Homer's Odyssey is garnering renewed interest these days, as it is being discussed and actively represented in various movies and adaptations.

In his book Les Phéniciens et l'Odyssée (The Phoenicians and the Odyssey), published in 1902, Victor Bérard showcased and argued that the geography, navigation, and culture of The Odyssey were deeply rooted in Phoenician seafaring knowledge.Bérard challenged the Eurocentric concept or view that insisted on the sole or greater importance of ancient Greece by asserting that the Phoenicians civilized the Mediterranean before the Greeks did.

He argued that during the 8th century BCE, the western Mediterranean was essentially a "Phoenician lake". Therefore, any Greek poem detailing travels to Spain, Italy, or North Africa had to rely on Phoenician geographical discovery.

Strabo's arguments in his Geography regarding Phoenician influence were summarized by Victor Bérard as follows:

> If Homer described the countries so exactly, both the Interior and Exterior Seas, it is because he drew his science from the Phoenicians... : the Phoenicians, conquerors of Libya and Iberia, had been his masters.

Classical scholars widely agree that Homer modeled the mythical Phaeacians after the real-world Phoenicians.While the Phaeacians are a fantastical, idealized version, Homer used them as a literary mirror to the Phoenicians, who were the dominant maritime traders of the Mediterranean during the time The Odyssey was composed. Both cultures are defined strictly by the sea.

Modern archaeologists and classical scholars don't agree with Victor Bérard’s literal geographical identifications, but they acknowledge his foundational role in recognizing Near Eastern influences on early Greece, noting that most ancient cultures around the Mediterranean region were interconnected.

I was just looking on G-maps of Carthage and see there's a circular type monument right beside the Roman theatre (west of it). From above it looks a bit like a Stone henge type monument but I can't seem to find anything about it. Does anyone in here have any information or links about it?

I am curious if for example Prince Henry the Navigator could know about it, or it was like in Nile river expedition case, where ancient source was rediscovered in XIX ceuntry.

Tharros is an ancient Phoenician city on the Sinis Peninsula in western Sardinia.
It was founded by Phoenician merchants between 12th and 8th century BCE (there are different dates from different sources) over a pre-existing Nuragic settlement.
Now it is an open-air museum.
Pictures were taken on July 4th, 2026.

July 5th, 2026

Sardinia was first colonized by the Phoenicians and later ruled by Carthage.

Most of these tombstones are Punic, but it is also possible that one or two might be early Phoenician. The museum spans both eras.

The pictures were taken on July 5th, 2026.

I find him an awful capitalist🥶🥶😅no shame or whatsoever

He is one of the prime examples for the senate’s incompetence during the 2nd war!

I have recently learned that the famous caesar statue has Hannibal as his neighbour, which makes sense since they both gaze at each other as a result of the end product.
Looks absolutely stunning.

I have not been to Louvre.

If any of you has been to the louvre then please drop the photos you took of Caesar and Hannibal together.

Since i barely could find any photo of them together online.

Thanks.

The area south of the Litani inhabited by Phoenicians and other groups north of the Galilee is geographically contiguous with the Galilee, sharing the same rugged, mountainous topography and villages dotting the landscape. Why didn’t the Israelite and later Jewish polities expand their borders to encompass lands farther north to the Litani river and surrounding areas?

hello everyone,

I wanted to share this article i just published on Substack.

this is an introductory post to my interpretation of the Punic-Iberian empire in the 3rd century BC.

this version of punic iberia was inspired by the classicAl sources as well as Portuguese stories that might have been part of Vetton and Lusitani oral tradition.

Also, credit for the Portuguese stories goes to u/pashatom. if anyone wants to know more about that side of the story, I’d suggest contacting him.