The Phoenicians: The Purple Sequel

The Phoenicians: The Purple Mariners The ancient Mediterranean Sea is the home to many of the world’s first civilizations: Athens, Mycenae, Macedonia, Rome, Egypt, etc. Amongst these ancient worlds lied the small, 300 kilometer coast of Phoenicia. This civilization, which sprouted in the 2nd millennium BC, is considered as one of the oldest in the Mediterranean. Their specialty as a people regarded trade and sailing, and it is no surprise that they were known as the “Purple People” due to their main export, purple dye. But the Phoenicians as a people have more to them than just trade; as a trading civilization, these mariners impacted the Mediterranean by their culture, technology, and of course, trade. To understand how the Phoenicians

Phoenician merchants were experts in trade. Upon arrival in a certain location, they would see what the people were after, and trade that. Each region had its specialty when it came to trade: Egypt had papyrus and linen, Persia had glass and precious minerals, Iberia had silver, etc. These merchants would act as the channel in which all of these goods would flow. Cross-cultural contacts were made possible by the Phoenicians, and their sphere of influence led to an increased dominance in the southern Mediterranean Sea. At times of war when it came to certain empires, the Phoenicians would still continue the trade. Various examples can be seen regarding their trade. One such example is the influx of tin for the production of bronze. During the time of the Phoenicians, (the Bronze Age and Iron Age), tin was a hard product to come by due to its scarcity while copper was not. Seeing a need for this metal, the Phoenicians set out to find potential sources of tin, trading with people as far as Northern Spain and Northern Europe for tin. This tin would then be shipped to the island of Cyprus for smelting. Another example of this trade would be wine trade in Ancient Egypt. Due to the aggravating heat and dryness, vineyards were not capable of growing. Seeing that this was a common shortage in Egypt, the Phoenicians would export Greek and Ionian wine to Egypt for other valuable materials such as silver, gold, linen, and pottery. In addition to the cross-cultural trade, the Phoenician trading system was highly effective, so much so that it was most likely them that were able to restart trade in the Mediterranean after the collapse of civilization after the end of the Bronze Age. Naturally, due to their reputation in the Mediterranean as expert traders and their long existence in the trading routes of this sea, their culture managed to leave a legacy on the