History Shorts: The Sea Peoples and the Borg (1200-1150 B.C.)

Bronze Age civilizations collapsed one after another beginning around 1200 B.C. The Mycenaeans, Hittites, Syrians, Canaanites, and others fell swiftly before an unstoppable invasion force. They are known today as the Sea Peoples because they invaded by sea. This force seems to have been multiethnic and apparently incorporated conquered people into its military. The Sea People confederation defeated wealthier militaries with sheer numbers and adaptable tactics. They even conquered mighty chariot armies by killing or maiming the horses and swarming the charioteers. The Sea Peoples were finally defeated on the water by the Egyptians. Egypt learned from the misfortune of others and decided to confront the invaders at sea as opposed to on land.  After their defeat, much of the world entered into a dark age. This allowed new peoples to populate the old settlements and create new civilizations.

The closest thing to the Sea Peoples in pop culture appear in Star Trek. The Borg were also an unstoppable invasion force which assimilated conquered peoples into their "collective."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHdp3idfpFI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbEi1isW3kQ&feature=related

History Shorts: The Rise of Greek City States (800 B.C.)

The Trojan War ended around 1200 B.C. A century later, Mycenaean civilization collapsed. No one knows exactly why the collapse occurred. Many believe another population swooped in and displaced the older Greeks. Following the collapse, Greece entered into a 400 year dark age. The Greek Dark Ages ended when independent city states began to form. Around this time, Homer wrote the Iliad about the Trojan War.

Here is a sample of Ancient Greek music to represent the return of light to Greece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDfwUQXBilE