Definition: The Phoenicians lived in Phoenicia. Their name comes from the word for the purple dye for which they were renowned. The Phoenicians may have called themselves Canaanites. They are thought to have inhabited the area from about 3000 B.C. Phoenicia was renowned for its merchants and seafarers. Mainland cities of Phoenicia included Sidon, Tyre, and Berot (Beirut). They had a colony in northern Africa (modern Tunisia) known as Carthage, which repeatedly went to war with the Romans in what are known as the Punic Wars.
The Assyrians had control over much of Phoenicia beginning in the 9th century B.C. This may have prompted the colonization of Carthage. In the 6th century, the Persians gained control, and it was passed to Alexander the Great when he defeated the Persians. In 64 B.C., Phoenicia became part of the Roman province of Syria.
Also Known As: Ancient Lebanon and Syria
