The Phoenicians

ancient history · maritime trade · Mediterranean · merchants

Incredible sailors. The Phoenicians were so skilled at sea travel that they became the ancient world's greatest traders, sailing across the entire Mediterranean Ocean to buy and sell goods.

From modern Lebanon. The Phoenicians lived in city-states along the coast of what is now Lebanon, in a region called Canaan on the eastern Mediterranean shore.

Spread far and wide. These ambitious traders didn't just sail nearby, they spread their influence all the way from Cyprus to North Africa and even the coasts of Spain, leaving cities and trading posts wherever they went.

Left written records. The Phoenicians created thousands of written inscriptions that help us learn about their language, trade, and daily life thousands of years later.

Built city-states. Instead of one big kingdom, the Phoenicians lived in independent cities that each had their own government but shared the same culture and way of life.