Where the Sea Peoples Hellenic? And what are the Origins of the Phonecians?

by Gajanvihari

I ask this while reading Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, Toby Wilkinson'

Wilkinson describes the tactics of the Libyan invaders, during the reign of Merenptah in the 19th dynansty, as "heavy infantry deploying close-combat weapons, small round shields and body armour" pg 343. He goes to say that Libyans and sea peoples were essentially the same. Mery the Libyan commander knew Egyptian tactis and vis versa.

We know that Egypt seemed to know who these invaders were already (1077 B.C., Eric Cline). Judging from the description of the infantry and their head on tactics, its soud like a proto-phalanx. This all happening at the same time as Mycenean culture apprently disappeared only to be replaced by Hellenic. Cline even points out revolts possibly overwhelming Mycenean Greece.

Its a multi-faceted question, but:

What is the relationship between Helles and Phonecia?

Wilkinson sources Merenptah's tomb reliefs, is he drawing conclusions purely from images?

Are Phonecia and the Sea Peoples inter-related?

Do Phonecia and the Sea peoples have African origins? (Seeing as Egypt was very familiar with them verses the Hittites)

How much evidence is their of human migration West to East in this period?

Bentresh

Some - but certainly not all - of the groups we lump together as "Sea Peoples" originated in the Aegean. I discussed this in more detail in Tell me about the Philistines vs others in the Levant 1200 to 800 BCE and What do we know about the so-called Sea People's origins?

As for the Phoenicians, they were the inhabitants of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Arwad who had lived along the Syro-Lebanese coast for millennia. These cities were independent from one another, and the concept of "Phoenicia" was a Greek one, not how the inhabitants of these cities viewed themselves. u/kookingpot discusses the relationship between the Canaanites, Philistines, and Phoenicians in What were the differences and similarities between the Phoenicians and the Philistines?

Further reading on the Phoenicians:

  • The History of Phoenicia by Josette Elayi

  • In search of the Phoenicians by Josephine Quinn

  • Short History of the Phoenicians by Mark Woolmer

  • Assyria to Iberia : at the dawn of the Classical Age (Met Museum exhibition catalogue)

  • Phoenicians and the West: Politics, Colonies and Trade by Maria Aubet

  • Phoenicians by Glenn Markoe