What is the largest Phoenician city?

Phenicia occupied the most important place in the ancient world. This state stretched from Egypt to the Mesopotamia, favorably located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Residents of the country have managed to create a highly developed civilization with crafts, a rich culture and maritime trade. The writing of the Phoenicians is one of the most ancient recorded in human history. It is interesting that it influenced in no small degree the formation of ancient Greek letters. The highest flowering civilization of the Phoenicians fell on 1200-800 years BC.

The largest Phoenician city

Such a definition can be applied directly toseveral important centers of antiquity on the Mediterranean coast. For a sufficiently long time of the existence of civilization, different cities reached unprecedented heyday and fell into decay. So, the largest Phoenician city of the early period is Sidon. Later, it was overshadowed by Tire and especially Byblos.

Sidon

Its wealth and power this ancientThe Phoenician city, like the entire civilization, was indebted to broad commercial ties and active maritime trade. Among other things, Sidon at some point was the most important center of the ancient world in some crafts. For example, glass was produced here, as well as purple paint, and later bronze casting and jewelery were highly developed. In XV-XIV centuries Sidon was the most important cultural center.

Biblical

It was known since the IV millennium BC. However, the real flourishing of this center began at the end of the second millennium and continued until the conquests of Alexander the Great. This largest Phoenician city was repeatedly mentioned in the Bible, being called Hebal. It is interesting that it was from this seaport that papyrus was imported to Ancient Greece, which gave it the name "biblos" in the ancient world, which in turn gave the name of the most famous book in the world.

The largest Phoenician city of a vanishing civilization

The Phoenicians, like the Greeks later, are very activeexpanded their presence in the Mediterranean by establishing colonies. It is interesting that some Phoenician cities, created as colonial settlements far from the metropolis, eventually turned into powerful

city-state. The most famous of them is Carthage. He is the most worthy opponent of Rome, who led with him long Punic wars in the III-II centuries BC. The city was founded by colonists from the Type in the end of IX century BC. And after a significant reduction of the former Phoenician influence in the Mediterranean, Carthage manages to reassign yesterday's Phoenician colonies. Already in the III century BC it turns into the largest state formation in the entire western Mediterranean. He is subordinated to North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Southern Spain. However, Carthage faces a worthy rival in the face of the youngest Roman Republic. A series of wars, with varying success, put an end to the domination of the last Phoenicians in the Mediterranean.