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====Phoenicians: first democratsEarly for of democracy?====As was the case with other urban and mercantile societies , Phoenicia developed sophisticated political systems. The governments of these These city-states was initially organized these governments around kings, the priesthood , and a council of elders. These increasingly became oligarchic in nature over time. The Phoenicians were among the first to develop political institutions other than that of the monarchy in the Levant. There are those who Some claim that they introduced a limited form of democracy, centuries before the Greeks.  There is evidence that during religious festivities that citizens of cities such as Sidon would vote for candidates for the assembly. These People transmitted these democratic practices were transmitted to outposts , such as Carthage. We can have a better understanding of the nature of Punic institutions by studying the constitution of Carthage. It was an oligarchical republic where citizens could elect two presidents called Suffetes. It even had a popular assembly and trade unions.  The Phoenician’s political system is deemed to have been very influential was instrumental in the development of governments in the Classical period. There are those who claim that Greek city-states such as Athens were influenced by the The governments of cities such as Sidon and Tyreinfluenced the Greek city-states such as Athens. It is also possible that they also introduced democratic institutions and practices to the Etruscans who later transmitted them to the Romans .<ref>Stockwell, Stephen. "Before Athens: Early popular government in Phoenicia and Greek city-states." In The Secret History of Democracy, pp. 35-48. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2011</ref>.

The Phoenicians were renowned traders and sailors. They traded all over the Mediterranean and even in the Black Sea. They traded luxury goods and high-value products such as the famous purple dye, far and wide. Traders from Sidon and other cities voyaged great distances to obtain metals such as bronze and tin. These were sourced in the mysterious land of Taresh, which is believed to have been located in modern Spain.  The Phoenicians and the colonies helped to create a trade network that traversed the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. This network helped the region to recover from the collapse of civilizations associated with the Sea Peoples.  However, the Phoenicians were not just traders, ; they were also notorious pirates and slavers. Nonetheless, city-states such as Tyre made a crucial contribution to the development of international trade. What is more, the commercial networks of the Phoenicians allowed for the exchange and transmission of ideas.  Historians believe that they influenced other cultures, especially with regard to about religion. The Greek goddess Aphrodite was based on the cult of Astarte, which was widely practiced in Phoenicia .<ref>Sherratt, Susan, and Andrew Sherratt. "The growth of the Mediterranean economy in the early first millennium BC." World Archaeology 24, no. 3 (1993): 361-378</ref> ====Phoenicia role in the development of Carthage====[[File:Phoen 1.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Punic ruins]]By the 5th century BC, the small trading outpost of Carthage developed into a great city. It became the leading maritime and commercial power in the Western Mediterranean. It was under the control of Tyre until the Persians conquered Phoenicia. The Carthaginians freed from the influence of Phoenicia conquered the other Punic outposts and eventually dominated much of the North Africa coast and many of the Mediterranean islands.<ref>Astin, A. E., M. W. Frederiksen, R. M. Ogilvie, and F. W. Walbank, eds. The Cambridge ancient history. Cambridge University Press, 1984), p. 117</ref>  Carthage retained its Phoenician culture and institutions and influenced many societies in the region, down the centuries. They were the rivals of the Greeks in Sicily and elsewhere, and later they proved to be the greatest enemy of Rome. The Carthaginians fought three wars with Rome, known as the Punic Wars, and they were ultimately to determine the fate of the Mediterranean World for centuries.  If they had prevailed over Rome, the history of the Western World could have been much different. Despite their defeat and the eventual destruction of the city in 154 BC, Carthage left an enduring legacy. They introduced new agricultural methods and naval technologies into the region, which were adopted by Rome.  Moreover, the Carthaginians developed a rich civilization and economy on the North African littoral.<ref> Astin, p. 201</ref> After the Romans occupied Carthage after the Third Punic War, it became a crucial part of the Roman economy. Moreover, many Punic communities continued to prosper, such as that at Utica. Many remained proud of their Phoenician ancestry, such as one of the greatest of all Christian thinkers, St Augustine. Indeed, it was only with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, that Punic culture and language, vanished, from the region.<ref>Astin, p. 213</ref> The Phoenicians through their colony at Carthage altered the course of history in North Africa.

Phoenicia is a civilization that is little appreciated today, unlike those far less famous than the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. This Phoenicia's place in history was erased because it and its colonies were subjugated conquered by other powers and its libraries and records nearly all destroyedafter Persia conquered the kingdom. This means that their Therefore, Phoenicia's contributions to ancient civilization and history has have often not been recognized.  Among their many achievements the Phoenicians pioneered new commercial networks and introduced urban living into many areas of the Mediterranean for the first time. The Phoenicians introduced the phonetic alphabet to many societies’ and this was to revolutionize societies. This innovation revolutionized many cultures in the Mediterranean and this changed the course history of the Worldworld history. The unique societies Phoenicia was also one of Phoenicia meant that they were among the first civilizations to develop democratic institutions and these . These were possibly emulated by the Ancient Greeks. Their colonization of the Mediterranean was important. The Phoenician trading post of Carthage eventually became an Empire that was pivotal in the history of the Classical World.

* Clifford, R. J. (1990). Phoenician religion. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 279(1), 55-64.* Millar, F. (1983). The Phoenician cities: a case-study of Hellenisation. The Cambridge Classical Journal, 29, 55-71.*Markoe, G. E. (1990). The emergence of Phoenician art. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental research, 279(1), 13-26.*Oded, B. (1974). The Phoenician cities and the Assyrian Empire in the time of Tiglath-pileser III. Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins (1953-), (H. 1), 38-49.