Hidden History: Ancient Civilizations

Hidden History: Ancient Civilizations

Here are the most interesting things I have learned in my Ancient Civilizations course so far.

Minoan civilization and its connection to Atlantis:

Minoans were a Greek civilization based on the island of Crete. Minoan civilization was idyllic with great cities like Knossos and palaces throughout the island. What makes Minoan culture so amazing is the fact that there is zero evidence of a warrior class or war within the island. This unspoiled civilization was possibly ended by the eruption of the volcano island Thera, making modern historians entertain the idea that Minoan society on Crete was the lost great civilization of Atlantis mentioned in Plato's work.

The construction of the Great Pyramids and the lack of slave labor:

Building the massive Pyramids located at Giza took millions of tons of limestone. To create these structures with only ancient technology is itself a mystery but learning that no slaves were used in the construction of the Great Pyramids was amazing. The Egyptians worked for their Pharaoh because of the culture which made them see the Pharaoh as a King God and made them believe giving their whole lives to build the pyramids was worth it even if they never saw their families or home again.

Sexual partnerships within Athens:

Sex, while a modern-day pleasure, took on a much more significant role in education in ancient Athens. Athenian men, took on boys as students becoming their educators and sexual partners. This partnership was known as pederasty and was widespread especially throughout the aristocracy/. The older men would teach the younger boys about life as they partook in their relationship.

The Battle of Kadesh:

The battle between the Egyptians under Ramesses II and the Hittites led by Muwatalli was an indecisive conflict involving tens of thousands of men. Despite this, Ramesses II was able to through propaganda come back a hero and champion into Egypt causing the rest of the New Kingdom pharaoh's to strive to imitate his glory. Another interesting fact about the battle was that the first recorded peace treaty was created between the New Kingdom and the Hittite empire after the conflict.