When I think of a trading empire, the first nation that comes to my mind are the Phoenicians. I don't know if they were the first to actually be considered to be a trading empire, but I do know they are the first to be called the GREATEST trading empire. The entire Phoenician kingdom was based on economic trades. Located near the Nile, exporting and importing were simple. This empire was also considered to be the first to trade purple dye, the color the Romans adopted as royalty.
