WI: The Phoenicians founded Byzantion?

Deleted member 97083

Byzantion was colonized around 657 BC by Greeks from Megara. But the Phoenicians had been colonizing the Mediterranean for centuries beforehand. What if the Phoenicians were the first to establish a colony in that strategic spot, settling Phoenician colonists there and establishing a fishing and trading colony?

Later, would it become Punic in influence? Or would the small sizes of Phoenician colonies (leading to much interaction with the natives of the region) lead to Phoenician Byzantion becoming the chief city of a largely Thracian kingdom with Levantine technology and social structure?
 
It will quickly become Greek. Its surrounded by Greek colonies and is located in a very strategic location controlling access to the Black Sea. The city won't last long as a Phoenician one.
 
Depends, if done during the early Phoenician colonization period, the city will probably create sibling colonies in the area.
 

fi11222

Banned
To a large extent, Greek classical culture is Phoenician in many of its aspects. In particular all the city-state features of it come strait from Lebanon.

The Theban myth of Cadmus is quite clearly a conscious recognition of this debt.

So I do not think a Phoenician Byzantion would change much. Greece cannot be more Phoenician-influenced than it already is.
 
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