Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/69

 PH(ENICIA

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PH(ENICIA

latter had definitively established his power in Asia, Phocoea was only a commercial town; its money was coined until the time of the later Empire; but its har- bour gradually silted up and the inhabitants aban- doned it. In 978 Theodore Carentenus built Bardas Sclerus near Phoca^a. In 1090 the Turk Tchaga of Smyrna took possession of it for a short time. The Venetians traded there after 1082, but the Genoese quickly supplanted them.

In 1275 Michael VIII Palsologus gave Manuel Zac- caria the territory of the city and the right to exploit the neighbouring alum mines. In 1304 the Genoese, with the co-operation of the Greeks of the adjoining towns, erected a fortress to defend the town against the Turks, ami some distance from the ancient Pho- cani founded a city which they called New Phocaja. In 133G Andronicus the Young, aUied with Saroukhan, Sultan of Magnesia, besieged the two towns and obliged them to pay the tribute stipulated in 1275. They continued also to pay annually to Saroukhan 500 ducats. From 1340 to 1345 the Greeks occupied the two towns, and again in 1358 for a short period. \t the time of the invasion of Timur in 1403, they pur- chased peace by the payment of money. In the midst of difficulties the Genoese colony continued until the end of 1455, when it passed into the hands of the Turks. In 1650 a naval battle between the Turks and Venetians took place in sight of Phoca>a. To-day Phocaea, in Turkish Fotchatin, or Eski Fotcha (an- cient Phocaea), is the capital of a cazaof the vilayet of Smyrna, has about 6000 inhabitants (4500 Greeks), and exports salt. About six miles to the north, Yeni Fotcha (new Phocaja) is situated on the Gulf of Tchan- darli; it has 4500 inhabitants (3500 Greeks), and ex- ports agricultural products.

Seven Greek bishops of Phoca;a are known by their signatures at the Councils; Mark, at Sardica (344); Theoctistus, at Ephesus (441); Quintus, at Chalcedon (451); John, at Constantinople (692); Leo, at Nice (787) ; Nicetas, at Constantinople (869) ; Paul, at Con- stantinople (879). In 1387 ancient Phocaia was sepa- rated from Ephesus and given to the suffragan of Smyrna. In 1403 it still had a titular. The Genoese colony had its Latin bishops, seven of whose names are recorded from 1346 to 1475; the later ones were undoubtedly non-residents: Bartholomew, 1346; John, 1383; John, before 1427; Nicholas, 1427; Ludovicus, about 1450; Stephanus, 1457; jEgidius, 1475.

Le QoiEN, Oriens christ., I, 735; III, 1077; Texier, Asie mineure, 371-5; Thisquen, Phocaica (Bonn, 1842); de Mas- Latrie, Tresor de chronologic (Paris. 1S89), 1787; Tomaschek, Zur historischcn Topographic von Kleinasien im Mittelatter (Vienna, 1891), 25-27; WAECHTEH.Der Vcrfall dcs Gricchcntums in Kleina- sien im XIV. Jahrhunderl (Leipzig, 1903), 63; CniNET, La Tur- quie d'Asic. Ill, 47S-85. S. PETRIDfe.

PhcBnicia is a narrow strip of land, about one hun- dred and fifty miles long and thirty miles wide, shut in between the Mediterranean on the west and the high range of Lebanon on the east, and consisting mostly of a succession of narrow valleys, ravines, and hills, the latter descending gradually towards the sea. On the north it is bounded by the River Orontes and Mount Casius, and by Mount Carmel on the south. The land is fertile and well irrigated by numerous torrents and streams deriving their waters mainly from the melting snows and rain-storms of the winter and spring seasons. The principal vegetation consists of the renowned cedars of Lebanon, cypresses, pines, palms, olive, vine, fig, and pomegranates. On this narrow strip of land, the Phoenicians had twenty-five cities of which the most important were Tyre, Sidon, Aradus, Byblus, Marathus, and Tripolis. Less important were Lao- dicea, Simyra, Area, Aphaca, Berytus, Ecdippa, Akko, Dor, Joppa, Gabala, Betrys, and Sarepta. The name "Phamicia" is in all probability of Greek origin, 0omf being a Greek derivative of rpoTms, blood-red. Our principal sources of information concerning Phoenicia are; first, numerous Phcenician inscriptions found

in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Sicily, Spain, Africa, Italy, and France, and published in the "Cor- pus Inscriptionum Semiticarum", the oldest being a simple one of the ninth century B.C.; the rest of little historical value, and of comparatively late date, i. e., from the fourth century B.C. down; second, Egyptian and Assyro-Babylonian historical inscrip- tions, especially the Tell-el-Amarna letters of the fif- teenth century b. c, in which are found frequent and valuable references to Phoenicia and its pohtical rela- tions with Western Asia and Egypt ; the Old Testa- ment, especially in III Kings, v, xvi; Isaias, xxiii; Jere- mias, XXV, xxvii, and Ezechiel, xxvi-xxxii; finally, some Greek and Latin historians and writers, both ecclesiastical and pagan.

The oldest historical references to Phoenicia are found in the Egyptian inscriptions of the Pharaohs, Aahmes (1587-62 b. c.) and his successors, Thothmes I (1541-16 B. c), and Thothmes III (150.3-1449 B. c.) in which the Phoenicians are called "Dahe" or "Zahi", and "Fenkhu". In the Tell-el-Amarna let- ters is found much interesting information concerning their cities and especially Tyre, famous for her wealth. During all this period Egyptian suzerainty was more or less effective. Sidon was gradually eclipsed by the rising power and wealth of Tyre, against which the Philistines were powerless, though they constantly attacked the former. About the year 1250, after con- quering Ashdod, Askelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath, they forced the Sidonians to surrender the city of Dor. At this time Tyre became foremost in Pha'nicia and one of the greatest and wealthiest cities of the Medi- terranean region. Its first king was Hiram, the son of Abi-Baal and contemporary of David and Solomon. His reign lasted some forty years, and to his energy Tyre owed much of its renown. He enlarged the city, surrounding it with massive walls, improved its har- bours, and rebuilt the temple of Melkarth. He forced the Philistine pirates to retreat, thus securing pros- perity in maritime commerce and caravan trade, and Phoenician colonization spread along the coast of Asia Minor, Sicily, Greece, and Africa. He established a commercial alliance with the Hebrews, and his Phoeni- cian arti.sts and craftsmen greatly aided them in build- ing the temple, and palaces of Solomon. He quelled the revolt in Utica and established Phoenician su- premacy in North Africa where Carthage, the most important of all Phoenician colonies, was later built.

Hiram was succeeded in 922 by his son, Abd-Starte I, who, after seven years of troubled reign, was mur- dered, and most of his successors also met with a violent end. About this time hostilities arose between Phoenicia and Assyria, although two centuries earlier Tiglath-pileser I, when marching through the northern part of Phoenicia, was hospitably entertained by the inhabitants of Aradus. In 880 Ithbaal became King of Phoenicia, contemporaneous with Asshur-nasir-pal in Assyria and Achab in Israel. He was succeeded by Baal-azar and Metten I. Metten reigned for nine years and died, leaving Pygmalion, an infant son, but nominating as his successor Sicharbas, the high priest of Melkarth, who was married to Elissa, his daughter. The tale runs that when Pygmalion came to manhood he killed Sicharbas, upon which Elissa, with such nobles as adhered to her, fled first to Cyprus and after- wards to Africa, where the colony of Carthage was founded (c. 850 B. c). Asshur-nasir-pal and his son and successor Shalmanescr II nominally conquered Phoenicia; but in 745 B. c. Tiglath-pileser III com- pelled the northern tribes to accept Assyrian gov- ernors. As soon as this scheme of complete absorption became manifest a general conflict ensued, from which Assyria emerged victorious and several Phoenician cities were captured and destroyed. The invasion of Shalmanescr IV in 727 was frustrated, but in 722 he almost sacked the city of Tyre. Sargon, his successor and great general, compelled Elulaeus, King of Tyre,