subject: History of the Mediterranean [print this page] History of the Mediterranean History of the Mediterranean
History of the Mediterranean
Some of the most ancient human societies come from this region, and it has had a major impact on their lives and cultures.The first civilization developed in Mesopotamia with the Sumerans in 4000 B.C. Then the Pharaohs unified the valley of Nile into ancient Egypt. The civilizations quickly spread on the parts which today make the countries of Egypt, Palestine, Israel and others. With the development of ships which could sail the seas other civilizations began to flourish, such as the Hittities in the Asia Minor, Cyprus and the Minoans on the island of Crete.
Classical Age
The two most advanced civilizations in this region in the classical times were the Phoenicians, who were controlled by the Pearsians, and the Greek, who had their own form of governing through city states.
Hellenistic period
Thanks to their leader Alexander the Great, the Macedonians expanded their empire to the east, and by doing this, they spread Greek knowledge and culture.
The Romans
On the land previously controlled by the Phoenicians, the Carthagans built an empire, but were soon defeated in the Punic Wars by the Romans, who became the leading force in the Mediterranean, creating a vast empire unlike any other before it. It surrounded the whole Mediterranean sea and because of that it was given the name Roman Lake. The empire collapsed in 476 AD, after the invasion of barbaric tribes, and only the east side prevailed for almost a thousand years, known as the Byzantine empire.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages the Islam culture grew stronger, so the Persians and more than a half of the Byzantine Empire and were soon overpowered. The Arabs controlled about of the Mediterranean region at their peak, but they were held by the Franks in Europe. In the later Middle Ages more organized states began to form, which launched many Crusades against the Muslims to take back the holy land, although in the end they were unsuccessful. All they managed to do was weaken the Byzantine Empire which was soon destroyed by the Turks. The traders from Italy and Spain took over the trade routes in the Mediterranean, expanding the power of their countries. The rise of the Ottomans and the Spanish meant that each of them controlled one half of the Mediterranean until the 18th century, a balance of power was established. But the discoveries of the Americas and more trading with Africa shifted the trade routes from the Mediterranean, and the Ottomans were soon endangered by other countries. During the World Wars there were many battles here between the Axis and Allies, it was Italy which was the most powerful kingdom. Today, the Mediterranean is the southern border of the European union.
