Ancient Seafarers of the Mediterranean: The Phoenicians

Week 1: An Introduction to the Phoenicians

The Phoenicians are an ancient civilization that often gets overlooked in our studies of the Mediterranean. The first week will familiarize students with who the Phoenicians were. We will be focusing primarily on the geography of Phoenicia and the history of the people that lived there. After the introduction, we will examine the factors that allowed a small, seafaring group from the Levant spread all the way to the Atlantic and even venture down the western coast of Africa!

Week 2: Phoenician Culture and Society

The second week of the course is a deeper look into Phoenician culture. Most people know about their contribution to language in the form of the phonetic alphabet, but did you know they also invented the bireme, the ship that would later be developed into the legendary Greek trireme. Their art, religion, industry, and methods of warfare will be the major topics of discussion this week, along with the better known contributions as well.

Week 3: Phoenician Colonies and the Creation of Carthage

The Phoenicians never created a massive land empire, like the Romans or the Mongols. Instead, they used their abilities at sea to take control of trade in the Mediterranean Sea. This economic control of the region resulted in Phoenician colonies popping up from Crete to the Iberian Peninsula. Of all of these colonies, Carthage grew to be even more powerful than the cities in the Phoenician homeland. Over time, Carthage took control of trade throughout the Mediterranean Sea. No one was able to challenge their control until they clashed with a fledgling Roman republic.

Week 4: The Punic Wars and the Collapse of the Ancient Phoenicians

The final week of the course is a look at the infamous Punic Wars. This series of three wars between Carthage and Rome shaped Rome into the ancient super power that it eventually became. The wars started as a fight over important trade routes through Sicily, but they ended with one of the greatest generals of the ancient world, Hannibal Barca, terrorizing Rome for over a decade on their own turf. When the Romans gained the upper hand over the Carthaginians, Carthage’s chapter as an ancient power came to a close. Around the same time, Phoenicia collapsed under the weight of another one of the greatest ancient generals, Alexander the Great. We will end by looking at the legacy that was left by both the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians.