The Sea Peoples, groups that “raided, migrated, and marauded in the eastern Mediterranean” possess an intricate past that still intrigues scholars today (McKay et al. 34). First, I’ll explain why scholars debate the origins of the Sea Peoples. Next, I’ll describe the main reason that Sea Peoples decided to travel. Finally, I will illustrate the importance of the great battle that put an end to the Sea Peoples’ voyages. The origins, purpose, and major battle of the Sea Peoples are what makes their rich past so interesting even today. Scholars today have a vast array of opinions regarding who the Sea Peoples were. McKay et al. suggests that “[t]hey may have come from Greece, or islands in the Mediterranean such as Crete and Sardinia, …show more content…
Many Sea Peoples originally traveled to other countries boarding the Mediterranean because of the “widespread crop failures and famine” present in their countries (Anderson). Since their livelihoods were built upon their ability to grow grains, vegetables, and other produce, they had to travel to other places to establish themselves. Because “Egypt was known as the grain provider of the Mediterranean,” settling there was an ideal choice for many, although the Sea Peoples also chose to move to other various locations (Peczynski). These warriors brought their wives, families, possessions, and livestock with them as they traveled (Anderson). Establishing their lives in foreign countries lying on the Mediterranean must have been difficult for the Sea People, but they did not have much option if they wanted to survive. At the beginning these foreign visitors were peaceful. Later though, they began to raid the locations they reached, and eventually decided to attack …show more content…
The battle, taking place on both land and sea, was ultimately won by the Egyptians although they suffered many economic hardships following the battle (McKay et al. 36). In order to win the battle, King Ramesses III cleverly positioned archers along the Nile and coast so that they could aim at the Sea Peoples’ ships with flaming arrows in hopes that their ships would be set ablaze. King Ramesses III’s army succeeded, a great feat considering the skill of their enemy. After the great win the remaining Sea Peoples were slain and pushed into both the army and slavery. Although the battle ended the practices of the Sea Peoples, legends of them flooding the countries bordering the Mediterranean reigned on in Egypt, causing them to remain a feared people group
Ramses III (reigned 1182-1151 BC), Egyptian king of the 20th dynasty, a great military leader who repeatedly saved the country from invasion. In the 5th year of his reign, Ramses defeated an attack by the Libyans from the west, and two years later he routed invaders known as the Sea Peoples. In his 11th year he again repelled an attempted attack by the Libyans. Ramses was also a builder of temples and palaces in the tradition of his 19th-dynasty predecessor, Ramses II. His victories are depicted on the walls of his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, near Luxor. Egyptian records tell of a strike by workers at Ramses's burial site and a plot against the king near the end of his reign. Ramses III was the last of the great rulers and after his death there were centuries of weakness and foreign domination.
Of the many advancements the Phoenicians made in the ancient world, the most well known and prolific was the development and enhancement of sea travel. Although they did not reach the height of their power at sea until after 1000 B.C.E., over five hundred years after the true beginning of the Phoenician empire circa 1550 B.C.E., it is obvious that the Phoenicians were the true power at sea in the ancient Mediterranean. They were best known for their cargo ships, which were spacious so as to carry more goods at a time, and by 600 B.C.E., the Phoenicians had advanced the classic cargo ship so it no longer had one, but two masts which supported a square sail that was intended to make the steering of the ship easier.
In the book “The Great Sea”, author David Abulafia goes thru the history of the Mediterranean. Trade starts in one place and will link to other civilizations in the Mediterranean.
Another major factor influencing the medieval view of the ocean is the ideology of the Desert Fathers. The desert fathers were holy men that lived in the near east, who became disillusioned with the materialistic culture of the time and wandered out into the desert as hermits. They were seen as heroes in their time and were revered as wise men. They were sought out by people wanting guidance and gradually became famous for their way of life. They went out to the desert for solit...
Howe, Helen, and Robert T. Howe. A World History: Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Volume 1. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1992. 533.
The Arabs charged with religious zeal from Mohammed conquered quickly over the Persians and were welcomed at Egypt and Syria. Egypt and Syria greeted the Arabs as liberators that promised toleration of religion rather than doctrinal disputes from the church at Constantinople. With these two key ports the Arabs had opened the East Mediterranean by 1641. The Muslims were unable to defeat the Byzantine Empire on land and move to the sea for victory, which allowed the Arabs control of Egypt across North Africa and into Spain by 1717.
Cyzicus, on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara, and to Larisa and Meliboea in
Meyer, Sandra L. "Brief Review: 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner.'" Student Pluse. N.p., 2010. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. . Fourth
The author’s states that ancient Egypt had political pioneers and social pioneers, they were the first empire with great housing system, that they were materialistic people, and the first to provide a serious preparation of food. The most important reason that contributed to a great political system was the geography of its land which was located in the Valley of the Nile, even though it hardly ever rained.
The king's power relied on tax revenues from import and export duties that include goods such as ivory, slaves, crystal, brass, copper, frankincense, myrrh. He established farming settlements and trading centers off the African coast to take advantage of the ivory trade from Persia and India. Askum dominated the Red Sea trade, the period in which Greek controlled Egypt. Eventually he edged out Meroe for domination over the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean trade. The factors that influenced the relationship between the Egypt and the different Nubian kingdoms are that it was based on farming, livestock raising, and trading of gold. The decentralized kingdom of Meroe became organized by having provinces up and downstream that were ruled by their own town chiefs. The source of power for the kings of Meroe was also to control trade. Some things that contributed to the rise of the Aksum was that was agriculturally rich, it was located close to the coast and close to ports in the red sea. The development of commercial and agricultural was influenced by the rivalry between the Romans and Sasanid empires. Their interest in domination helped Yemen gain its own province, they lost it when Sasanid invaded the land, and after the Aksums trade in the Red Sea declined
Using their wooden ships, they raided, traded, explored and settled in Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands. They developed different kinds of ships to help them navigate the ocean, seas and even narrow, shallow rivers. One kind of ship was the “knarr.” The knarr was a short, sturdy cargo ship that was mainly used for long ocean voyages and hazardous trips. It mainly used sails, but also had oars in the event that there was no wind on the open water. Another ship was known as the “karve”. They were very similar to the knarr, but had shallower h...
In Elizabeth Jefferies and Ruth Gertwagen’s book “Shipping, Trade and Crusade in Medieval Mediterranean”, contributor Yaacov Lev studies
They sailed the ocean using the mighty ship called Argo going to the land of Colchis, but in their journey they passed several challenges, they passed the land of Lemnos, Doilenes and Cius with the guidance and power of Hera, she is the
Cohat, Yves. The Vikings: Lords of the Seas. Trans. Ruth Daniel. New York: A Times Mirror Company, 1992. Print.
Derek Walcott, acclaimed Caribbean author, writes to make sense of the legacy of deep colonial damage. Born in 1930 in the island of St. Lucia, Walcott has a melancholic relationship with Caribbean history which shapes the way he carefully composes within “The Sea is History.” Walcott’s application of Biblical allusions seeks to revise and restore Caribbean identity.