If you want to discover the captivating history of the Phoenicians, then keep reading... The Phoenicians remain one of the most enigmatic ancient civilizations, with historians and scholars prone to speculation and educated guesses. Although many Greek, Roman, and Egyptian writers reference the Phoenicians in trade records, military battles, and artistic transactions, few records were left by the original Phoenicians themselves, leaving modern scholars to fill in the blanks through educated guesses and material culture. The ancient perception about this civilization was mixed. For every writer like Pomponius Mela who lavished praise upon the Phoenicians, there was another who derided the people as nothing more than cheats and hucksters who kept other states' trade stymied through stranglehold networks and ridiculous deals. Mela described them as such: "The Phoenicians were a clever race, who prospered in war and peace. They excelled in writing and literature, and in other arts, in seamanship, and in ruling an empire." To dissect Mela's quote, the Phoenicians were great writers, yet they left almost no documents. They may have been excellent sailors and naval commanders, yet they built no territorial empire. They were stellar artists, yet their work contains few original elements. They may have been clever builders, yet their monuments crumbled. And the Phoenicians were a single civilization, yet they were split into city-states. How could a civilization exist with so many contradictions, and how can modern historians utilize evidence that no longer seems to exist to uncover the truth? Who were the enigmatic Phoenicians, why did their civilization crumble, and why should a modern audience care? Open this book to find out. In The Phoenicians: A Captivating Guide to the History of Phoenicia and the Impact Made by One of the Greatest Trading Civilizations of the Ancient World, you will discover topics such as Origins The World of the Phoenicians Political and Legal Structures Daily Life Beauty and Apparel An Unwritten Early History Vassal to the Empires Trade and the Economy Language and Alphabet Religion Warfare Artistry in Multiple Mediums And much, much more! So if you want to learn more about the Phoenicians, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!