the romans famously wiped carthage out of history, and i strongly suspect that the reason we have no history of phoenicia - the culture that invented the fucking alphabet - is that the romans wiped them out, as well, as the ancestral culture of the hated carthaginians.

and, i strongly suspect that anti-semitism, as we understand it, is in truth the legacy of the roman genocide of carthage and phoenicia.

but, phoenicia is what the greeks called them, after a purple dye that was exported from the region. that purple dye became the imperial colour, years later. even in their destruction and hate and contempt, the romans elevated the legacy of these people to the highest symbol of status that they had.

all evidence suggests that the carthaginians and phoenicians alike called themselves "canaanites", as far into history as they existed for.

but, we don't really know.

carthago delenda est.