To the layman who is educated in the Euro-Centric tradition, history stops at the Greeks. We are all familiar with the militaristic ferocity of the Spartans and the open atmosphere of discourse in Athens. Yet, we know little about what happened before that. For all we know, civilization was in its pre-embryonic stage, and humans lived in tribal societies where might is right and the objective was to survive. This cannot be further from the truth.
A Forgotten Age: The Near East in the Late Bronze Age
A millennium before the emergence of the likes of Plato or Leonidas, the ancient Mediterranean was a bustling, metropolitan ecosystem consisting of varying cultures and societies. Complex alliances not unlike the Balance of Powers in 19th century Europe existed, and cultural interactions reminiscent of 21st century globalization took place. It was a bygone age far ahead of its time.
In the south, the New Kingdom of Egypt dominated the Nile. At that time, around 1500 BC, they had already existed for 2 millennia. In Mesopotamia and Canaan, small city states vied for influence, while the Assyrian Empire loomed as a constant threat in the background. In mainland Greece, the Mycenaean civilization flourished with their naval prowess and penchant for commerce. To their east in Anatolia existed the Hittites, an early group of Indo-Europeans feared for their fighting capabilities and rapid expansion of territory.
A Mysterious Decline
In the 50 years between 1200-1150 BC, all these civilizations suffered…
