Download Political: Patriarchy

Mohamad Adada
Mr. Tavernia
Period 5
World History AP
Packet B
Political: Patriarchy
A patriarchy is a system of government in which the males hold power, and the females hold
very little representation. At its roots, a patriarchy is represented by the neolithic kinship groups,
in which the men, who were the strongest of the bunch, hunted, while the women stayed behind
to do the easier tasks, like gathering berries or roots. In this situation, the men were essentially
the “leaders” as without their hunting skills, the group would have a much harder time gathering
food therefore, dying of starvation. Later on, in Athens, men were given many more political
rights compared to women, they could vote and debate issues in the assembly. Even today,
patriarchy is still prominent in countries like Saudi Arabia under the system of Sharia Law, in
which women can't drive, have to keep almost all of their body covered with a “hijab”, can't open
a bank account, along with many other social drawbacks, along with the unfortunate, severe
consequences if any of these laws are broken.
Anam Ahmed
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History/ Period 5
Packet : B
Political : Nefertiti
Neferneferuaten Nefertiti was the queen of Egypt, alongside her husband- Pharaoh
Akhenaten-, during the mid-1300s BCE. Known as an iconic symbol of beauty in ancient Egypt,
Nefertiti literally means “a beautiful woman has come”. Many details of her life are still in
question. Some theories say that she was a daughter of a high official and was born in Akhim
while others say that she might have been born in a foreign country, like Syria. Nefertiti probably
married Akhenaten when she was fifteen, before he assumed the throne. They ruled together in
1353 through 1336 BCE. They had six daughters and there is controversy on whether on not they
had a son. One of their daughters, Ankhesenamun, would grow up to marry Tutankhamen. Due
to the many depictions of Nefertiti and Akhenaten together everywhere, historians hypothesize
that the couple might have had an actual romantic relationship.
Nefertiti played a part in establishing the followers of Aten, the sun god, who is
considered the most important god. Nefertiti and Akhenaten both changed their names to
represent their followings. Nefertiti changed her name to Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti, which means
"beautiful are the beauties of Aten, a beautiful woman has come”. Akhenaten’s previous name
was Amenhotep IV, but he changed it to Akhenaten to honor Aten. Nefertiti is considered one of
the most powerful women to have ruled. She is shown wearing the crown or in battle in multiple
depictions. The unusual thing is , Nefertiti disappeared from all records after 12 years. Different
theories exist to what happened; some say she died, she began to dress like a man when she
began equal in power to the pharaoh, she was exiled, or she became known as Pharaoh
Smenkhkare who ruled after her husband died.
Alex Andreozzi
Mr. Tavernia
Ap World History P.5
Packet B
Theme 3: Patriarchal System
Patriarchal systems are systems in which adult males hold primary power and
roles of social privilege, political leadership, and control of property. The father also
holds authority over the women and children. Patriarchal social structures did not
develop until many years after the end of the Pleistocene Era. As governments began to
be created in early civilizations, patriarchal systems took over as agriculture and
domestication of animals
William Block
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History Period 5
Packet B
State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict:
Political Structures & Forms of Governance
Government or any form of power began since the beginning of humans where usually
the eldest male would lead the group. This turned into patriarchy where leading would travel
down the line of the leading male. After civilizations were created city-states and empires began.
The earliest leading that was based on religion were the Egyptians. The Egyptians had a Pharaoh
who was a religious king who the people of Egypt worshipped. He was said to travel on even
after death and still remain a Pharaoh in the afterlife.
The first king to have a set of rules or written laws was Hammurabi. This was called the
Code of Hammurabi. The basic rule was an eye for an eye which depended on which class
commited the crime. The higher classes getting less punishment than the lower ones. If a royal
person were to kill a slave for example, they would get as much of a punishment than if it were
the other way around.
Governmental structure began because of job specialization and belief systems. Because
of job specialization elites were distinguished and were given power. In contrast, religious
leaders were given power because of religious purposes. The 4
classes/labor classes were
elites, skilled workers,
unskilled workers, and
coerced laborers/slaves.
Yasmine Charles-Harris
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History / Period 5
Packet: B
[Political]: (Pharaoh)
The political and religious leader in ancient Egypt was the Pharaoh.
This Pharaoh held the titles ‘High Priest of Every Temple’ and
‘Lord of the Two Lands.’ This was the most powerful person in
Egypt. The pharaoh was called ‘High Priest of Every Temple’
because he represented the gods on Earth and performed rituals and
built temples to honor the gods. The pharaoh was called ‘Lord of
the Two Lands’ because he was the ruler of Upper and Lower
Egypt. He owned all the land, collected taxes, made laws, and
defended Egypt against foreigners. When their land was threatened
or they wanted to control foreign lands, many pharaohs went to
war. If the pharaoh won the battle, the people that had been
conquered had to call the Egyptian pharaoh their ruler and offer
him the most valuable and finest goods from their land. The
pharaoh originally meant ‘the royal palace’ in ancient Egypt; however, the word came to be used
for the ‘Egyptian king’ in 1539 BCE-1292 BCE. By 945 BCE-730 BCE, it had been adopted as
an epithet of respect. Its modern use as a generic name for all Egyptian kings is based on the
usage of the Hebrew Bible, and it was never the king’s formal title. The full title of the Egyptian
king consisted of five names in official
documents. The Egyptians believed
that the pharaoh was the mediator
between the world of men and the gods.
The pharaoh was responsible for the
people’s
spiritual
and
economic
welfare, and his will was supreme.
Sofia del Rio
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History/Period 5
Packet: B
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I and his chief wife. She was the
second female pharaoh of Egypt. Hatshepsut was chief queen of her husband and brother
Thutmose II, until he died. When Thutmose II died, the only male
heir to the throne was Thutmose III but he was an infant so
Hatshepsut served as his regent until seven years later when she
claimed the title of pharaoh for herself. Hatshepsut began to have
herself pictured with a beard and dressed as a man, for those
images showed her authority. Unlike many other pharaohs,
Hatshepsut focused on restoring/building monuments, and
ensuring economic prosperity. She built the famous temple of Djeser-djeseru which was
dedicated to the god Amon, and she also built
two pairs of obelisks similar to those of her
father. The Queen died probably due to a toxic
agent found
in an
ointment used for her skin. Hatshepsut actually had two tombs,
for one was built for her as chief queen during Thutmose II’s
reign, and the other she built for herself as pharaoh. After her
death, her successor Thutmose III tired to erase her memory.
He destroyed and defaced as statues and paintings of her.
Jose Duran
Mr. Tavernia AP
Period 5
Mandate of Heaven
Throughout Chinese history when it was dynasty after dynasty, the
element used to reach and stay in power was having the mandate of heaven.
For a ruler to be respected from the people, he had to prove that he had
been chosen to be leader by the gods. The ruler trying to prove his
worthiness had to defeat any enemy, make various predictions for the future,
and convince the people that the gods gave him orders to achieve as
emperor. Once a person had fought his way through every other person that
thought that had the mandate of heaven and defeated them, only then would
the people of China praise him and follow his command. Many rulers lost the
mandate of heaven, and their lives, by simply making a wrong prediction or
losing a fight against a more powerful enemy. Once the population realized
that their so-called ruler had been an imposter and had gotten them defeated
in a battle, they would rush over to the ruler’s dwelling and kill him. This is the
reason why China had so many dynasties, one emperor would be chosen as
ruler and after years of ruling, would finally make a mistake and would be
overthrown and replaced by another emperor with different policies.
Sofia Godoy Mr. Tavernia Period 5 Packet B: Ancient Civilizations State Building, Expansion, and Conflict: Neo­Assyrian Empire The first empire of its kind in the world, the Neo­Assyrian Empire focused on the expansion of its power and influence. It was characterized by a succession of military campaigns, which brought wealth and pride, throughout the Mediterranean and along the Tigris River. At first, this fearsome force was made up of peasants and slaves. However, the army later began include a larger amount of professional soldiers, who were armed with bows and spears. Allowing them to cross enormous distances, the Neo­Assyrian empire also utilized chariots. In order to keep their subjects in line, Assyrian rulers often established harsh forms of punishment, such as physical torture. Before it rose to its famous position of dominance, the Neo­Assyrian empire was nothing but the scattered remains of a people torn apart by Aramaean, Amorite, and Sea People invasions. This changed when Adad Nirari II lead a movement towards the reconquering of lost lands and formed an advantageous alliance with Babylon, which endured for 80 years. Marking the beginning of the Sargonid Dynasty, the Neo­Assyrian empire reached its peak during the rule of Sargon II. Eventually, the extent of the empire lead to its demise. This was due to an overall inability to control territory and defend borders from enemies, such as Persians and Medes. City-States
A city-state is a sovereign state that consists of a city and its dependent
territories.​] Historically, this included cities such as ​Rome​, ​Athens​, ​Carthage​, and
the ​Italian city-states during the ​Renaissance​—but today only a handful of
sovereign city-states exist, with some disagreement as to which are city-states. A
great deal of consensus exists that the term properly applies to ​Singapore​, ​Monaco​,
and ​Vatican City​. Historical city-states included the oldest known ​Sumerian cities
of ​Uruk and ​Ur​; ​Ancient Egyptian city-states, such as ​Thebes and ​Memphis​; the
Phoenician cities (such as ​Tyre and ​Sidon​); the ​Berber city-states of the
Garamantes; the city-states of ​ancient Greece (the ​poleis such as ​Athens​, ​Sparta​,
Thebes​, and ​Corinth​).
Sydni Josowitz
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History p5
Packet B
[Political]: Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was a code of laws created by the Babylonian King,
Hammurabi. The stone was written on a series of stone pillars and tablets, few of which still
remain intact. The general idea of Hammurabi’s code of laws was based off of ‘an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth’. The punishments that were set were equal to the crime committed. The
code also highlighted how citizens of the various social classes should be punished. Those
higher in class received less severe punishments than those in the lower class. Around half of
the code highlights the methods of payment for certain jobs such as doctors. One third of it
dictates how family matters were to be dealt with and the rest dealt with liability and who's at
fault.
Mark Kava
Tavernia
World History AP/Period 5
Packet B
Political- Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was a set of laws that Babylonians must abide by.
Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylon from 1792-1750 BCE. Hammurabi is most well
known for creating the code of Hammurabi. The code of Hammurabi are sets of laws
that are inscribed on black pillars. The principles were used in legal cases in Babylon. It
is best known for “an eye for an eye” in which the punishment would be a direct result of
the crime. If a person committed theft, they would get their hand chopped off. The code
of Hammurabi was revolutionary because it was the first written law.
Despite the code of Hammurabi symbolizing equality and justice, it was not so at
the time in Babylon. Based on your social class, people would not be punished as
harshly. For example, if you were a slave and you committed a minor crime, you would
get a harsher punishment than a higher social class person who commits that same
crime. The laws reflected social inequality by three classes (the elites, working class,
and slaves).
Although there was social inequality and social division, the code was
revolutionary. Hammurabi created the first written law that a civilization obeyed. This
created order and was the first stepping stone to what modern society has today.
Thomas Lovegren
Mr.Tavernia
AP Human Geography
Packet B
AP theme: Development of elites
Development of elites was created by an accumulation of wealth. In all
civilizations all elies across the board no matter what civilization you were you had
wealth. The reasons that you became an elite also could have been different. You could
have become an elite through military reasons such as in babylon/mesopotamia where
warlike attributes and being a good commander was highly encouraged. Or in Egypt
where being a religious pharaoh was being the highest honor in terms of being a ruler.
Elites developed through the swap to agrarian civilizations which allowed for food to be
stored and power to be concentrated.
Elizabeth Matei
Mr. Tavernia
World History AP/Period 5
Packet: B
State Building Expansion and Conflict: Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is one of the first set of accepted laws created by one of
Babylonia’s most knowledgeable kings, Hammurabi. This document was created in about 1754
BCE. The code has two hundred eighty two laws which are based on social class status. For
example, in regards to degree of punishment, individuals living their lives as slaves would have
to pay a much higher price than elites who committed the same injustice. However, these laws
were accepted because even though slaves faced much more terrible punishments than those
higher than them , it was finally a point in time when elites were not able to do whatever they
wanted and would still get punished. One of Hammurabi’s most known laws in his code is an
“eye for an eye.” This basically means if one does bad to another human or object, he/she will
face consequences of equal or similar degree to the bad they committed. About half of the Code
of Hammurabi addresses the signing of contracts. Some of it mentions the making of transactions
and processes that deal with liability and property. A very small port of the code talks about
family relationships and conflicts at home. The code was discovered in 1901 by modern
archaeologists. The actual code is inscripted on a huge, basalt, round tablet in cuneiform. There
is still a lot to learn about the Code of Hammurabi, but for the time it has been around, it has
really taught mankind about the life of the Babylonians and about those living in Mesopotamia
during his reign.
Alba Minxha
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History Period 5
Packet: B
Theme 3 Political Structures and Forms of Governance: City States
The region of Mesopotamia is known for
being home to the earliest states. The states that
made up Mesopotamia, were known as city-states.
City-states are a city that with it’s surrounding
territory, create an independent state. While all of
the larger city-states were politically dominated by
Sumerians, there was no one Sumerian government
that connected these city-states. The kings of each
city-state ruled over their land and the surrounding
periphery.
The city-states of Mesopotamia were
theocracies. However, unlike the pharaohs of Egypt, the
kings of Mesopotamia were not believed to be godly;
but they were chosen as representatives of the gods.
The duties of Mesopotamian kings involved religious
components, managing war, writing laws, and guiding
administration; yet, the main focus of Mesopotamian
governments was warfare. The city-states traded little,
resulting in constant battles for water and fertile land. A
king who could lead his city-state to victory, also
brought water and land to his people. Making him successful in the eyes of his people.
Emily Namm
Michael Tavernia
AP World History/ Period 5
Packet B
[Political]: Sunzi’s Art of War
Sunzi (also known as Sun Tzu and Sun Wu)
was born in the state of Ch’i. He served King Wu
during the Zhou dynasty near the end of the
Spring and Autumn period, which was from 770476 BCE. He was a military strategist and general.
He is most well-known for his text The Art of
War.
In the book, Sunzi systematically
approaches and analyzes different strategies and
tactics for war. He treats war as, rather than a
matter of brute force, a psychological battle. He
taught that, in order to win the physical battle, the army must upset the enemy’s
leadership from harmony and peace of
mind to chaos.
The Art of War is the earliest
known treatise on war and military
sciences. In 1972, two Han dynasty tombs
were discovered by the city of Linyi. In
them, a transcript of The Art of War was
found, as well as another text, attributed
to a Sun Bin. This was entitled The Lost
Art of War and is believed to complete
Sunzi’s original volume.
Alexander Rabin Mr. Tavernia AP World History P.5 Packet B Political Theme: Code of Hammurabi Hammurabi of Babylon developed the first system of written law in 18th century Babylon. Prior to Hammurabi, leaders arbitrarily chose the punishment of people. Mesopotamian law was created as a result of increased complexity of city states.The death penalty and severe physical harm was commonplace in Hammurabi’s law, probably stemming from Hammurabi’s military aptitude. Hammurabi’s laws covered not only punishments, but protocols for specific situations and people. The punishments of his law also varied based on one’s social status. For example, a woman farmer would get a more severe punishment than a male priest for the same crime. The law also delved into trade issues and what was fair. The code was originally written in cuneiform, but eventually was deciphered. Hammurabi’s code gave historians a good insight on the lives of ancient Babylonians and gave later generations a good idea of the values they held. Scott Robins
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History Period 5
Packet B
Theme 3 (Political): City States
City States were used in one of the earliest known civilizations,
Mesopotamia. City states can be classified as a city with a surrounding territory
which makes it an independent state. Each city state was ruled over by a king
rather than them all being under one government. However, almost all city states
in Mesopotamia were ruled by Sumerian kings resulting in the same laws and
rules that were passed. In order to be a king of a city state, he must bring the
people water and fertile land. By doing this, the people would fall in love with him
and make him the new king. Also, city states had to have a strong military in case
of a war over land with another city. By winning these wars is another way of
becoming king and having power.
Sean Robins
Mr. Tavernia
AP World P.5
Packet: B
Theme 3 (Political): Hammurabi’s Code
Hammurabi’s Code simply stated an eye for an eye. In deeper
meaning this can be related to the golden rule do unto others as you would
have them do to you. If I killed someone, then I would have to have a
punishment whether it is execution or a fine. Hammurabi’s Code also went
into deeper sections such as medicine. Section 221: If a doctor has cured
the broken limb of a man, or has healed his sick body, the patient shall pay
the doctor five shekels of silver. This code has given the people of Ancient
Babylon a list of rules to follow to maintain peace in their land. It can be
looked at as a constitution. To conclude this is how Hammurabi’s code has
helped keep balance and peace in Ancient Babylon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Code_of_Hammurabi
Alejandro Sosa Mr. Tavernia AP World History P.5 Packet: B Portfolio Project Political: Ramesses II Ramesses II was probably the single most influential,celebrated, and powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian New Kingdom and the Egyptian Empire. He was born in 1303 BCE and died 1213 BCE. Ramesses the Great, as he was also called, ascended to power in 1279 BCE and held power until his death. As with all Egyptian pharaohs, Ramesses II was considered to be Horus during his rule and became Osiris after he died. There are numerous theories that his years in power are actually different because of a coregency with his father Seti I. Ramesses II was the longest fully documented pharaoh, maintaining power for a total of 67 years. The closest other reigns are a tie between Thutmose III and Psamtik I with 54 years. His long reign allowed for his extensive list of conquests and achievements. Ramses II led three campaigns into Syria, which all involved conflicts against the Hittites, which turned out to be the closest thing Ramesses the Great had to a mortal enemy. The most famous conflict between the Hittites and the Egyptians, which turns out the be the earliest battle in recorded history for which details of tactics and formations are known and the largest chariot battle of ancient times is the Battle of Kadesh. In this battle, Ramesses II and Muwatalli II (the Hittite king) fought at the city of Kadesh, that had once been an Egyptian vassal state, but defected to Hittite suzerainty after 150 years. After a Hittite spy had successfully tricked the Egyptians and the Hittites ambushed the Egyptian camp, the Egyptians received reinforcements and were able to pull out a tactical victory from a near loss. Afterwards, the Hittites and Egyptians formed the first famous written truce in history and to solidify the truce, Ramesses II married the Hittite princess Maathorneferure, which became the third out of eight Great Royal Wives of Ramesses II. Other famous wives of Ramesses II include Nefertari and Isetnofret. Ramesses also campaigned to the south into Nubia. On one of his temples, it says that he had to fight one battle against the Nubians without help from his soldiers. Another smaller campaign of Ramesses II was his campaign in Libya. Most of the records recall his conquering and crushing them. Rameses also built many religious monuments and joined a handful of rulers in the Sed festival, in which after reigning for 30 years and every three years after, the pharaoh was ritually transformed into a god. By becoming a god, the role of Ramesses dramatically changed and so did the role of his firstborn son, who practically became the ruler all but in name. Ramesses had the most Sed Alejandro Sosa Mr. Tavernia AP World History P.5 Packet: B festivals celebrated at a total of 14. After his death, Ramesses II was buried in the Valley of the Kings at about 90 or 91 years of age. Kathryn Treacy
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History, Period 5
Packet B: Ancient Civilizations
State-Building, Expansion, & Conflict:
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is ​a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male
is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line​. Anthropological evidence
suggests that most ​prehist​o​ric​ hunter-gatherer societies were relatively egalitarian, and
that patriarchal social structures did not develop until many years after the end of the
Pleistocene​ era, following social and technological developments such as agriculture and
domestication​. The works of Aristotle portrayed women as morally, intellectually, and
physically inferior to men; saw women as the property of men; claimed that women's role
in society was to reproduce and serve men in the household; and saw male domination of
women as natural and virtuous.
Egypt left no philosophical record, but Herodotus left a record of his shock at the
contrast between the roles of Egyptian women and the women of Athens. He observed
that Egyptian women attended market and were employed in trade. In ancient Egypt a
middle-class woman might sit on a local tribunal, engage in real estate transactions, and
inherit or bequeath property. Women also secured loans, and witnessed legal documents.
Saaketh Vedantam
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History/Period 5
Packet: B
Political: Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was one of the first sets of legal laws inscribed on a polished
black stone pillar. This code was created by the Amorite ruler Hammurabi, who was Babylonian.
It provided judges with a lengthy set of examples that illustrated principles to use in cases. In
fact, the famous words, “an eye for an eye,” come from this document. It was very unforgiving,
as many offenses resulted in severe punishment, including death. Hammurabi’s Code didn’t only
include pure law, either; it also had information related to medicine.
In terms of law, the code showed an early example of a fundamental law regulating a
government. Also, it shows that both the defendant and the accuser have the right to give
evidence of their accounts. The code’s punishments also varied based on social class. For
example, if a rich person committed a crime, he would have to pay a small fee, but if a peasant
committed the same crime, torture or the death penalty would be issued. Some subjects the code
talked about were slander, trade, slavery, and theft. The consequences for these acts varied
according to importance. For example, the punishment of robbery was death, while the
punishment for trade wrongdoings was a large payment.
In terms of medicine, the code provided a list of penalties or rewards that a doctor would
get for doing something to a patient. For example, if the doctor healed a patient, we would earn
some money. On the other hand, if the doctor harmed a patient, the penalty would vary based on
the social class of the patient.
The Code of Hammurabi was very influential in the Old Babylonian Empire and
afterwards, as is provided a basis to law systems that would be established afterwards. Modern
law systems aren’t nearly as harsh as Hammurabi’s Code was, but they still have the same
underlying principles: crime resulted in punishment.
Daniela Velez Mr. Tavernia AP World History/ 5 Packet: B Political: Warring States Period Pretty much self­explanatory by the name, the Warring States Period was the period of time between 475 and 221 BC in the Chinese Dynasties. It earned its name due to the frequent wars in between the eight states of the Zhou dynasty that occurred during it. The eight states of the Zhou dynasty were Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Han, Wei, Yue, and Zhao. The strongest and largest of these was Chu, controlling the southern third of the region of the Warring States. Controlling a third of the western territory, the Qin state was also a powerful entity. The states each wanted to conquer and control all of the states. Advances in military technology, including the development of the casting of individual weapons which allowed foot soldiers to be armed, provided the basis for the stream of brutal wars that followed. Even though there was frequent friction between the eight states of the Zhou dynasty during this period, it was also a time of intellectual advancements. Mencius and Hsun­tzu, Confucian philosophers, taught and wrote during this period. Isabella Whiting
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History P5
Packet B
Theme 3: Political
AP World history revolves around five major themes, one of which is political which
deals with state building, expansion, and conflict. As early civilizations were developing,
different forms of government were also being constructed. Early political leaders had to find
ways to construct and maintain power while simultaneously ensuring they had an organized
society. An example of such a ruler was Hammurabi who was an Amorite ruler of babylon. He
conquered many city-states in southern and northern Mesopotamia and is mostly remembered
for creating a legal code known as the Code of Hammurabi. His code of laws were inscribed on
black stone pillars and explained the principles to be used in legal cases, which mostly followed
the philosophy of “ an eye for an eye”. It reflected social divisions between the three classes,
since penalties for crimes depended on how the person who committed the crime fit into the
social classes. Slaves for example were almost always sentenced to death for minor crimes
while the elite were able to commit much more major crimes and get away with it. Creating a
legal code that gave him and the rest of the elite class more power over the less socially ranked
allowed Hammurabi to maintain his power and construct a society where him and the rest of the
elite held control. This form of governance in which only the elite held power and the rest of
society was much more forcibly punished was key to maintain his rule.
Kevin Yeung
Mr. Tavernia
AP World History Period 5
Packet B
Theme 3 – Political: Phoenicia
Phoenicia was an ancient civilization
located on the western side of the Fertile Crescent
along the Mediterranean Sea stretching from
Lebanon to Syria. In more general terms,
Phoenicia was the region of the Canaanite port
towns, and the language and religion of the
civilization was quite similar to the other Semitic
cultures of Canaan. It was organized in city-states,
like the ancient Greeks, and each city-state was politically independent. From its rise to power to its
fall in 149 BCE, three capitals have made its mark on Phoenicia, which were Byblos in Mount
Lebanon, Tyre in Southern Lebanon, and the most notable of them all, Carthage. Most importantly,
the Phoenicians were the first state-level society to create and use an extensive alphabet. As one of
the major ancestors of modern alphabets, their invention quickly spread throughout Anatolia, Europe,
and North Africa and started making its impact.
While some of the most important Phoenician settlements were established a long time
before Phoenicia’s rise to power, Phoenician cities first started to flourish around 1500 BCE, when
Egyptian influence over the surrounding land began to weaken and decline. For the Phoenicians, this
was a time of economic prosperity for trading centers and led to an early world economy unique to
the civilization. Instead of relying on limited agricultural resources, the Phoenicians exploited the
resources near the coast and in the oceans. With their supreme knowledge in ship-building and
navigation in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Phoenicians exported luxury goods and raw
materials to other cities. These included ingots of precious metals, wine and oil, jewelry, pottery tools,
and dye, especially purple dye made specifically for royalty. However, the rule of the Phoenicians
wouldn’t last forever.
The region of Phoenicia was loosely united, with each city operating independently and ruled
by a separate king. All of the royal houses in Phoenicia ruled by divine descent, and the king ruled
without the consent of the citizens. However, his power was limited by powerful merchant families,
since they controlled the flow of imports and exports. A council of elders also advised the king.
While Phoenicia was a republic for a short amount of time from 605-562 BCE under the rule of
Nebuchadnezzar II, it had failed, proving that Phoenicia was best split up into city-states. During
most of Phoenicia’s reign over the land, it was spared from most of the conflict and war because of
their prized exports. However, envy soon led to the civilization’s decline, beginning with Persia’s
conquest of Phoenicia in 539 BCE. Macedonia would rule over Phoenicia in time as well, and would
cause Phoenician culture to completely disappear from the Fertile Crescent. However, Phoenicia
would always be remembered for its contribution to the alphabet and its legacy as an empire.