Fare alleanza in Fenicia. Sociologia della negoziazione diplomatica tra i regni della costa fenicia e il Vicino Oriente antico (XIV–VI sec. a.C.)

This thesis analyzes the diplomatic alliances concluded by the kingdoms and city-states along the Syro-Lebanese coast—commonly referred to as “Phoenician” (Arwad, Byblos, Beirut, Sidon, Tyre)—between the fourteenth and the sixth centuries BCE. It is situated at the intersection of two research trajectories: on the one hand, understanding how Levantine actors and their Near Eastern partners conceptualized and expressed alliances (through a technical, multilingual vocabulary often mediated by Akkadian); on the other, assessing what alliances produced at the political level, in structuring power relations, economic networks, forms of dependency or resistance, and, at times, modes of urban governance. A key contribution of this work lies in the conceptual and lexical clarification of terms relating to alliances. Modern terms (“agreement,” “pact,” “alliance,” “treaty,” etc.) do not map mechanically onto ancient realities, whose formulations vary depending on language (Akkadian, Hebrew, Phoenician) and context. This study therefore proposes a set of operational definitions aimed at limiting misunderstandings. The chosen chronological framework makes it possible to incorporate the Amarna documentation—essential for understanding the emergence of diplomatic practices—while avoiding the notion of a sharp rupture around 1200 BCE. On this basis, three major phases are identified: (1) the Amarna period, characterized by vertical relations with the Egyptian “Great King” and by local rivalries; (2) a phase of relative autonomy and commercial expansion (13th–8th centuries BCE), during which the relationships between diplomacy, navigation, and exchange were reconfigured; and (3) the sequence of imperial dominations, which reveals a spectrum of responses ranging from negotiated submission to revolt. Methodologically, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining history, philology, political science, and the sociology of negotiation. The sources are treated as “diplomatic snapshots,” organized within a common analytical matrix: identification of actors, pacing of negotiations, balance of power, economic stakes, public/private dimensions, possibilities of refusal, and the effects produced by agreements. This framework enables a comparative analysis across centuries of forms of cooperation, coercion, and compromise, demonstrating that alliances operate at the intersection of political, religious, legal, and economic spheres. Ultimately, the study offers a reassessment of Phoenician kingdoms as fully-fledged diplomatic actors, capable of pragmatic adaptation within a competitive and imperial Near Eastern environment.