3. History.— One of the most powerful and important nations of antiquity, Phoenicia has yet left but poor in- formation regarding her history. According to Jose- phus, every city in Phoenicia had its collection of regis- ters and public documents (comp. Targum to Kirjath- Jearim, Judg. i, 11, 15). Out of these, Menander of Ephesus, and Dias, a Phoenician, compiled two histories of Tyre, a few fragments of which have survived (comp.
PHOENICIA
15!
PHOENICIA
Josephus, Contra Ap. i. 17. 18; Ant. viii, •">. :'>: xiii. 1 si|. ; ix. 14, 2; TheophiL Ad Autol. iii. 22; Syncellus, Chron. p. L82). Sanchoniatho is said to have written a history of Phoenicia and Egypt, which was recasl bj Philo of Byblas, under the reign of Hadrian, and from his work Porphyrins (4th century A. I).) took some cos- mogonical quotations, which found their way into Eu- sebius [Prop. Evang. i. 10). Later Phoenician histori- ans' works (Theodotus, Hesycrates, Moschos, mentioned as authors on Phoenicia by Tatianus. Omtnt Cm <■>,.<.$ .17 i are liken ise lost. < Sesenius mentions, in his Monunu nia Phoenicia (p. 363 sq.), some later Phoenician authors, w ho do ii"i touch upon historical subjects. Thus noth- Ni- l .in a few casual notices in the Bible, some of the Church fathers, and classical writers (Josephus, Syncellus, Herodotus, Diodorus. Justin), which happen to throw some light upon the history of thai long-lost commonwealth. A greal part of this history, however, being identical with that of the cities mentioned, in which by turns the hegemony was vested, fuller infor- mation « ill be found under their special headings. The names of the kings from Hiram to Pygmalion arc pre- served by Josephus (Apion, i, 18) in a fragment from the history of Tyre by Menander of Ephesus. We give them, with the computations of the reigns by Movers (ut sup. II. i. L40, 11.".. 1 19), Duncken Gesch. des Altertkums [3d ed. Berl. 1863 7 J. i. 526 sq.), and Hitzig i I rgesch. und Mythol. der Pkftistder, p. L91). See also Herzog, Encyklop. xi. 620 sq.
Name.
\i nander.
Movers. Dun.-ker. | llitzig. |
B.C.
B.C.
CC
Hiram I
34 years
930 '.'17
1021 991
1031 '.''.'7
Balcazar....
7 (17) years
94(;-;uo
991-974
997-990
Abdastnrtus
•.' years
939 931
974-965
990 v-1
Unknown ..
12 years
930 919
966-953
981 969
Asian us
12 years
918 907
953 941
969 '.'.-.7
Astarvmiis .
9 years
901) -'.is
941-932
'.'.-.7 948
Pheles
8 months
Ithobal
32 1 12) years
897-860
931 898
948 916
Balezorns . .
6 8,18) years
si;.-, s,-,s
398 890
916 910
Myttonns. . .
'.> •_'.•>,■_".< years
s;,t -:;::
-no sc,i
910 901
Pygmalion .
47 (40,48) vears
-::•_' 7-r.
si;i sl-
'.hi" S53
Broadly speaking, we may bciciti to date Phoenician historj from the tunc when Sidon lirst assumed the rule, or about B.C. 1500. Up to that time it was chiefly the development oi the immense internal resource-, and the commencement of that gigantic trade that was des- tined sunn to overspread the whole of the then known world, which seem to have occupied the attention of the early and peaceful settlers. The symbolical repre- sentative of their political history during that period is El, or Belitan, builder of cities, supreme and happy ruler of men. The conquest of Canaan by the Israelites marks a nen epoch, of which lists of kings were still extant in late Greek times. We now hear first of Si. Io- nian colonies, while the manufactures and commerce
Of the country seem to have reached a high renown
througl i the neighboring lands. The Israelites drove
out Sidonian settlers from Laish, near the sources of the Jordan. Somewhat later (beginning of 13th century i, Sidonian colonization spread farther west, founding the i island- 1 city of Tyre, and Citium and Hippo on the coast ol Africa. About L209, however. Sidon was defeated
by the king ofAskalon, and lyre, assuming the ascen- dency, u-hercd iii a third period, during which Phoeni- cia reached the summit of her greatness. At this time, ehictU under the brilliant reign of Hiram, we hear also of a close alliance with the 1-raeliie-. w hich eventually led to common commercial enterprises at sea, After Hiram's death,, however, political dissensions began to undermine the unparalleled peace and power ol the country. His four sons ruled, with certain interrup- tions, for short period.-, and the crown was then assumed by Ethbaal, the father of Jezebel His grandson, Mat- tan, left the throne to his two children, Pygmalion and
Dido > 1 h--.ii. 'I be latter, bavin- lie, n excluded from power by her brother, left the country, together with some of the aristocratic families, and founded Carthage
(New-Town), about B.C. 813. Of the century that fol- lowed, little further is known save occasional allusions
in Joel and AmOS, Which tell of the piratical commerce
ofTyrians and Sidonians. Assyrian, Cbaldautn, Egypr tian invasions followed each other in turns during the last phase of Phoenician history, dating from the 8th
century, and soon reduced the flourishing country to insignificance. Deeds of prowess, such as the thirteen year.-' siege sustained by Tyre against overwhelming forces, could not save the doomed country. Her fleet destroyed, her colonies wrested from her or in a State
oi open rebellion, torn by inner factions. Phoenicia was ultimately (together with what had been one- Nebu- chadnezzar's empire) embodied with Persia B.C. 538. Once more, however, exasperated by the enormous taxes imposed upon them, chiefly during the Greek