OVERTURE TO THE RISE OF ROMAN SEA POWER: EARLY MEDITERRANEAN HISTORY
For the past two and one-half years, I have been working on a manuscript that spans over 20 thousand years of early Mediterranean history. Primarily, this work addresses the transition of Mediterranean occupations as a result of the domestication of plants and animals in the cultural revolution between the Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic Age (The New Stone Age, based on domestication and the rise of urbanism). Accordingly, this work addresses topics related to the formation of cultural advancements in the Nile River Valley and Mesopotamia, (but in particular, the early cities of Mesopotamia). Moreover, this work contains an emphasis on the advancement of Mediterranean sea-travel and marine technology inspired by the coastal long distant Phoenician sea explorations that promoted trade centers in the regions of the central and western Mediterranean.
An important purpose of this work is to frame the Rise of the Classical Age within the setting of the Early Mediterranean history. To meet this goal, the work contains a set of chapters on the lives (marine related contributions) of three important historical figures that contributed greatly to Mediterranean marine history. Consequently, this work includes separate chapters on Pericles, Philip of Macedonia, and his son, Alexander the Great. The focus of the final chapter is aimed at clarifying the spread of Greek cultural elements throughout the vast territories conquered by Alexander, which included Athens, Asia Minor, Egypt, and the eastern lands spreading all the way to India. The advancement of Mediterranean sea power and marine technology, (which initially was advanced by the Phoenicians), also was advanced greatly by the innovations of Alexander. The Romans subsequently adopted these marine advancements, as a means to expand their control of the vast regions of the Mediterranean, following their conquest of Sicily and the destruction of the Carthaginians.