A vivid description of the Phoenicians' trade at the time of Tyre's prosperity is given by Ezekiel (xxvii. 12-25), and it shows how extensive were their commercial relations not only by sea, but by land as well. It was they who distributed to the rest of the world the wares of Egypt and Babylonia (Herod., i. I). From the lands of the Euphrates and Tigris regular trade-routes led to the Mediterranean with trading-stations on the way, several of which are mentioned by Ezekiel (xxvii. 23). In Egypt the Phoenician merchants soon gained a foothold; they alone were able to maintain a profitable trade in the anarchic times of the 22nd and 23rd dynasties (825-650 B.c.), when all other foreign merchants were frightened away. Though there were never any regular colonies of Phoenicians in Egypt, the Tyrians had a quar ter of their own in Memphis (Herod., ii. 112). The Arabian caravan-trade in perfume, spices and incense passed through Phoenician hands on its way to Greece and the west (Herod., iii. 107). Between Israel and Phoenicia the relations naturally were close; the former provided certain necessaries of life, and received in exchange articles of luxury and splendour (Ezek. xxvii. 16-18). Israelite housewives sold their homespun to Phoenician pedlars (Prow. xxxi. 24 R.V.M.) ; in Jerusalem Phoenician mer chants and money lenders had their quarter (Zeph. i. I 1), and after the Return we hear of Tyrians selling fish and all manner of ware in the city (Neh. xiii. 16), and introducing other less desir able imports, such as foreign cults (Isa. lxv. I I). The Phoenician words which made their way into Greek at an early period indi cate the kind of goods in which the Phoenicians traded with the west, or made familiar through their commerce ; the following are some of xtreop, 606vn, 1.115,51Sa, vo.f3Xa, Kinrpos, Oimos, wet, raXXaKis, Octi.-rvXos. Another article of commerce which the Phoenicians brought into the market was amber.
The Phoenician colonies were all supposed to have been founded from Tyre : with regard to the colonies in Cyprus and north Africa this was undoubtedly true. Cyprus possessed resources of timber and copper which could not fail to tempt the keen-eyed traders across the water, who made Citium (from Kittim, the name of the original non-Semitic inhabitants) their chief settle ment, and thence established themselves in Idalium, Tamassus, Lapethus, Larnaka, Qarth-hadasht (Karti-hadasti) and other towns. In the inscriptions of the 4th to 3rd centuries, the Phoeni cian potentates in the island call themselves "kings of Kition and Idalion" (N.S.I. pp. 55-89).
Homer represents the Phoenicians as present in Greek waters for purposes of traffic, but not as settlers (11., xxiii. 744). They occupied trading-stations on some of the Aegean islands and on the Isthmus of Corinth. One of their objects was the collection of murex, of which an enormous supply was needed for the dye ing industry; specially famous was the purple of the Laconian waters, the isles of Elishah of Ezek. xxvii. 7. But a great deal of what was formerly assigned to Phoenician influence in the Aegean at an early period—pottery, ornaments and local myths—must be accounted for by the vigorous civilization of ancient Crete. In
the Greek world the Phoenicians made themselves heartily de tested by their passion for gain (Plato, Rep. iv. 436 A.).
Farther west in the Mediterranean Phoenician settlements were planted first in Sicily, at Heraclea or Ras Melqarth ; the islands between Sicily and Africa, Melita (Malta) on account of its valuable harbour, Gaulus and Cossura were also occupied (Diod., v. 12) ; and a beginning was made with the colonization of Sar dinia and Corsica; but farther west still more permanent colonies were established. It was the trade with Tarshish ; i.e., the region of Tartessus in south-west Spain, which contributed most to the Phoenicians' wealth; it was said that even the anchors of ships returning from Spain were made of silver (Diod., v. 35). From Gadeira (Punic Gader, Lat. Gades, now Cadiz), the Sidonian ships ventured farther on the ocean and drew tin from the mines of north-west Spain or from the richer deposits in the Cassiterides; i.e., the Tin Islands. These were discovered to be, not a part of Britain as was imagined at first, but a separate group by them selves, now known as the Scillies ; hence it is improbable that the Phoenicians ever worked the tin-mines in Cornwall.
The rich trade with Spain led to the colonization of the West. Strabo dates the settlements beyond the Pillars of Hercules soon after the Trojan War (i. 3, 2), in the period of Tyre's first expan sion. Lixus in Mauretania, Gades and Utica, are said to have been founded, one after the other, as far back as the i 2th century B.C. Most of the African colonies were no doubt younger; we have traditional dates for Aoza (887-855) and Carthage (813). A large part of north-west Africa was colonized from Phoenicia; owing to these first settlers, and after than to the Carthaginians, the Phoenician language became the prevailing one, and the coun try assumed quite a Phoenician character.
In the days of Tyre's greatness her power rested directly on the colonies, which, unlike those of Greece, remained subject to the mother-city, and paid tithes of their revenues to its chief god, Melqarth, and sent envoys annually to his feast. Then at the beginning of the 8th century B.C. the colonial power of Tyre began to decline ; on the mainland and in Cyprus the Assyrians gained the upper hand ; in the Greek islands the Phoenicians had already been displaced to a great extent by the advancing tide of Dorian colonization. But as Tyre decayed in power the colonies turned more and more to Carthage as their natural parent and protector. For effective control over a colonial empire Carthage had the advantage of situation over far-away Tyre; the traditional bonds grew lax and the ancient dues ceased to be paid, though as late as the middle of the 6th century Carthage rendered tithes to the Tyrian Melqarth. And the mother-country cherished its claims long after they had lost reality; in the 2nd century B.C., for example, Sidon stamped her coins with the legend, "Mother of Kambe (i.e., Carthage), Hippo, Kition, Tyre" (NSI. p. 352).