التجارة الفينيقية في عالم البحر المتوسط القديم من خلال المصادر الأدبية والأدلة الأثرية

The Phoenicians were the first maritime people in history who began to navigate the seas, establishing maritime routes between the East and the West. They set up settlements along the coasts they passed through, and they were exemplary traders, well-known to the ancient coastal peoples for their ships. It seems that natural and political circumstances played a significant role in prompting the Phoenicians to seek their livelihood from the sea through fishing and gathering marine shells. This eventually evolved into maritime voyages in search of raw materials, which they exchanged for other goods with neighboring peoples; thus, it became necessary to establish settlements along the coasts where their ships sailed. It is known that in their quest for raw materials, they reached Spain, the coasts of Britain, and regions of West Africa. The Greeks and Romans recognized the Phoenicians for their skill, cunning, and activity in trade.