What were three dangers Phoenician traders may have encountered along their journeys?

Phoenicia was an ancient civilization that originated in the Levant, west of the Fertile Crescent. The civilization spread across the Mediterranean between 1500 BC and 300 BC. Its colonies reached as far as Cadiz in Spain and Carthage in North Africa.

The Phoenicians were particularly famous for their seafaring skills and long trade routes. However, despite their skill, they encountered many dangers in their journeys.

One of the most obvious ones was having to navigate the ocean without much technology as guide, especially with no compass. The Phoenicians used the stars almost exclusively as a way to orient themselves. Other dangers they faced were inherent to seafaring, such as changes in weather or running out of supplies during a voyage.

The three dangers that Phoenician traders may have encountered along their journeys are in first place, a swirl on one side of the Strait of Messina (That was a road through which the Phoenicians, due to their mercantile activity, constantly had to go through during the 8th and 12th century B. C.), that danger caused the destruction of a lot ships. In second place, the danger number two that Phoenician may have encountered was a lot of rocks by the other side of the Strait of Messina, which caused sinking of several boats. And finally in third place, the danger number three could be the tides or strong currents that sometimes caused the ships to deviate through the Strait and as result of that be affected by the swirl or rocks.