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3,000 Years Ago in Mediterranean

The Semitic Kingdom of Israel under the rule of David (1006-966 BC), and his son, Solomon (966-926 BC), reaches its peak of wealth and prestige. Judaism was the state religion. King David is acknowledged as the author of the Psalms, some of the most beautiful poetry ever written. At about the same time, the Phonecian kingdom is founded in the area of modern Lebanon. The Phonecians, another Semitic people, were great sailors and merchants, establishing colonies all around the Mediterranean. The most famous one was the city of Carthage, which grew into a powerful empire of its own. The Phonecians invented the alphabet from which the modern English letters come from (the word phonics, comes from Phonecian).

Etruscan city states rise in north Italy around 700 BC. The Etruscan cities grew out of the villages that had been located in the region for centuries. Influence from Greece and West Asia was brought over by trade and possibly some immigration. But, unlike the Greek world where women had almost no rights, Etruscan women participated fully in society, and family lineage was traced through the mother's side (what is called a matrilineal society). The Etruscans had a distinctive art form, and are famous for their clay sculptures.

The small village of Rome revolts against its Etruscan rulers around 500 BC. The Etruscans were by this time weakened by attacks from the Celts. Rome would eventually conquer all of the Etruscan cities (the most important Etruscan city, Veii, was conquered in 396 BC), and go on to occupy the whole of the Italian peninsula.

First (264-241BC), Second (218-201 BC) and Third (149-146 BC) Punic Wars, between Rome and the Phonecian empire of Carthage ("Punic" was the Roman word for Phonecian). Carthage was a powerful trading state which grew up around the port of Carthage in North Africa. The complete defeat of Carthage in 146 BC led to Roman control of the whole western Mediterranean.

Greek city states, especially Athens, Sparta and Corinth, reach the height of their development. The Parthenon temple in Athens is one of the world's greatest art treasures surviving from the ancient world. While the Greeks had defeated a series of Persian invasions, they fell to the army of Philip II, king of Macedonia, in 338 BC. Philip's son, Alexander the Great, goes on to conquer the whole of the eastern Mediterranean and the once- mighty Persian empire itself in 331 BC. Alexander even invades India in 326 BC but is forced to retreat. Alexander was not only a great general, but a great philosopher. Some historians believe he wanted to create an empire where all citizens, whether they were Greek or Persian, would be treated equally, but Alexander died in 323, 33 years old, and that dream died with him.

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