DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0144
112 SCULPTURE IN WESTERN ASIA.
foreign products, to be distributed, in turn, to a still wider public. Babylonia,
Assyria, and Egypt required oil and wine for their population ; metals, skins,
and finely dyed wools, for their home manufacture ; and timber for building
ships, rafts, and even houses. At first the Phoenicians seem to have been the
mediators of this traffic only among the neighboring countries on the Euphra-
tes and Nile; but in time their trade spread to the coast-lands and islands of
the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as of the Indian Ocean. In oldest
Bible story, Abraham has dealings with these ancient barterers, buying of
them his slaves.'36 At a later day King Solomon built for them caravansaries,
in order to facilitate their wealth-bringing traffic. The laden caravan toiling
across the Syrian desert, between the cities of Mesopotamia and the Phoeni-
cian seacoast, seems to have been no uncommon sight, even before 1600 B.C.,
by which time the weights and measures of Babylon had been adopted by
these Phoenician traders. From the far East, we learn, they brought Baby-
lonian weavings and embroidered garments, as well as fine ointments, frank-
incense, myrrh, and precious stones.'37 For the varied merchandise of Egypt,
— linens, papyrus, glass-wares, cut stones, ornaments, and medicines,—the
Phoenicians likewise found a ready market. How early their Egyptian traffic
commenced, we cannot tell: but Seti I. felled cedars on Lebanon about 1400
B.C. ; and it is probable, that long before, while the Asiatic Hyksos had con-
trol of Egypt, the sea-faring Phoenicians had dealings with the people of the
Nile. As early as 1100 B.C. their ships had ventured in the west to Cyprus,
Rhodes, Crete, the Kyclades, and even to the coasts of Greece and Italy.
These crafty sailor-merchants took with them brilliantly dyed stuffs, tempting
articles of personal adornment, as well as figures of their gods ; but the great
staple of their trade was the unhappy slave, whom they obtained either by
strategy or force, thus winning for themselves a most unenviable reputation
among the nations of the Mediterranean. At first their many-oared and
gayly-sailed ships seem to have carried on only an itinerant trade, the wily
tradesmen from afar spreading out on the shores their wares, to tempt the
inhabitants of the seacoasts, or, as the "Odyssey" tells us, cruising about'for
a short time among the Kyclades, driving sharp barter until their cargo was
complete, and then setting sail.'3s But in time, as their commerce increased,
permanent trading-stations and industrial centres were doubtless required,
which should serve as corresponding houses with the Phoenician cities, and
as a protection to their growing trade. Out of these colonies, which sprang
up especially where mines were to be worked, and shells were to be found,
there sometimes grew cities like Carthage, which retained the distinctive
character of the mother-land, and vied with it in importance. Such Phoenician
settlements existed in Cyprus, Melos, Thera, Samothrake, and Euboia; and on
the mainland of Greece, Thebes, Corinth, Marathon, and many other places,
had intimate connection with this ancient Semitic people.
foreign products, to be distributed, in turn, to a still wider public. Babylonia,
Assyria, and Egypt required oil and wine for their population ; metals, skins,
and finely dyed wools, for their home manufacture ; and timber for building
ships, rafts, and even houses. At first the Phoenicians seem to have been the
mediators of this traffic only among the neighboring countries on the Euphra-
tes and Nile; but in time their trade spread to the coast-lands and islands of
the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as of the Indian Ocean. In oldest
Bible story, Abraham has dealings with these ancient barterers, buying of
them his slaves.'36 At a later day King Solomon built for them caravansaries,
in order to facilitate their wealth-bringing traffic. The laden caravan toiling
across the Syrian desert, between the cities of Mesopotamia and the Phoeni-
cian seacoast, seems to have been no uncommon sight, even before 1600 B.C.,
by which time the weights and measures of Babylon had been adopted by
these Phoenician traders. From the far East, we learn, they brought Baby-
lonian weavings and embroidered garments, as well as fine ointments, frank-
incense, myrrh, and precious stones.'37 For the varied merchandise of Egypt,
— linens, papyrus, glass-wares, cut stones, ornaments, and medicines,—the
Phoenicians likewise found a ready market. How early their Egyptian traffic
commenced, we cannot tell: but Seti I. felled cedars on Lebanon about 1400
B.C. ; and it is probable, that long before, while the Asiatic Hyksos had con-
trol of Egypt, the sea-faring Phoenicians had dealings with the people of the
Nile. As early as 1100 B.C. their ships had ventured in the west to Cyprus,
Rhodes, Crete, the Kyclades, and even to the coasts of Greece and Italy.
These crafty sailor-merchants took with them brilliantly dyed stuffs, tempting
articles of personal adornment, as well as figures of their gods ; but the great
staple of their trade was the unhappy slave, whom they obtained either by
strategy or force, thus winning for themselves a most unenviable reputation
among the nations of the Mediterranean. At first their many-oared and
gayly-sailed ships seem to have carried on only an itinerant trade, the wily
tradesmen from afar spreading out on the shores their wares, to tempt the
inhabitants of the seacoasts, or, as the "Odyssey" tells us, cruising about'for
a short time among the Kyclades, driving sharp barter until their cargo was
complete, and then setting sail.'3s But in time, as their commerce increased,
permanent trading-stations and industrial centres were doubtless required,
which should serve as corresponding houses with the Phoenician cities, and
as a protection to their growing trade. Out of these colonies, which sprang
up especially where mines were to be worked, and shells were to be found,
there sometimes grew cities like Carthage, which retained the distinctive
character of the mother-land, and vied with it in importance. Such Phoenician
settlements existed in Cyprus, Melos, Thera, Samothrake, and Euboia; and on
the mainland of Greece, Thebes, Corinth, Marathon, and many other places,
had intimate connection with this ancient Semitic people.