The rise and fall of the Phoenician civilization
The rise and fall of the Phoenician civilization
Overview of the Phoenicians.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
NARRATOR: The Phoenicians were an ancient people who lived on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, mainly in what is now Syria and Lebanon. They controlled trade in the Mediterranean and amassed great wealth. Archaeologists drew this conclusion after discovering precious sacrificial offerings, such as gilded statues made of bronze.
This stone tablet contains engraved letters of the Phoenician alphabet, the basis of our modern-day alphabet. The Phoenicians revolutionized writing in the Western world. The Phoenician people were also excellent seafarers who ventured into and settled far off lands. The port facility at the Phoenician colony of Carthage was peerless in its day. The rectangular trading port was a way station for merchant ships from all over the known world. It had a circular harbor for warships at its center.
HISTORIAN: "Their mastery at sea gave the Carthaginians a strategic mobility that gave them a distinct advantage over all possible enemies. No one would even venture to challenge the Carthaginian military outside of their home territory. And it would have been a recipe for disaster for, due to their huge takings from trade, the Carthaginians were in a position to hire a large mercenary troupe to bolster their own naval fleet."
NARRATOR: The Phoenicians were said to be wealthy, but also unscrupulous and extravagant. They had very few friends, yet even their enemies were awed by their magical celebrations. The Romans were a thorn in the side of the Phoenicians, and especially the Punic colony of Carthage. They no longer wanted to tolerate Phoenician commercial dominance and wished to destroy Carthage.
HISTORIAN: "This was a people who had determined the fortunes of the ancient Mediterranean world with their impressive trade hegemony. They posed a dangerous threat to the Romans and had to be broken. Viewed from today's perspective the Romans had no alternative but to destroy them."
NARRATOR: It took three wars for the Romans to emerge victorious. This marked the start of a new era, for from this point on the Romans grew ever more powerful. They plundered Phoenician temples and destroyed their settlements. They took everything of value with them. In the end, this powerful empire was reduced to nearly nothing. The Romans had broken them.
HISTORIAN: "Why did Rome win? Carthage was calculating, it pursued its interests, and sometimes took risks. Rome, on the other hand, unflinchingly pursued its own power politics."
NARRATOR: The once so bounteous warehouses fell into decay; Rome rose and Carthage crumbled.
This stone tablet contains engraved letters of the Phoenician alphabet, the basis of our modern-day alphabet. The Phoenicians revolutionized writing in the Western world. The Phoenician people were also excellent seafarers who ventured into and settled far off lands. The port facility at the Phoenician colony of Carthage was peerless in its day. The rectangular trading port was a way station for merchant ships from all over the known world. It had a circular harbor for warships at its center.
HISTORIAN: "Their mastery at sea gave the Carthaginians a strategic mobility that gave them a distinct advantage over all possible enemies. No one would even venture to challenge the Carthaginian military outside of their home territory. And it would have been a recipe for disaster for, due to their huge takings from trade, the Carthaginians were in a position to hire a large mercenary troupe to bolster their own naval fleet."
NARRATOR: The Phoenicians were said to be wealthy, but also unscrupulous and extravagant. They had very few friends, yet even their enemies were awed by their magical celebrations. The Romans were a thorn in the side of the Phoenicians, and especially the Punic colony of Carthage. They no longer wanted to tolerate Phoenician commercial dominance and wished to destroy Carthage.
HISTORIAN: "This was a people who had determined the fortunes of the ancient Mediterranean world with their impressive trade hegemony. They posed a dangerous threat to the Romans and had to be broken. Viewed from today's perspective the Romans had no alternative but to destroy them."
NARRATOR: It took three wars for the Romans to emerge victorious. This marked the start of a new era, for from this point on the Romans grew ever more powerful. They plundered Phoenician temples and destroyed their settlements. They took everything of value with them. In the end, this powerful empire was reduced to nearly nothing. The Romans had broken them.
HISTORIAN: "Why did Rome win? Carthage was calculating, it pursued its interests, and sometimes took risks. Rome, on the other hand, unflinchingly pursued its own power politics."
NARRATOR: The once so bounteous warehouses fell into decay; Rome rose and Carthage crumbled.