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The Phoenicians were a Semitic people who primarily inhabited Lebanon, but they may also have lived in parts of modern Syria and Isreal. Archaeological evidence indicates that they were related to the Levant's Ancient people, known as Canaanites, in the Bible.

However, the Persian Empire's rise was to end the golden age of Phoenicia, especially after the capture of Tyre in 585 BCE, by Cyrus the Great. Despite this, the Phoenicians remained wealthy and remained maritime powers because they had a great deal of autonomy, even under Persian domination. The decline of the Phoenicians was gradual, and they eventually lost all their autonomy in the aftermath of the conquests of Alexander the Great. They became Hellenized. Over the years, they lost their cultural and religious identity.<ref> Moscati, p 14</ref>

The Phoenicians were great explorers, and it is believed that Hanno explored the west coast of African in the 7th century BC. There are even some sources that argue that they visited Britain and Ireland. The city-states had large fleets, and they pioneered the development of the multi-tiered oared galley, which was the most advanced ship in the period. The Phoenicians became great sailors to secure resources and to engage in commerce. The economies of cities such as Tyre were dependent on manufacturing and trade. They exported cedar wood all over the Mediterranean and were renowned for their purple dyes production, which was very popular with ancient monarchs.

====Phoenician art and culture====

There was no single, distinctive Phoenician artistic style, but they developed new skills and transmitted other peoples' art across the Levant. Creative works made in cities such as Sidon were exported all over the Mediterranean to Carthaginian outposts, and they influenced local artists. The Phoenicians played a vital role in developing the First Jewish Temple, built by King Solomon. Artisans sent by the King of Tyre helped in its construction. The cities of Phoenicia played a critical role in the Levant's artistic development and beyond<ref> Moscati, p 14</ref>.

Perhaps the most important cultural innovation of the Phoenicians was the development of the alphabet around 1000 BC. It appears that the Canaanites had developed the first phonetic alphabet, and peoples such as the Moabites used it. Based on the evidence, it would appear that the Phoenicians contributed to the development of this alphabet, and it appears that they used it widely in their commercial enterprises.

This system permitted bureaucrats and others to keep more effective records and made governments more efficient. Ordinary people, such as traders, could learn the alphabet and become literate, which revolutionized many aspects of life. Scholars believe that the Hebrew alphabet is a regional variant of the one used in Phoenicia. Today, the script developed and transmitted by the inhabitants of cities such as Sidon, Tyre and Byblos, forms the basis for most of the globe’s alphabets.<ref>Diringer, David, and H. Freeman. A History of the Alphabet (London, Unwin Brothers, 1977), p. 8, 89, 112</ref>

As was the case with other urban and mercantile societies, Phoenicia developed sophisticated political systems. These city-states initially organized these governments around kings, the priesthood, and a council of elders. These increasingly became oligarchic over time. The Phoenicians were among the first to develop political institutions other than that of the Levant monarchy. Some claim that they introduced a limited form of democracy centuries before the Greeks.

The Phoenician’s political system was instrumental in the development of governments in the Classical period. The governments of cities such as Sidon and Tyre influenced the Greek city-states such as Athens. It is also possible that they also introduced democratic institutions and practices to the Etruscans, who later transmitted them to the Romans.<ref>Stockwell, Stephen. "Before Athens: Early popular government in Phoenicia and Greek city-states." In The Secret History of Democracy, pp. 35-48. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2011</ref>

The Phoenicians were renowned traders and sailors. They traded all over the Mediterranean and even in the Black Sea. They traded luxury goods and high-value products such as the famous purple dye, far and wide. Traders from Sidon and other cities voyaged great distances to obtain metals such as bronze and tin. These were sourced in the mysterious land of Taresh, which is believed to have been located in modern Spain.

Historians believe that they influenced other cultures, especially about religion. The Greek goddess Aphrodite was based on the cult of Astarte, which was widely practiced in Phoenicia.<ref>Sherratt, Susan, and Andrew Sherratt. "The growth of the Mediterranean economy in the early first millennium BC." World Archaeology 24, no. 3 (1993): 361-378</ref>

[[File:Phoen 1.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Punic ruins]]

By the 5th century BC, the small trading outpost of Carthage developed into a great city. It became the leading maritime and commercial power in the Western Mediterranean. It was under the control of Tyre until the Persians conquered Phoenicia. The Carthaginians, freed from the influence of Phoenicia, conquered the other Punic outposts and eventually dominated much of the North Africa coast and many of the Mediterranean islands.<ref>Astin, A. E., M. W. Frederiksen, R. M. Ogilvie, and F. W. Walbank, eds. The Cambridge ancient history. Cambridge University Press, 1984), p. 117</ref>

Moreover, the Carthaginians developed a rich civilization and economy on the North African littoral.<ref> Astin, p. 201</ref> After the Romans occupied Carthage after the Third Punic War, it became a crucial part of the Roman economy. Moreover, many Punic communities continued to prosper, such as that at Utica. Many remained proud of their Phoenician ancestry, such as one of the greatest Christian thinkers, St Augustine. Indeed, it was only with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire that Punic culture and language vanished from the region.<ref>Astin, p. 213</ref> The Phoenicians their colony Carthage altered the course of history in North Africa.

Phoenicia is far less famous than the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. In history, Phoenicia's place was erased because other powers conquered it and its colonies, and its libraries and records were nearly all destroyed after Persia conquered the kingdom. Therefore, Phoenicia's contributions to ancient civilization and history have often not been recognized.