What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Commercial outposts were formed by the Phoenicians throughout the Mediterranean, from the late 10th century BCE onwards.
One of the most famous Phoenician women was Dido, who was said to have been the queen of Tyre. Legend has it she fled the tyranny of her brother Pygmalion to create her own city in Carthage, becoming its founder and first queen.
A Semitic-speaking people, the Phoenicians emerged around 3000 BCE. Some historians believe the Canaanite people correspond to the ethnic group referred to as the Phoenicians by ancient Greeks.
The territory of the Phoenicians was mostly located in the Levant region of the Mediterranean, where Lebanon is situated today.
From 1200 BCE, the Phoenicians built large merchant ships. They are credited for inventing the keel, among other maritime inventions.
Few of the Phoenicians' writings have survived. Much of what is known about them has been discovered through archaeological finds and what has been recorded about them by other civilizations.
The expansive maritime trade network established by the Phoenicians would last longer than a millennium.
Phoenicia was organized into city-states, similar to ancient Greece, which were politically independent. Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre were some of the most important cities.
In the late Bronze Age collapse, several major cultures went into decline. Around the mid-12th century BCE, the Phoenicians started to come to prominence.
One such colony was established at Carthage, in present-day Tunisia, by Tyre Phoenicians. Settled around 814 BCE, Carthage would become one of the largest metropolises of the ancient world.
Cyprus, Sardinia, Iberia, the Balearic Islands, Sicily, Malta, and North Africa were the locations of many Tyre colonies.
Iron was the only metal of worth in Phoenicia, which was perhaps another motivation to colonize other locations. Copper was mined by the Phoenicians in Cyprus, while the Iberian Peninsula was a rich source of multiple minerals in antiquity.
Tomb inscriptions kept records of the Phoenician rulers, which are one of the few primary sources of information available about them.
Across the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians established colonies and trading posts. Merchant families established their influence through oligarchies.
This trade network made it possible for the major cradles of civilization, such as Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, to trade knowledge, culture, and ideas.
Phoenicia served an important role in the lumber trade in the Mediterranean, thanks to its abundance of cedar wood, which was largely exported to Egypt.
Violet coloring derived from mollusks off the coast of Tyre led to a booming trade in the production of Tyrian purple dye.
Phoenicians discovered the dye as early as 1750 BCE. It had a labor-intensive extraction process, and, as a result, purple garments tended to be expensive and generally reserved for the upper classes.
The Phoenicians established many vineyards across the Mediterranean and North Africa for wine production and ultimately trade. Large terracotta jars were used for its transportation.
Wine played an important role in the Phoenician religion, being used in ceremonies and offerings. The Phoenicians may have taught winemaking to some of their trading partners, too.
The seafaring nature of the Phoenicians brought them into contact with many different cultures and civilizations. By the Iron Age (1300 BCE), their own distinct culture had emerged.
It's believed the Phoenician alphabet influenced the development and adoption of the early Greek alphabet.
The ties between the Phoenicians and the Greeks were deep and long-running. The Minoans, a civilization on Crete that was a precursor to classical Greece, imported goods via the Phoenicians.
Due to the city-state nature of the empire, rivalries were common. However, actual conflict between them was rare. Generally the populations were too small and the desire too low for these city-states to expand their territory.
Women were expected to dress modestly, but they did take part in public events and religious processions. Some took part in popular assemblies in certain city-states.
The king was seen as being a representative of the gods. Phoenician kings celebrated their successes with elaborate sarcophagi, tombs which commemorated their reign.
Also known as Elissa, she is said to have made Carthage prosperous, thanks to her wisdom and leadership. Her life is recounted in Virgil's poem 'Aeneid.'
The Phoenicians made offerings to their gods, and many of these figurines have been found in the Mediterranean. This suggests they were cast to sea to help ensure safe travels on the water.
Ornamental art, such as pottery, glassware, and jewelry, were produced by the Phoenicians for export. The Phoenicians were skilled with bronze, wood, ivory, and textiles, drawing inspiration from ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Assyrian cultures.
Sources: (Britannica) (World History Encyclopedia) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) (University of Colorado Boulder)
See also: The truth about life in ancient Greece
The Phoenicians: while their homeland was primarily located in present-day Lebanon, their reach extended throughout the Mediterranean, stretching all the way from the Middle East and Cyprus to the Iberian Peninsula. They were part of the ancient Phoenician civilization, which flourished between 1550 and 300 BCE. Their city-states produced many prominent merchants, traders, and colonizers, being located along the naval trading routes. But how and when did these traders and mariners come to be the dominant commercial power in Europe for a significant part of antiquity?
Click on to discover who the Phoenicians were and to learn about their historical legacy.
Unveiling the Phoenicians: ancient traders and mariners
These seafarers occupied the coast of the Levant
LIFESTYLE Mediterranean sea
The Phoenicians: while their homeland was primarily located in present-day Lebanon, their reach extended throughout the Mediterranean, stretching all the way from the Middle East and Cyprus to the Iberian Peninsula. They were part of the ancient Phoenician civilization, which flourished between 1550 and 300 BCE. Their city-states produced many prominent merchants, traders, and colonizers, being located along the naval trading routes. But how and when did these traders and mariners come to be the dominant commercial power in Europe for a significant part of antiquity?
Click on to discover who the Phoenicians were and to learn about their historical legacy.