of Sidon
King Jabin of Hazor
Matrona of Perge, Saint
Mochus of Sidon wrote on the atomic theory
Papinian, Jurist
Perpetua and Felicity, Christian martyrs of Carthage (died in
203 A.D.)
Philo of Byblos, Writer
Porphyry of Tyre, Writer
Pythagoras
Phoenician Popes
Sanchuniathon, Writer
Taautos of Byblos, inventor of alphabet
Tertullian, Church Father
Thales of Citium
Thales of Miletus, Astronomer
Theodosia of Tyre, Christian martyr (died 293 A.D.)
Ulpian, Jurist
Zadok the Priest
Zeno of Citium, Philosopher
Zeno of Sidon, Philosopher
Others (more to come)
Phoenician
Art, Crafts, Music, and Literature
They
dyed cloth which was the prized possession of the rich and worked
in precious metals and ivory. Most Phoenician literature is unknown
or was lost. However, second hand information and some ecclesiastical
Phoenician works survive. Traces of their music may still be found
in some church music today.
The
Logo or Coat of Arms ©
The
logo or Coat of Arms is my own creation and it represents Phoenician
achievements and mythology. The two creatures or mythological
monsters -- part horse, part fish -- called hippocampus come from
Phoenician antiquity and represent Phoenician mythology. (The
Trade link, under the subtitle Transit Trade, contains
an image of a Phoenician silver coin with an impression of the
hippocampus monster and a Phoenician ship.) Further, on the top
of the logo, a piece of marble with Phoenician script represents
Phoenician alphabet. Beneath it, the cloth represents famous Phoenician
dyed cloth. At the very bottom, amphorae represent vessels which
were used to carry Phoenician merchandise, as they traded about
the Mediterranean.
Why
a Web page about Phoenicia?
As
a duty to my ancestors, to my national origin, to the young and
old who do not know, to the old who wish to ignore the facts or
like to hide them and to all those who are interested in history
and cultures, I compiled this information.
Dedication
I
dedicate this site in loving memory to my parents, Lucy and George,
and to the good people of Bmakine, Souk El-Gharb, Ein El-Saiydeh,
and Ein El-Rimmeneh -- in the Lebanese mountains -- where ever
they may be.
Acknowledgment
The
researcher, editor, complier of these pages wishes to convery
his appreciation and gratitude to the persons
who povided historical information, reference pointers and editorial
comments on the materials contained in these pages.
References
and Sources |
