Pirates, Warriors and Traders (ARC 207)
During the Middle and Late Bronze Ages the Near East was ruled by mighty empires, such as the Egyptian-, the Mitanni- or the Hittite kingdom. Independent city-states on the shores of the Levant conducted international, worldwide trade. They found themselves under constant pressure of the empires, seeking to control or conquer them. The people outside this Near Eastern sphere of ‘highly civilized’ nations were considered to be barbarians. But they were powerful and eager to participate in the wealth and splendor of their neighbors. The ‘Great Game’ about influence, control, trade routes and natural resources was fought by means of diplomacy and war and resembles in many ways modern international politics. The rise and fall of the Mitanni Kingdom, the struggle between the Hittite and the Egyptian Empires, culminating in the battle of Qadesh, marriage and murder in the royal families, the splendor of the Mycenaean Kings, invasions of desert tribes and the piratical raids of the Sea People will be stations in this survey of the history of the second millennium BC. The course will make students familiar with the geography of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean in ancient and modern times. It will provide historical knowledge sufficient for the understanding of the events that lead to the breakdown of a worldwide system of trade and contact. Parallels to modern politics will be demonstrated and the critical evaluation of written sources will help to improve the student’s ability in critical thinking..