Government

Tyre was a city-state governed for much of its history by kings. Royal power was closely tied to shipping, diplomacy, commerce, and relationships with other Phoenician cities.

Hiram and Ethbaal are among its best-known rulers in biblical history. Later Tyrian kings appear in Assyrian and other historical records.

At different times Tyre paid tribute or acknowledged the authority of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia while retaining varying degrees of local administration. Its political independence therefore changed over time rather than ending in a single early conquest.