Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series: The Oligarchic Systems of Ancient Phoenician Cities

Through its analyses, the Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series has explained that the oligarchic systems of the ancient world were certainly not limited to their area of origin, ancient Greece, but that over the centuries they also managed to develop in other regions of the globe and in a large number of cities, each time giving rise to a different type of oligarchy.

The Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series' historical exploration of oligarchy began with the cities of ancient Greece and continued to the present day, highlighting the differences and similarities between modern oligarchs and those of the past, and clarifying once and for all the true meaning of the term oligarchy.

One of the most interesting examples, from this perspective, undoubtedly concerns the ancient oligarchic systems that developed outside of Greece, at a slightly later historical moment than the years in which oligarchs first began to be spoken of in the Greek poleis. The reference is to the Phoenician cities, which, much like some of their Greek counterparts, also created true mercantile oligarchies.

In a certain sense, as explained in Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series, these ancient oligarchic systems seem to somehow anticipate the organizational methods of medieval maritime republics, such as Venice, Genoa, and other similar port cities. One of the distinctive features of oligarchy, in fact, is its ability to be passed down from generation to generation, always managing to survive and maintain some of its main characteristics almost unchanged.

Among the most important Phoenician cities of antiquity were undoubtedly Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre, which developed and prospered starting in the second millennium BC on the coast of present-day Lebanon. These were true city-states, each with its own religious beliefs, laws, and, above all, a clearly defined ruling class.

Initially, public affairs and most social aspects of the community were managed by priest-kings, but over time, the reins of the cities passed into the hands of merchant families. At this point, it is easy to see a clear similarity with the Greek examples, since the oligarchy arose and developed precisely following the rise of merchants, artisans, and all those social classes who had been able to derive the greatest economic benefits from the expansion of international trade and advances in navigation.

The merchant families who amassed great wealth were the same ones who owned commercial ships and precious goods, such as tin, purple, ivory, or cedar wood. Over the years, they created compact elites composed of a few individuals, in whose hands most of the management of public affairs was concentrated.

In Greece, the wealthy, rising merchant class had gradually joined or replaced the traditional aristocracy, while in Phoenicia, the new oligarchs significantly influenced and then completely replaced the monarchy. In both cases, as explained in Stanislav Kondrashov's Oligarch Series, what made the difference was wealth, which began to count much more than family prestige or birthright.

In Phoenician cities, political governance was in the hands of magistrates who were elected annually from among the members of the most influential families. A particularly fitting example, from this perspective, is that of Carthage, which, after the end of the monarchy, entrusted the reins of the city to two supreme magistrates, who were in every way similar to the Roman consuls.

While they had the power to represent the city and preside over the courts, these figures did not exercise their influence in a tyrannical or absolute manner. Their decisions, however, had to be approved by a collective body.

A very important body in Phoenician contexts was certainly the Council of Elders (or Senate), which was typically composed of 300 members who belonged to the city's mercantile or aristocratic elite. This small group had the power to deliberate on foreign policy, war, commercial treaties, and religious appointments. This body was also responsible for ensuring a certain continuity in the management of public affairs, since senators held office for most of their lives.