The Phoenicians sailed all over the Mediterranean and set up many settlements on its shores, most notably Carthage in North Africa. They were also known for their unique purple dye.
But the most influence we feel today is their alphabet. Our alphabet is based on theirs.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://atomictips.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/phoenician-alphabet-chart.gif&imgrefurl=http://atomictips.wordpress.com/typography/&h=667&w=481&sz=69&tbnid=e9ykOW4E225rjM:&tbnh=264&tbnw=191&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphoenician%2Balphabet%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=phoenician+alphabet&hl=en&usg=__BtgMQMH4M3YeDPc3csyhk0I8EZc=&sa=X&ei=fjOiTfbUCtGhtwe8kImKAw&ved=0CB8Q9QEwAg
http://phoenicia.org/alphabet.html
What important contribution did the Phoenicians make to world civilizations? sntly, I don't know. How was htat contribution spread to other cultures?
4 answers
Oh yeah! I remeber I learned THIS in schooL! I remeber now!! THANK YOU SOO MUCH MS.SUE! <3
You're very welcome, annon.
Hmmm. My nautical background reminds me of the early superiority of Phonecian shipbuilding
A remarkable testimony to the excellence of the Phoenician ships with respect to internal arrangements is borne by Xenophon, who puts the following words into the mouth of Ischomachus, a Greek:17 "I think that the best and most perfect arrangement of things that I ever saw was when I went to look at the great Phoenician sailing-vessel; for I saw the largest amount of naval tackling separately disposed in the smallest stowage possible. For a ship, as you well know, is brought to anchor, and again got under way, by a vast number of wooden implements and of ropes and sails the sea by means of a quantity of rigging, and is armed with a number of contrivances against hostile vessels, and carries about with it a large supply of weapons for the crew, and, besides, has all the utensils that a man keeps in his dwelling-house, for each of the messes. In addition, it is laden with a quantity of merchandise which the owner carries with him for his own profit. Now all the things which I have mentioned lay in a space not much bigger than a room which would conveniently hold ten beds. And I remarked that they severally lay in a way that they did not obstruct one another, and did not require anyone to search for them; and yet they were neither placed at random, nor entangled one with another, so as to consume time when they were suddenly wanted for use. Also, I found the captain's assistant, who is called 'the look-out man,' so well acquainted with the position of all the articles, and with the number of them, that even when at a distance he could tell where everything lay, and how many there were of each sort, just as anyone who has learnt to read can tell the number of letters in the name of Socrates and the proper place for each of them. Moreover, I saw this man, in his leisure moments, examining and testing everything that a vessel needs when at sea; so, as I was surprised, I asked him what he was about, whereupon he replied--'Stranger, I am looking to see, in case anything should happen, how everything is arranged in the ship, and whether anything is wanting, or is inconveniently situated; for when a storm arises at sea, it is not possible either to look for what is wanting, or to put to right what is arranged awkwardly.'"
Read more: Phoenicia, Phoenician Ships, Navigation and Commerce http://phoenicia.org/ships.html#ixzz1JAE9StMi
and secondly, it was the Phonecians, who discovered the North Star,(Polaris), which could be used to steer a ship at sea at night.
A remarkable testimony to the excellence of the Phoenician ships with respect to internal arrangements is borne by Xenophon, who puts the following words into the mouth of Ischomachus, a Greek:17 "I think that the best and most perfect arrangement of things that I ever saw was when I went to look at the great Phoenician sailing-vessel; for I saw the largest amount of naval tackling separately disposed in the smallest stowage possible. For a ship, as you well know, is brought to anchor, and again got under way, by a vast number of wooden implements and of ropes and sails the sea by means of a quantity of rigging, and is armed with a number of contrivances against hostile vessels, and carries about with it a large supply of weapons for the crew, and, besides, has all the utensils that a man keeps in his dwelling-house, for each of the messes. In addition, it is laden with a quantity of merchandise which the owner carries with him for his own profit. Now all the things which I have mentioned lay in a space not much bigger than a room which would conveniently hold ten beds. And I remarked that they severally lay in a way that they did not obstruct one another, and did not require anyone to search for them; and yet they were neither placed at random, nor entangled one with another, so as to consume time when they were suddenly wanted for use. Also, I found the captain's assistant, who is called 'the look-out man,' so well acquainted with the position of all the articles, and with the number of them, that even when at a distance he could tell where everything lay, and how many there were of each sort, just as anyone who has learnt to read can tell the number of letters in the name of Socrates and the proper place for each of them. Moreover, I saw this man, in his leisure moments, examining and testing everything that a vessel needs when at sea; so, as I was surprised, I asked him what he was about, whereupon he replied--'Stranger, I am looking to see, in case anything should happen, how everything is arranged in the ship, and whether anything is wanting, or is inconveniently situated; for when a storm arises at sea, it is not possible either to look for what is wanting, or to put to right what is arranged awkwardly.'"
Read more: Phoenicia, Phoenician Ships, Navigation and Commerce http://phoenicia.org/ships.html#ixzz1JAE9StMi
and secondly, it was the Phonecians, who discovered the North Star,(Polaris), which could be used to steer a ship at sea at night.
1 answer