ancient Mediterranean trade

Ancient Mediterranean trade involved the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures around the Mediterranean Sea, flourishing from around 1000 BCE to 500 CE. Key players included the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, who traded commodities like olive oil, wine, textiles, and metals. Trade networks facilitated not only economic prosperity but also cultural interactions, spreading languages, technologies, and religious beliefs. Major ports, such as Carthage and Alexandria, served as hubs, enabling merchants to connect different regions, thus shaping the socio-political landscape and contributing to the rise of civilizations throughout the ancient world.