FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Those Awesome Phoenicians
Quiz about Those Awesome Phoenicians

Those Awesome Phoenicians! Trivia Quiz


The Phoenicians made one of the most important contributions to civilization today. What do you know about the Phoenicians and their alphabet?

A multiple-choice quiz by ponycargirl. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. History Trivia
  6. »
  7. Ancient History
  8. »
  9. Phoenicia

Author
ponycargirl
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
297,953
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1748
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: CmdrK (2/10), Guest 31 (10/10), Guest 195 (7/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Where did the Phoenicians live? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The Phoenician city of Byblos was an important trade center for what product? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What important item came from the Lebanon Mountains? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. According to Herodotus, the Phoenicians traveled as far away as? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of these cities was the most important Phoenician colony? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The Phoenicians made a purplish dye from a sea anemone.


Question 7 of 10
7. From which language is the name "Phoenician" derived? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Phoenician alphabet has been termed "abjad." What does that mean? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. How many characters were in the Phoenician alphabet? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In addition to the contribution of the alphabet, the Phoenicians are considered to be the first great navigators of the Western world.



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 24 2024 : CmdrK: 2/10
Mar 12 2024 : Guest 31: 10/10
Feb 20 2024 : Guest 195: 7/10
Feb 09 2024 : Guest 160: 5/10
Feb 08 2024 : Guest 24: 8/10
Feb 07 2024 : Guest 185: 6/10
Feb 04 2024 : NewBestFriend: 7/10
Feb 04 2024 : colbymanram: 6/10
Feb 04 2024 : Kirok: 7/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Where did the Phoenicians live?

Answer: Syria-Palestine

Phoenician city-states were established in areas that were suitable for trade. Each city-state was an independent political unit. The modern countries of Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon make up the area that was called Phoenicia.
2. The Phoenician city of Byblos was an important trade center for what product?

Answer: papyrus

The Phoenicians called the city Gebal. Byblos was the Greek name for the city, through which papyrus was imported. It was located in the modern Lebanon. A legend exists that says that Gebal was the oldest city (although there is no evidence of this) and the place where Thoth invented writing.
3. What important item came from the Lebanon Mountains?

Answer: cedar

The Lebanon Cedar was important to many ancient civilizations. Phoenicians used it to build military and trading ships. (The tree is is represented on the Lebanese flag).
4. According to Herodotus, the Phoenicians traveled as far away as?

Answer: the southern tip of Africa

There is a belief that the Phoenicians traveled to Britain to acquire tin for the smelting of bronze, but there is no archaeological evidence to back it up. They did travel along the southern coast of the Iberian peninsula. Herodotus says that an Egyptian pharaoh sent the Phoenicians down the Red Sea, and they circumnavigated Africa, returning through the Pillars of Hercules in three years.
5. Which of these cities was the most important Phoenician colony?

Answer: Carthage

Carthage was founded by merchants from Tyre in approximately 814 B.C. By the third century B.C., Carthage was key a power in the Mediterranean, and Rome's chief rival for control of the sea.
6. The Phoenicians made a purplish dye from a sea anemone.

Answer: False

Phoenician purple was derived from the murex shell. They found that crushed murex oozed a purple colored mucous. Cloth dyed with this mucous ranged from a deep pink color to a rich purple. This dye was also called Tyrian purple, named for the city-state of Tyre, which was one of the Phoenicians' busiest ports. Because the dye was difficult to produce, the cloth colored by it was one of their most expensive trade items. Did the purple dye prompt the Phoenicians to invent a shorter alphabet? Probably! Trade boomed, and they needed shorthand!
7. From which language is the name "Phoenician" derived?

Answer: Greek

The word "Phoenician" is derived from the ancient Greek word "phinikeia", meaning purple. Elite Greeks would color their clothes and other garments with the powder, which was not available anywhere else.
8. The Phoenician alphabet has been termed "abjad." What does that mean?

Answer: The script contains no vowels

An "abjad" script contains no vowels. The earliest known inscriptions in Phoenician come from Byblos, and date back to approximatley 1,000 B.C.
9. How many characters were in the Phoenician alphabet?

Answer: 22

Can you imagine how much easier it was to write with this alphabet? Even with revisions, the cuneiform alphabet had over 600 symbols. The Greeks came into contact with the Phoenician alphabet, revised it, and passed it on to the Romans.
10. In addition to the contribution of the alphabet, the Phoenicians are considered to be the first great navigators of the Western world.

Answer: True

The Phoenicians manufactured fine goods, and traded throughout the Mediterranean world. They charted sea routes and were the first to use Polaris for navigation at night. The Greeks called Polaris the "Phoenician star."
Source: Author ponycargirl

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us