Who were the Phoenicians

Note: the purple areas displayed on the larger map of the mediterranean are intended to show areas of Phoenician influence, and areas in which the Phoenicians conducted the majority of their trade. I realise now that it may look a little like a traditional 'empire', which is not the intention! Usually noted for their thalassocratic state - that is, a state with a primarily maritime empire - the Phoenicians built an expansive and complex trading network that stretched the length of the mediterranean sea, not only facilitating exchange across the region, but becoming fantastically wealthy in the process. However, there is far more to the Phoenicians than their mercantile ability. Phoenician craftsmen produced outstanding works, including exemplary glass products, and the prestigious dye known as Tyrian purple, worn by elites throughout the ancient world. Their trade empire arguably laid the foundations for the cultural exchange across the mediterranean and near east which would form th