ABSTRACT
The sea, the ship and seafaring were fundamental elements of the history of the ancient M editerranean and of the formation of the ancient thalassocracies, such as Egypt, Phoenicia, and Greece. The historical role of maritime civilizations, in the ancient as in the modem world, has generally been judged in terms of the evolution of fleets and naval warfare or by the spread of maritime commerce. Considerable knowledge has been gathered in these fields by recent advances of underwater archaeology, based on the growing number of salvaged shipwrecks found and excavated in Mediterranean waters. Less attention has been paid to the study of other aspects of maritime history combining material and spiritual culture, especially of peoples living by the sea in the sphere of influence of the greater maritime civilizations.
