Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now: Phoenician Colonization and Trade Routes

Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Phoenician Colonization and Trade Routes Oct 21st 2011, 10:04 The major difference between the Phoenicians and the Canaanites appears to be the former's emphasis on sea trade and expansion over the Mediterranean. What might account for this cultural and political branching? No one is sure, but the most plausible explanation is that in the north, inland expansion was seriously impeded by the Lebanon Mountain range - the distance between these mountains and the coast is only 60 km at its widest. Not only did this prevent much colonization or exploration over land, but it also severely limited the natural resources available to the Phoenician city-state. People in the south had their own barrier with the Jordan River, but this barrier was not as difficult to traverse and it still allowed for more generous lands between it and the sea. It is thus not surprising that Canaanite culture to the south would develop on the land while Phoenician culture to the north would branch off to the sea. This led to the creation of extensive trade routes which linked peoples all around the Mediterranean, helping spreading cultural and religious connections, as well as the creation of colonies in North Africa, Iberia, Sicily, and Sardinia. Perhaps the most famous Tyrian colony was Carthage (Phoenician for 'new town'), a city which would go on to become an imperial power in its own right and cause Rome no end of trouble. These colonies, and Carthage in particular, are often referred to with the name 'Punic' which is the Latin word for Phoenician. Phoenician colonies were not just commercial centers, though. One of the first things built wherever a colony was established was a temple complex which served both as a religious and as a commercial hub. In Carthage, for example, the precinct where sacrifices occurred covered some 6,000 square meters. Commerce served religious interests by brining in wealth that could serve the gods while religion served commercial interests because the gods watched over and protected commerce. The separation between business and religion was thin at best.

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