Tides of History The Phoenicians, the Greeks, and the Iron Age Mediterranean
33 snips
Nov 13, 2025 Discover the dramatic shift from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age that reshaped the Mediterranean economy. Learn about the Phoenicians and Greeks, who became vital links in trade networks. Explore how Phoenician city-states thrived on maritime trade and innovation, while Greek resilience led to urban reinvention. Uncover the intricate multi-ethnic trade circuits that defined this era and the shared institutions that fostered commerce. Imagine the vibrant life of a Phoenician merchant navigating this bustling, interconnected world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Collapse Removed Palaces, Not Markets
- The Bronze Age palatial redistributive economy collapsed, removing institutional containers that supported long-distance trade and elite distribution.
- What replaced it was less centralized, more entrepreneurial, and eventually far larger in geographic scope across the Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean Becomes One Economic Space
- By around 500 BC the entire Mediterranean became a linked economic zone for the first time, maintained for a millennium until Rome's fall and the rise of Islam.
- Greeks and Phoenicians were key connectors, though not the sole drivers, of this new integrated system.
Different Recoveries, Different Strengths
- Greece and Phoenicia followed different post-collapse trajectories: Greece reinvented cities after severe decline, while Phoenicia retained maritime continuity and small city-states.
- Those differences shaped how each region plugged into and expanded Mediterranean trade networks.
