The bronze age |
The bronze age |
These groups are associated with the appearance of the light two-wheeled war chariot and typically with IndoEuropean languages. Horses and chariots require a lot of time and upkeep, so their use was mainly confined to a small nobility. These are the feudal "heroic" societies familiar to us from epics like the Iliad and the Ramayana?. |
These groups are associated with the appearance of the light two-wheeled war chariot and typically with IndoEuropean languages. Horses and chariots require a lot of time and upkeep, so their use was mainly confined to a small nobility. These are the "heroic" societies familiar to us from epics like the Iliad and the Ramayana?. |
By around 1700-1500 most of the older centres had been overrun. Babylonia was conquered by the Kassites and the civilization of the Indus Valley was annihilated by the Indo-Aryans?. Their kin, the Mitanni?, subjugated Assyria and for a time menaced the Hittite kingdom, but were defeated by the two around 1350. Various Achaean kingdoms developed in Greece, most notably that of Mycenae?, and by 1400 were dominant over the older Minoan cities. And the semitic Hyskos? used the new technologies to occupy Egypt, but were expelled, leaving the empire of the [New Kindom]? to develop in their wake. |
By around 1700-1500 most of the older centres had been overrun. Babylonia was conquered by the Kassites and the civilization of the Indus Valley was annihilated by the Indo-Aryans?. Their kin, the Mitanni?, subjugated Assyria and for a time menaced the Hittite kingdom, but were defeated by the two around 1350. Various Achaean kingdoms developed in Greece, most notably that of Mycenae?, and by 1400 were dominant over the older Minoan cities. And the semitic Hyskos? used the new technologies to occupy Egypt, but were expelled, leaving the empire of the [New Kingdom]? to develop in their wake. |
The destruction at the end of the bronze age left a number of tiny kingdoms and City-States? behind. A few Hittite? centres remained in northern Syria, along with some Canaanite (Phoenician) ports that escaped destruction and now developed into great commercial powers. Southern Palestine initially fell to the Philistines, but by 1000 had been conquered by the Hebrews?. And most of the interior, as well as Babylonia?, was overrun by Aramaeans?. |
The destruction at the end of the bronze age left a number of tiny kingdoms and City-States? behind. A few Hittite centres remained in northern Syria, along with some Canaanite (Phoenician) ports that escaped destruction and now developed into great commercial powers. Southern Palestine initially fell to the Philistines, but by 1000 had been conquered by the Hebrews?. And most of the interior, as well as Babylonia?, was overrun by Aramaeans?. |
From 492-449 BC the Persians made a series of unsuccesful attempts to conquer Greece. The civilization that had developed their since the end of the bronze age was organized along entirely different lines than those of the Middle East, consisting of numerous small City-States? fielding citizen militiae. Nonetheless they banded together and proved quite capable of dealing with the massive armies of their foe. |
From 492-449 BC the Persians made a series of unsuccesful attempts to conquer Greece. The civilization that had developed there since the end of the bronze age was organized along entirely different lines than those of the Middle East, consisting of numerous small City-States? fielding citizen militiae. Nonetheless they banded together and proved quite capable of dealing with the massive armies of their foe. |