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\u201cI received the tribute of the kings of the seacoast \u2013 namely, the lands of the peoples of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, Mahallatu, Maizu, Kaizu, Amurru and the city of Arvad, which is in the midst of the seas \u2013 silver, gold, tin, bronze, a bronze vessel, multicolored linen garments, a large female monkey, a small female monkey, ebony, boxwood, and ivory of sea creatures.\xa0 They submitted to me.\u201d \u2013 Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria\nUnder constant pressure from Assyria, Phoenician merchant fleets aggressively expanded their influence into Sardinia, North Africa and the Tartessian coast of southern Spain.\xa0 In the central Mediterranean, they bore witness to the cultural resurgence of Archaic Greece, and the growing power of the Etruscan kingdoms of Italy.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices