Phoenicia
FERTILE CRESCENT PRoject
PHOENICIA
Politics
GOVERNMENT:
Kingship seems to be the oldest type of government for the Phoenicians. To be king, you had to be a part of the divine descent. He ruled with a council of elders. Even though the King was the ruler of the whole civilization, his powers were limited because of the powerful merchant families that had a great influence on public affairs. Kings often consulted an assembly of important members of state when dealing with important matters. The assembly was made up of men. They were successful because merchants rose to power so their country became wealthy. Phoenicians allowed slavery, treating the slaves inhumanly, and polygamy, a marriage that involved more than two partners. Famous people in the government were:
Kingship seems to be the oldest type of government for the Phoenicians. To be king, you had to be a part of the divine descent. He ruled with a council of elders. Even though the King was the ruler of the whole civilization, his powers were limited because of the powerful merchant families that had a great influence on public affairs. Kings often consulted an assembly of important members of state when dealing with important matters. The assembly was made up of men. They were successful because merchants rose to power so their country became wealthy. Phoenicians allowed slavery, treating the slaves inhumanly, and polygamy, a marriage that involved more than two partners. Famous people in the government were:
- Omri, his son Ahab was married to Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon
- King David, Hiram, Solomon
Economics
Major Occupations: Explorers, traders, inventors, merchants, crafters
Source Of Income: Merchants and Trade
Having limited natural resources (Barely any crops), they imported their raw materials and made them into more valuable objects that could be shipped profitably, such as jewelry, metalwork, furniture, and housewares. They traded these things for food and other resources.
Monetary system:
The Phoenicians created metal coins for currency, after they realized that it was hard to move their cattle along distances for trading. Different coins were made for the different individual cities, and were imprinted with different kings and gods/goddesses.
Source Of Income: Merchants and Trade
Having limited natural resources (Barely any crops), they imported their raw materials and made them into more valuable objects that could be shipped profitably, such as jewelry, metalwork, furniture, and housewares. They traded these things for food and other resources.
- Trade: manufactured goods like their purple cloth, fine wooden furniture, carved ivory, metalwork, and glass
- Resources: wood (from cedar trees), water (from the Mediterranean Sea)
Monetary system:
The Phoenicians created metal coins for currency, after they realized that it was hard to move their cattle along distances for trading. Different coins were made for the different individual cities, and were imprinted with different kings and gods/goddesses.