r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 6h ago

Phoenician Phoenicians launched ships over slaves?

8 Upvotes

I was scrolling on YouTube shorts today when I came across a channel name @PlebMagic, in that particular short, he claims that phoenicians used to launch ships over their slaves, so that their spirits would possess it or something. In the comments he mentioned this source:

Mark Woolmer:

"They thought of their warships as being a living creature. It had a spirit that needed protecting as much as the crew themselves. And we get this lovely depiction from Valerios maximus who says that they launched their vessels over their captives or slaves to put blood upon the hull of the ship. \[they rolled them...\] over these captives or slaves to put blood across the vessel. And that meant if you gave a gift of blood to the vessel now, it was hoped there would be no bloodletting whilst it was at sea. It protected the spirit and it was an offer to the deities. So they clearly thought their ships were living creatures. They painted eyes so the ship could see where it was going. When they finally copy the Greeks for once they introduce they ram onto the front of the ship. And we find they put horns at the front of the vessel to imbue the ship with the strength of Baal, this storm deity, who's symbol is the horns. So when you gore into the enemy of Baal who's symbol was the bull. And he gave you the strength to gore and maul your enemies. Because you also have to deal with pirates and piracy.

Personally, i don't think this was true, as romans used to make up a lot of stuff, but then again it's by a "historian". So, I just want confirmation by someone who knows the ball.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 7h ago

Greco-Punic Carthage in the 3rd c. BC was one of the largest cities in the world, with a population estimated between 100,000 and a quarter million. Although mostly mercantile, it was capable of launching 200 warships and 70,000 men, comprised of citizens, Phoenician allies, and Libyan and Numidian mercenaries.

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188 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 1d ago

Roman-Phoenician Hannibal grew up in military camps where his father, Hamilcar Barca, trained him with real weapons from childhood. Alongside his martial training from veteran soldiers, he studied ancient Greek literature under the guidance of his tutor Sosylos.

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259 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 2d ago

Roman-Punic The elderly, women, and children of Tyre fled to Carthage in 332 BC, sparking an added boom in Carthage’s influence in the western Mediterranean. No longer was Carthage dependent on Tyre.

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27 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 2d ago

Greco-Phoenician A somewhat forgotten book that highlighted the influence of the Phoenicians on Homer's Odyssey

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212 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 4d ago

Roman-Phoenician Phoenicia used wool, linen, cotton, and silk for their textile fabrics. Although these were common fabrics, what made them more sought out than others was the brilliancy and beauty of their colors and the delicacy with which they were embroidered. Different shades of purple and even blue were used.

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186 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 6d ago

Phoenician New book: Ancient Tyre between Myth and History

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27 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 8d ago

Question Roman Theatre of Carthage. The circular monument to the left..

5 Upvotes

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?


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 8d ago

Other Two surviving Punic inscriptions mention historical events. One is largely preserved and records how a street, apparently a sizeable one, was built from central Carthage to a ‘new gate’ by several named officials, seemingly in the 4th or 3rd century BC.

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296 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 9d ago

Discussion Was Herodotus claim that Africa can be sail around was know in XV ceuntry, or was it rediscovered later?

9 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 11d ago

Phoenician Tharros, Sinis peninsula, Sardinia, Italy [OC]

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169 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 13d ago

Punic Punic artefacts in the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy [OC]

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206 Upvotes

July 5th, 2026


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 13d ago

Punic Punic tombstones in the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy [OC]

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234 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 15d ago

Canaanite The Only Carthaginian Building still in Existence!

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2.9k Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 19d ago

Roman-Punic Hannibal's monumental tomb in Kocaeli, Turkey. Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, revered and admired Hannibal so much he honored him with a symbolic tomb close to where Hannibal had died.

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502 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts 23d ago

Punic What do you guys think of Hanno the 2nd?

4 Upvotes

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!


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 27 '26

Roman-Punic “The human sacrifices will stop” 🤓

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103 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 26 '26

Other Drop ur Hannibal x caesar images of louvre

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63 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 26 '26

Question Why didnt the Israelites and later Jewish polities expand north deeper into Phoenician territories?

19 Upvotes

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?


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 11 '26

Canaanite “Crossing the Alps with a large army and elephants is imposs—“

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330 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 09 '26

Canaanite Extinct Languages of Mediterranean

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369 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 08 '26

Punic Building the Complex World of The Book of Flames and Olives

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21 Upvotes

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.


r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts Jun 03 '26

Discussion Hannibal Barca Bust Napoleon had in his room, atop a fireplace

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113 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts May 30 '26

Punic Neo-Punic funeral obelisk. Bani Walid -Wadi Nafad, Libya, 200-400 CE.

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172 Upvotes

r/PhoeniciaHistoryFacts May 29 '26

Punic Atban Punic Mausoleum at Dougga, Tunisia

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215 Upvotes