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The Phoenicians, who were the neighbors of the Jews, were a Semitic tribe which at a very early age had settled along the shores of the Mediterranean. They had built themselves two well-fortified towns, Tyre and Sidon, and within a short time they had gained a monopoly of the trade of the western seas. Their ships went regularly to Greece and Italy and Spain and they even ventured beyond the straits of Gibraltar to visit the Scilly islands where they could buy tin. Wherever they went, they built themselves small trading stations, which they called colonies. Many of these were the origin of modern cities, such as Cadiz and Marseilles.

They bought and sold whatever promised to bring them a good profit. They were not troubled by a conscience. If we are to believe all their neighbors they did not know what the words honesty or integrity meant. They regarded a well-filled treasure chest the highest ideal of all good citizens. Indeed they were very unpleasant people and did not have a single friend. Nevertheless, they have rendered all coming generations one service of the greatest possible value. They gave us our alphabet.

The Phoenicians had been familiar with the art of writing, invented by the Sumerians. But they regarded these pothooks as a clumsy waste of time. They were practical business men and could not spend hours engraving two or three letters. They set to work and invented a new system of writing which was greatly superior to the old one. They borrowed a few pictures from the Egyptians and they simplified a number of the wedge-shaped figures of the Sumerians. They sacrificed the pretty looks of the older system for the advantage of speed and they reduced the thousands of different images to a short and handy alphabet of twenty-two letters.

In due course of time, this alphabet travelled across the Aegean Sea and entered Greece. The Greeks added a few letters of their own and carried the improved system to Italy. The Romans modified the figures somewhat and in turn taught them to the wild barbarians of western Europe. Those wild barbarians were our own ancestors, and that is the reason why this book is written in characters that are of Phoenician origin and not in the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians or in the nail-script of the Sumerians.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read and/or listen to the story.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary terms.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Answer the review questions.

Synopsis

The Phoenicians settled the shores of the Mediterranean and traded using their ships. They built small trading stations in far-off lands to facilitate their trading ventures. Some of these trading stations became modern cities including Cadiz and Marseilles. Another lasting contribution of the Phoenicians is our alphabet. The Phoenicians knew of the cuneiform wedges of the Sumerians, but writing in cuneiform took too long. The Phoenicians reduced thousands of images to twenty-two letters. The Greeks and Romans adapted, added to, and modified these letters which eventually became the alphabet used in America and other places across the world today.

Vocabulary

Alphabet: The set of letters used when writing in a language.
Monopoly: A situation, by legal privilege or other agreement, in which solely one party (company, cartel etc.) exclusively provides a particular product or service, dominating that market and generally exerting powerful control over it.
Trade: Buying and selling of goods and services on a market.
Profit: Total income or cash flow minus expenditures.
Practical: Being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After you read or listen to the lesson, narrate the events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Map the Lesson

Find locations related to the chapter.

  • Mediterranean Sea
  • Country of Lebanon
  • Country of Greece
  • Country of France
  • Country of Spain
  • Country of Italy

Activity 3: Can You Find It?

Study the painting, 'Phoenician Traders on the Coast of Britain,' by British painter Frederic Leighton.

Zoom in and find the following items.

  • British Traders
  • Phoenician Traders
  • Red Cloth
  • Furs
  • Pottery
  • Decorated Box
  • Rug
  • Shore

Activity 4: Study a Picture of Lebanon Today

Examine a picture of the old souk (an Arab market or marketplace; a bazaar) in Byblos, Lebanon today.

Note how the ancient buildings combine with the modern furnishings of a cafe.

Activity 5: Study a Carving of a Phoenician Ship.

Study the carving of a Phoenician ship on a sarcophagus, and find the following:

  • Sail
  • Mast
  • Rigging
  • Water

Activity 6: Complete Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art   

Click the crayon above. Complete pages 25-26 of 'World History Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art for Third Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Which group of people from the chapter settled the shores of the Mediterranean and traded using their ships?
1 / 4

Answer 1

The Phoenicians settled the shores of the Mediterranean and traded using their ships
1 / 4

Question 2

How were the European cities of Cadiz and Marseilles founded?
2 / 4

Answer 2

The European cities of Cadiz and Marseilles originated as Phoenician trading stations.
2 / 4

Question 3

Why didn't the Phoenicians wish to use cuneiform for their writing?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Writing in cuneiform took too long.
3 / 4

Question 4

Do Americans use the exact same alphabet developed by the Phoenicians?
4 / 4

Answer 4

No, our alphabet has 26 letters and the Phoenician alphabet contains 22. In addition, the Greeks and Romans modified some of the letters of the original alphabet.
4 / 4

  1. Which group of people from the chapter settled the shores of the Mediterranean and traded using their ships? The Phoenicians settled the shores of the Mediterranean and traded using their ships
  2. How were the European cities of Cadiz and Marseilles founded? The European cities of Cadiz and Marseilles originated as Phoenician trading stations.
  3. Why didn't the Phoenicians wish to use cuneiform for their writing? Writing in cuneiform took too long.
  4. Do Americans use the exact same alphabet developed by the Phoenicians? No, our alphabet has 26 letters and the Phoenician alphabet contains 22. In addition, the Greeks and Romans modified some of the letters of the original alphabet.

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