Why did the Sea Peoples disappear? Peoples of the Mediterranean. Mediterranean tribes - composition

The most interesting version of the origin of peoples Etruscans and Umbrians, as well as their language and writing, is their origin from the “peoples of the sea” - the Pelasgians, Leleges, Dardanians, Trojans and Danaans.

« The Egyptians called the peoples of the sea the culprits of the universal commotion of the 12th century (BC – author). However, according to Egyptian data, from this motley conglomerate of tribes it is possible to isolate the actual Pelasgians. In some monuments they are directly called Pelasgians (Pulasati), in others, appear under the names Trojan Pelasgians-Dardans (Dardna), Pelasgians-Teucrians (Takkara) or Argive Pelasgians - Danaans (Dainiuna).

The mention of the Dainiuna in Egyptian inscriptions gave rise to an entire literature, mainly focused on the question: were the Dainiuna the famous Homeric Greek Danaans? However, the legitimacy of the very formulation of this kind of questions seems doubtful, because the Danaans, most likely, were not the Greeks, but the same Pelasgians.” .

An extremely important and comprehensive study on the Pelasgians and other peoples of the Mediterranean of the pre-Greek era was made by the researcher Sergei Darda in the book "Peace Belt". He noted the following interpretations of the name “Pelasgian”:

“PELASGA (PELASGA) or PELASGIS (PELASGUS - Πελασγις).

Used as the second name of Thessalian Hera and Demeter. Demeter under this name had temple in Argos and, according to existing belief, she received this name from Pelasgus, the son of Triops, who founded a sanctuary dedicated to her.”

"PELASGI - Πελασγoι) - d jealous people who inhabited in prehistoric times all of Greece and the coast with the islands of the Aegean Sea. Their traces are also found in Asia Minor (Türkiye) and Italy. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography".

An absolutely brilliant, in my opinion, assumption regarding the origin named after the Pelasgians and Leleges put forward by Sergei Darda: “ According to ancient legends, the Pelasgians were called Pelasgians because they were a nomadic people who, like storks, flew from place to place.” In Greek stork - πελαργoς, pelargos - pelargós, and, according to ancient authors, it is from this word that the ethnonym Pelasgians comes. The name of the second most frequently mentioned pre-Greek people, Lelegov, very similar with Ukrainian word "leleka" - stork, Turkish - leylek, Albanian - lejlek.

“The Attic historian tells about their life there, and says that because of their tendency to migrate, the inhabitants of Attica called them Πελαργoι (storks), (Strabo, 5.R.221) ".

« Further, Anticlides says that the Pelasgians were the first to populate the areas around Lemnos and Imbros, and, indeed, some of them led by Tirrenom, son of Atis, crossed to Italy. And the compilers of the “History of Atfida” also report the stay Pelasgians in Athens, but since they were a nomadic tribe that, like birds, flew anywhere, the inhabitants of Attica called them “pelargi” (literally “storks”)» .

Another interpretation of the name is associated with the word Πελαγoς – sea (Greek). Pelasgians known in history as the people who inhabited Palestine under the name Philistines :

"Term Philistines- a typical adaptation of the Hebrew in the Greek translation of the Bible Pelishtim. In turn, the biblical pelishtim is a reworking of the word Pelasgians with a characteristic rethinking of this ethnonym, which acquired the meaning wanderers, migrants» .

Based on historical data about the Pelasgians Sergei Darda draws the following conclusion: “Considering that Asia Minor was inhabited mainly by Pelasgian peoples in those days, it can be assumed that Asia Minor authors had direct access to information about the Pelasgians, which increases the degree of reliability of data about the Pelasgians. Based on the information provided to us by the authors of antiquity, we can draw the following conclusions regarding the Pelasgians.

1. According to legend, the Pelasgians were the most ancient people recorded in the chronicles, who lived on the territory of modern Greece, on the east coast Anatolia(Greek ἀνατολή) (modern Turkey) and in the territory Italy.

2. The areas where the Pelasgians probably lived areArcadia, Argolis, Attica, Boeotia, Thessaly, Epirus, Ionia, Samothrace Islands, Lemnos, Imbros, Lesbos , which according to legend was previously called Pelasgia, And Crete, as well as parts of Italy.

3. As a result of the arrival of the ancient Greek tribes, the Pelasgians were driven out of Greece to the east into Asia Minor and the surrounding islands. The remaining Pelasgians were assimilated by the Greek colonists. Despite the differences between the Greeks and the Pelasgians, both belonged to the Indo-European group of peoples." .

Other pre-Greek peoples of the Mediterranean, which are often found in historical sources are LELEGI. Sergei Darda reports the following about the lelegs: “In general terms, the following conclusions can be drawn based on information about the lelegs:

1. Historians of antiquity believed Lelegs, like the Pelasgians, were the most ancient people inhabiting Greece.

2. According to historians of antiquity, the Lelegs lived over a large area Greece, namely: in Leucas, in Acarnania, Locris, Boeotia, Messenia, Laconia, Argolis, in Ionia on the coast of Asia Minor, near Troy, in Caria, Halicarnassus, Pisidia, Chios and Samos.

3. The Lelegs were considered a related people Carians, Lydians and Mysians.

4. If the Lydians were a people related to the Leleges, and thus it is possible and Pelasgam, then the legend retold Herodotus about the ancestors of the Etruscans, colonists from Lydia to Italy, indirectly confirms affiliation Etruscans to Pelasgic peoples who inhabited the Mediterranean before the arrival of the Greeks.

5. Homer reckons Lelegov to the peoples allied with the Trojans.

6. There was a legend according to which Leleg, the ancestor of the Lelegs, came from Egypt.

7. Lelegi(Greek λελεκι - leleki) were forced out of Greece, and then from Asia Minor by Greek tribes» .

Among the Slavic peoples stork (Greek) λελεκι - leleki) this is a sacred animal, about which there are many legends, beliefs and stories, killing a stork is a mortal sin; it is believed that storks were once the totem animal of the ancient Slavs. One of the Slavic legends says that a stork flies away to a mysterious, distant land in the fall. Vyriy or Irey ( "to the Aryan country"), to Paradise, where the souls of dead ancestors live. According to one of the legends about storks, the stork flies in the fall to the ends of the world, where he plunges into the lake and turns into a man; in the spring he plunges into another lake, turns into a stork again, and returns home. Etymology of the word Irey connected with the distant sea: “According to this version, Z.-Rus. Vyrey, Ukrainian viriy, virey, white get out, floor. dial Wyraj“mythological land where migratory birds spend the winter” (proto-Slavic form *irijь or vyrijь) goes back to I.-E. *iur“reservoir, sea”, lit. Jura"sea". (F. Bezlay, Slavic Antiquities, T2, p. 423). This is confirmed by numerous Russian hydronyms: Vyriy, Vyrya, Vyra, toponyms Vyrya, Vyrets and Old Russian lexemes vir, vir"whirlpool", Ukrainian Virey, viriy, “cycle, whirlpool, whirlpool”, Slovenian. virij “swamp”, ir “depth, depth”, as well as the name of a Slovenian village Verjana, standing at the confluence of two rivers, reconstructed as *vyr(ьj)ane - “living near Vyriya”.

Most of the storks from the Slavic lands fly to Africa for the winter. Among the ancient Egyptian artifacts of the 3-2 millennium BC, images of storks are found; the afterlife or paradise was called by the ancient Egyptians Iaru.

It can be assumed, that Pelasgians and Leleges- related peoples who had one totem - the stork.

The pre-Greek peoples of the Mediterranean included DARDANUS (Greek Δαρδανος). Regarding Dardan, Sergei Darda writes: “ At this point, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The period of life of the Biblical Darda and the Dardan of the Mediterranean approximately coincide on the time scale.

2. The lifetime of Dardanus in the Mediterranean falls approximately on a period close to Deucalion's flood. In this regard, it is interesting to remember that according to legend Dardan left Arcadia as a result of the flood and the riots that followed.

3. Because, according to legends, The original inhabitants of Arcadia were the Pelasgians, then Dardanus, who immigrated to Asia Minor, can be considered with a high degree of probability as a Pelasgian.

4. Battle of Kadesh which mentions the Dardanians as allies of the Hittites, occurred approximately a hundred years after the founding Dardania in Asia Minor; Thus, these two facts (the battle of Kadesh and the founding of Dardania) are linked to each other in a chronological sense.

5. The Trojan War (1240-1230 BC) approximately coincides in time with the battle of Ramses III with the Philistines (Pelasgians). Considering that Asia Minor lost the Trojan War, and the Philistines, according to legend, poured in from Asia Minor and the adjacent islands, it is likely that The Philistines were forced to migrate from Asia Minor, if, of course, we can identify them with the Trojans and their allies.

6. Peleg of the Bible and Pelasg of the Mediterranean, If the dating we have is correct, they lived in different eras.

7. Dardania of Asia Minor and the country of Darada in northern India, probably existed in parallel in time, however Indian Darada, most likely arose earlier than Dardania of Asia Minor.”

Sergei Darda did not mention DANAYTSEV ( Dainiuna - Egyptian) - a people of the Mediterranean known from many historical legends, including from ancient Greek myth about King Danae and his daughters the Danaids. True, according to the story of Euripides, the Danaans forced the Pelasgians to take on the name of the Danaans:

"Father of fifty daughters Danai,
Arriving in Argos, Inach founded the city
And to everyone who bore the Pelasgian name,
Danaev ordered to take the nickname in Hellas».

Nevertheless, the Danaans have the right to be mentioned in history under their own name among the “peoples of the sea”, just like the Pelasgians.

Another people mentioned in Egyptian chronicles as part of the "Sea Peoples" - TEUCRA (Takkara – Egyptian) or TROJANS. The Trojans, just like the Danaans, cannot claim independence, since they are a union of tribes of the Dardanians and the peoples of Asia Minor.

All of the above "Sea Peoples" who were the parents of famous ancient civilizations, have in the historical aspect the mysterious status of mythical or disappeared peoples, although we know from the laws of physics that nothing disappears without a trace and nothing arises from nothing either. And the phrase of the chronicler Nestor: “ Disappeared like an obra" in this case it is unfair.

“We keep bumping into other parts of Italy.”, - Schwegler is perplexed, - “to the same common names. So, they say that in Gernichakh Pelasgians once lived. Picenum it was also once inhabited by them. There is evidence that Noceria, Herculaneum and Pompeii were founded by them, or that they lived there for some time. Examples of other cities that history associates have already been given with the name Pelasgians».

Based on this and on such legends, according to Sergei Darda, Barthold-Georg Niebuhr, put forward a hypothesis which is now generally accepted, and against which objections can only be expressed from the point of view of comparative philology. According to Niebuhr y, The Pelasgians were the very first people who inhabited not only Greece, but also Italy. Once upon a time in the past, he says, Pelasgians - the most numerous people, inhabited all countries, starting from Arnus and Padus and ending with the Bosporus; And they were not nomads, as many historians present it, but as a sedentary, powerful and respected indigenous people. It was in distant times, long ago before the beginning of Greek history in its classical sense. However, later, in the time of our historians, only isolated, scattered parts of this vast nation remained from them - as happened with the Celts in Spain - which, like the tops of mountains, rise in islands, after the dry land has been turned into a lake by the flood. “Antiquity can be compared to a huge city of ruins, in which there is not even a plan, in which everyone must figure it out for themselves and understand the whole from parts, and parts from a careful comparison and study of the relationship of the latter to the first,” wrote Barthold-Georg Niebuhr .

Sergey Darda states: “That the name Pelasgians once meant an existing people we can fully believe; but we cannot form any historical concept of the people who Herodotus calls sedentary, others - nomadic, and whose earliest place of residence was somewhere between Mount Ossa and Mount Olympus, as well as in Arcadia and Argolis«

AND if we pay more attention to the Pelasgians today than to other actually existing races, not because they left a lot of true evidence of their existence, but because they occupied such a really important place in the myths of Greece and Italy" .

The first thing I want to say is that the concept, in fact, has already been presented in the author’s work “Fear the Danaans who bring gifts.” And secondly, the proposed concept definitely requires improvement. Before presenting the concept development of the Indo-European ethnos Let us summarize the conclusions of various researchers regarding origins of the "Sea Peoples", their location, common names, customs, culture, economic relations.

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General conclusions about the “peoples of the sea” suggest the following:

1. "Peoples of the Sea" are geographically localized in one region of the Mediterranean (see map of the residence of the Pelasgians and Leleges in the Mediterranean by S. Darda).

2. Dardans, according to sources, occur from the island of Samothrace and in the future migrated to Asia Minor, founding the Troad.

3. Lelegi according to sources, they moved from Egypt to Asia Minor in the neighborhood of the Carians and Lydians.

4. The origin of the Pelasgians is unknown.

5. Danaans appropriated Argolid Pelasgians own name. From historical sources it is known that the Pelasgians migrated from Egypt to Argolis and took the name of the Danaans under the compulsion of King Danaus, as Euripides reports, however, the ancient Greek myth about the Danaids says that King of Argos Pelasgus sheltered the Danaids, led by King Danai, who fled from persecution from the Egyptians. The Egyptian chronicles mention the invasion of the “sea peoples” of the Pelasgians and Danaans. Apparently, the mythical flight of the Danaans from Egypt is an interpretation of historical data about the invasion of Egypt by the “peoples of the sea.”

: -ssos\—ssa; -sos\ -sa.

6. The Pelasgians and Leleges lived on Crete and the islands of the Aegean Sea.

7. Pelasgians, Leleges according to sources, they are called nomadic peoples (storks).

8. The ethnonym leleg in Eastern Slavic languages ​​means “stork”.

9. One of the symbols of the later form Cretan letters(XV-XII centuries BC), the so-called "Linear B" is a symbol very similar to stork - ai.

10. Pelasgians and Leleges partially moved to the Apennine Peninsula after a natural disaster or for other reasons.

11. The Sea Peoples were warlike(attack on Egypt), created a high culture of agriculture, crafts, urban planning, which borrowed autochthonous tribes of the Mediterranean ecumene and Greeks.

12. The Pelasgians and Leleges spoke a barbaric language unknown to the Greeks.

13. The Pelasgians brought writing to Italy.

On - nthos / -ntha; -ndos / -nda; -nza / -nzos in Eastern Anatolia

14. Pelasgians and Leleges did not have topographical and toponymic names in their own name, although they built and lived in many cities and in different territories.

15. Dardanians and Danaans(from the root word dan - river, stream) had topographical and toponymic names ( Dardan, Dardanelles, Danube, Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Don, Donets, etc..).

16. Ethnonyms Dardanians and Danaans have one root “-dan-“.

17. The Pelasgians lived in Palestine under the name of the Philistines., fought and coexisted with the Jews on the rights of the dominant ethnic group.

18. Pelasgians performed human sacrifices(first-born infants) to their gods. The Zagreb mummy describes in Etruscan the custom of human sacrifice (A Dozen is a swaddled child), which, by the way, was also typical for the Jews (an episode from the Bible of the massacre of infants).

19. According to sources, The Pelasgians were excellent sailors.

20. The “Peoples of the Sea” suddenly appear in the field of vision of chroniclers and historians, just as they suddenly disappear.

21. Etruscan texts, the Zagreb mummy, the Iguvin tables are translated only using Slavic languages.

The coincidence of many characteristics of the “peoples of the sea”, such as migration, appearance, disappearance, barbaric language incomprehensible to the Greeks, along with a high level of civilization, suggests that The Pelasgians, Leleges, Danaans, Dardanians are one people who existed before the Greeks under different names.

The name of this people is DANAI. Only, this numerous people is not the “people of the sea”, but the “people of the rivers” at the root "dan, d-n", in Sanskrit: (related words in Russian: DON, DNepr, DONets, DNister, the Don River was called “Quiet Don”, i.e. “Quiet River.”). The Danaans came from northern Europe to the Balkan Peninsula somewhere in 4 thousand BC, and subsequently settled in the Mediterranean.

The Egyptians, in essence, did not care where these people came from, the main thing was that they came from the sea on ships, that’s why they called it one “people of the sea” - Danaans, became a collective image of the “peoples of the sea”. The Danaans were given all the epithets that the settlers of the Mediterranean had: Pelasgians - “nomadic”, Lelegs - “storks”, Dardans - “keepers of the stream”, that is, Gellispont.

Where did the Danaans come to the Mediterranean basin from?

The collapse of the Indo-European linguistic community dates back to IV millennium BC Indo-European tribes, living in the northern Black Sea region, settled along the main rivers of Eastern Europe, the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Don and moved to Western Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula. It was a united Indo-European ethnic group, not yet divided into Celts, Germans, Slavs. Subsequently, during 2 millennia in Eastern Europe ethnicity formed along the rivers Danaans(peoples of the rivers), in Western Europe they took shape Celtic tribes. A new ethnic group was born in Scandinavia, which returned to the shores of old Europe under the name Germans.

Numerous Danaan tribes mastered not only the Danube, but also the Adriatic coast and the Balkan Peninsula, and then the Mediterranean basin. On the island Crete to the Danaans and an ancient developed civilization was created, Linear A.

Invasion Greek tribes in the 2nd millennium BC. from Asia Minor stopped the expansion of the Danaans in the Mediterranean. On mainland Greece, the Greeks gradually ousted the Danaans and created their own Mycenaean civilization. On the island Crete created the first written Minoan civilization - Linear V. In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. A natural disaster occurred on the island of Thera, which practically destroyed the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Survivors Danaans from Crete migrated to the Apennine Peninsula, where they merged with the autochthonous population and later became known as the Etruscans and Umbrians (lat. Umbri) - an ancient Italic people that formed in Northern Italy at the end of the Bronze Age. After the events of the Trojan War and the subsequent natural disaster at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. n. e. The Danaans have practically returned to their former habitats, that is, to Eastern Europe. Routes:

  • - Balkan Peninsula, where they became known as Veneti and Dardanians;
  • — Pannonia- known by the name skloven;
  • - Central Europe - Western Slavs(Czechs, Slovaks, Poles);
  • - Eastern Europe - East Slavs(Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians.).

In the 13th century BC. e. The Eastern Mediterranean was inhabited by many peoples with a highly developed culture and rich history. In the Peloponnese there was Mycenaean civilization, which built such beautiful cities as Athens, Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns. She was not inferior to her in anything and Minoan civilization, settled on the island of Crete. At this time, it was already under the strong influence of Mycenae, but retained its identity, customs and the huge cultural heritage of previous generations.

Settled in Asia Minor Hittite civilization. It was a mighty power. In terms of its military power, it rivaled Ancient Egypt. Her combat troops adequately repelled the onslaught of the Egyptians and even conflicted with them over the city of Kadesh (Syria). The Hittites occupied the entire southeastern coast of Asia Minor, its central lands and even part of the western coast.

Land stretches along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in a narrow coastal strip Phoenician civilization. Its representatives were skilled sailors and traders. In this matter they had no equal. If not for our southern neighbor Ancient Egypt, all the time limiting their restless ardor and energy, the Phoenicians would very quickly occupy a dominant position in this region.

To the south of Ancient Egypt there are vast lands Nubian civilization. The people who represented it by the 13th century BC. e. had a rich history behind it. It matched the history of its northern neighbor, famous for its ancient pyramids. The Nubian kings were at the head of a highly developed society, had a strong army and ruled the country with wise laws. This power seemed unshakable and in the future could well take the “palm of championship” from the hands of the weakening Ancient Egypt.

Life was in full swing on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Traders and artisans flourished, and learned people with unique knowledge in medicine, astronomy, architecture, and linguistics were highly respected. Writing was at a high level. The priesthood was revered, glorifying numerous gods. The courageous warriors, who were ready to defend their fellow citizens in case of danger, were not deprived of attention.

Everything changed in the second half of the 13th century BC. e. It was as if eternal night had fallen on the flowering lands. Rich cities turned into ruins, writing disappeared, lush meadows with livestock were deserted, and the inhabitants of the plains changed their place of residence. They began to build villages on inaccessible cliffs, grow crops and graze livestock on mountain plateaus, reliably hidden from prying eyes.

The reason for such global changes was that on rich and well-fed lands there appeared sea ​​peoples. Who they are, where they came from - even today historians cannot give a clear and precise answer to this question.

The Sea Peoples are the greatest mystery of the Ancient World. Very little is known about them. To be completely precise, practically nothing. This phrase is mentioned in Egyptian historical sources from the time of the XX dynasty pharaoh Ramesses III (1185-1153 BC). But by the time this ruler ascended the throne, the Sea Peoples had already been burned and destroyed for 40 years greatest civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Hittite kingdom could not withstand their invasion and fell. All cities were destroyed, the greatest historical monuments were destroyed. The culture of the ancient people was wiped off the face of the earth. New tribes appeared in the territories of ancient civilization. In terms of their level of development, they were not even close to the Hittites.

A similar fate befell the lands of the Peloponnese. Here, too, everything collapsed and was destroyed. Noble people were killed, commoners were turned into slaves. In a short time, the entire intellectual layer of society was destroyed. The peoples who inhabited the peninsula found themselves thrown back hundreds of years in their cultural development.

The island of Crete did not escape the sad fate. The Sea Peoples arrived on its shores on numerous ships. They were warlike, strong and ruthless. The indigenous inhabitants of the island, who chose the cozy lowlands, were forced to flee from the invaders high in the mountains. Today, 80 villages of refuge have been found, dating back to that distant and terrible era.

These villages are located in inaccessible high mountain areas. Narrow paths lead to them. You can walk along such a path only by following each other. A small group of men, having chosen a convenient position, can hold back the attack of an entire army here, striking the enemy with arrows and throwing heavy stones. Judging by the excavations, people lived in such villages for many years, not daring to go down and establish a normal life.

Those who failed to take advantage of the protection of the mountains faced a terrible fate. Archaeological excavations in the lowlands tell of incredible cruelty that the Sea Peoples showed to the inhabitants of the island. The destruction of cities resembles a terrible natural disaster. It was as if a terrible earthquake had struck the fragrant lands. Traces of fires, ashes, and piles of human skeletons are visible everywhere.

It is noteworthy that the invaders did not settle on the conquered lands of the island. The Sea Peoples periodically appeared on their ships off the coast of Crete, landed, did evil, robbing and killing all those who got in their way, and then again loaded onto their ships and sailed away. Each time they appeared unexpectedly on the sea horizon. This forced the indigenous inhabitants of the island to live high in the mountains for many years.

The Sea Peoples first appeared near the borders of Ancient Egypt in 1203 BC. e. This was the time of the reign of the 19th dynasty pharaoh Merneptah (1212-1202 BC). They came from the Phoenician lands. The Phoenician cities were fiercely defended, and the invaders decided to try their luck in other lands that seemed less protected to them.

The ruler of Ancient Egypt advanced a strong army to the border lines and the peoples of the sea did not engage in battle. They withdrew and captured the city of Ugarit in Syria. This ancient center of culture was subjected to barbaric destruction. A most valuable library was lost. It was kept in a huge royal palace, covering an area of ​​an entire hectare. The palace itself also did not escape a sad fate. The Sea Peoples reduced it to ruins. A sad end awaited the huge city, which was not inferior in size to Rome and was the largest trading center in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This barbarity happened at the very end of the 13th century BC. e. In the early years of the new century, the carnage continued. The central lands of Anatolia (Asia Minor) took the blow of the invaders. Here the Sea Peoples marched with fire and sword through the surviving rich cities of the Hittite kingdom. Death and destruction came to the homes of innocent people.

The saturation with the blood of innocent victims continued for twenty long years. Pala and Troy is a city on the western coast of Asia Minor. Here, however, historians do not have a clear opinion. There is a hypothesis that in this case there was internecine strife long before the advent of the Sea Peoples. The ruins of this ancient city have been found, but they cannot tell archaeologists what circumstances accompanied their emergence. So the cause of death remains in question.

Having incinerated and destroyed everything around them, the peoples of the sea turned their gaze to lands that had not yet experienced the full horror of their invasion. This was Ancient Egypt. At the beginning of the 12th century BC. e. it no longer represented the invincible and powerful power that it had been in more ancient times. Having considerably lost its power and greatness, the Egyptian kingdom entered a period of severe economic and political crisis.


Ramesses III

Temporary improvement in all aspects of life has arrived during the reign of Ramesses III. He ruled for 32 years and made a significant contribution to the strengthening of the power entrusted to him.

It was during the period of his reign that the second campaign of the Sea Peoples to Egypt took place. This time there were countless invaders. Some of them sailed on ships, while others moved on foot. A huge number of carts drawn by oxen carried not only warriors. Their wives and children were sitting in the carts. The Sea Peoples set out on a campaign with entire families. It is not known for certain whether such a practice has always taken place, or whether this happened for the first time - during the attack on Ancient Egypt.

As already mentioned, information about the Sea Peoples is negligible. History knows about them only from the sources of Ancient Egypt. Basic information is found in the form of reliefs with inscriptions and drawings on the wall of the tomb of Ramesses III in Medinet Habu (a suburb of the city of Luxor, the left bank of the Nile). Part of the data is contained in the archives of Deir el-Medina on papyri and ostracons (a settlement of ancient artisans - also on the left bank of the Nile opposite Luxor).

Ramesses III fielded a strong ground army and a navy consisting of many ships against the enemy. The decisive battle took place in 1177 BC. e. in the lands of Phenicia. In this battle, the Sea Peoples suffered a crushing defeat. Many of them died, the survivors were captured. Women and children did not escape eternal slavery. All the belongings of the unlucky invaders were also captured as war booty.

The land expansion was stopped, the enemy was completely defeated and destroyed. But there was still a fleet left. The Sea Peoples marched their armada to the mouth of the Nile. Here she was met by Egyptian warships. The fleet of Ramses III won this stubborn battle. The defeated invaders were mercilessly killed, the survivors were enslaved. Thus, the pharaoh saved his country from the horrors that other civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean fully experienced from the peoples of the sea.

This, in fact, was the end of the bloody epic. The Sea Peoples have sunk into the darkness of centuries and there is no more information about them. It is only known that, with the permission of Ramesses III, tribes settled on the fertile lands of the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, who called themselves Philistines. Whether they were representatives of the peoples of the sea, humbly bowing their heads before the victors, or had nothing to do with these cruel invaders - history does not know for certain.

There is also an assumption that the Sea Peoples were tyrsenes. These are the ancestors of the Etruscans - the very tribes that existed on the Apennine Peninsula before the Romans. It was they who taught the great conquerors how to build roads, build beautiful cities, and also organize gladiator fights. Again, there is no direct evidence indicating the participation of the Tiersens in terrible atrocities involving the destruction of innocent people.

It is possible that they belonged to the Sea Peoples Teucrians- that was the name of the inhabitants of Troy. Having been defeated in internecine strife, they lost everything: their city was destroyed, their dignity was humiliated. The warlike tribe could well challenge the inhabitants of the Eastern Mediterranean living in luxury and satiety.

Gathering around themselves “fortune hunters,” the Teucrs turned into ruthless robbers and murderers. Their raids on enemy cities took on enormous proportions due to the poorest tribes constantly joining them, many of whom lived very close to highly developed civilizations.

It must also be said about sikulah- a tribe that lived on the island of Sicily. They were not carriers of high culture. At the same time, they were warlike and brave people. They could well have become the Sea Peoples, or at least joined the ranks of the ruthless invaders. Ancient Egyptian sources indicate that there were nine tribes. So the warlike inhabitants of Sicily could well be one of them.


Ancient
chariot

Another version also has the right to life. It is based on the structure of military units that existed in that distant Late Bronze Age.

The basis of the battle formations of ancient armies were chariots. Each of them contained two warriors. One was a shield-bearer, the second an archer. The wheels of these mobile combat vehicles were, as a rule, made of solid bronze. This increased their strength and maneuverability. In addition, long knives were installed on the wheel hubs. Rushing at breakneck speed into the ranks of the enemy's infantry, the chariots shredded the warriors and, ultimately, demoralizing the enemy and causing him to flee in shame.

Such war wagons themselves were expensive, and it was also necessary to buy horses. Only rich people could afford such pleasure. Accordingly, the elite of the army sat in the chariots. These were the nobility - representatives of the upper class.

In addition to chariots there was infantry. Cavalry appeared much later, in the 13th and 12th centuries BC. e. never heard of her. However, for the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that the chariot is much more effective than the rider. If not for its high cost, cavalry would never have become a priority.

Infantrymen were recruited from the poorest sections of the population, and they did not hesitate to recruit men from backward tribes, deprived of the rich cultural heritage. This entire public had light and cheap weapons. It consisted of a helmet, shield and breastplate made of wood covered with leather. The weapon was a short spear.

In essence, the infantry were civilians. If there was a threat of attack, they were called up for military service; in peacetime, most were disbanded. Considering that wars were a common occurrence in those days, mercenaries were not without work. The service gave them money, shelter, food. With a salary, infantrymen could support their families and live more or less with dignity.

In the second half of the 13th century BC. e. In the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean, a complete idyll came. Cultural peoples began to resolve foreign policy issues not with the help of weapons, but through diplomatic agreements and peace treaties. This testified to the spiritual growth of people, their transition to a higher intellectual level.

As a result, the hired infantrymen were left out of work. They lost their permanent jobs, and, accordingly, the salary with which they could support themselves and their families. At the same time, they still had military skills, weapons and an organizational structure that united them into fighting units. Many infantrymen did not know how to cultivate the land, and, by and large, did not want to. Peasant labor is very hard, and not everyone is able or willing to do it.

As a result, one of the mercenaries came up with the idea to achieve material well-being with a sword and spear. Having united into combat units, the former infantrymen turned into sea ​​peoples. They began to attack those who had recently given them work and bread. The population of well-fed and wealthy cities turned out to be absolutely unprepared to confront these new, unexpectedly appeared opponents.

Small armed royal detachments were destroyed, the nobility was killed. Priceless cultural creations are consigned to fire and sword. Their carriers were mercilessly robbed and killed. The flourishing lands of the Eastern Mediterranean sank for centuries into the abyss of obscurantism, cruelty and ignorance. Great ancient civilizations ceased to exist. It took hundreds of years for culture and enlightenment to flourish again in these territories tormented by primitive hatred.

The Sea Peoples, having committed terrible crimes, have sunk into oblivion. We would know nothing about them now if the ancient Egyptians had not found the strength to resist this terrible plague, which upended the entire way of life of that distant time.

The thickness of centuries reliably separates us from those great and terrible events. It does not allow modern man to lift the veil of secrecy and find out the whole truth about the terrible barbarians called the peoples of the sea. But in any case, humanity must learn lessons from history and clearly understand that each person has the right to a dignified existence. Others who ignore this rule pay with their lives, dying at the hands of those whom they deprive of the joys of earthly existence and basic human happiness.

The article was written by ridar-shakin

Based on materials from foreign publications

The Sea Peoples are a series of tribes who, at the end of the Bronze Age, in the 13th-12th centuries BC, invaded the countries of Asia Minor, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt.

The origin of these tribes is not known for certain, which has given rise to many hypotheses on this matter. The attacks of the Sea Peoples led or became one of the reasons for the death of a number of cultures and states of the Late Bronze Age. The migration of the Sea Peoples was one of the largest migrations of the past, changing the face of the ancient Near East and influencing world history. Traces of those times are still present in the toponymy of Palestine and Sardinia.

On the walls of the memorial temple of Ramses III in Medinet Abu it is written about the peoples of the sea:

The invasion of the Sea Peoples was not some random event. In the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, significant changes affected the territory of almost the entire then civilized world. In vast territories from the Atlantic to China, old cultures perished and others arose, old states fell, and new ones rose from their ruins. This was probably a general crisis of Bronze Age culture.

For the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the 13th-12th centuries BC became a turning point, the events of which led to striking changes in the political and ethnic situations of the entire region. The great powers gradually declined. In Hatta, famine increasingly occurred, which led to uprisings and unrest. After a temporary rise, Assyria fell again. Despite all the praise, Ramses II never manages to drive the Hittites out of Syria and the actual influence of Egypt was noticeably less than in the time of Thutmose III. Already from the time of Ramses' son Merneptah, Egypt began to gain strength. At the same time, Mycenaean Greece also declined. It is not surprising that, taking advantage of this, hordes of barbarians, such as the Sea Peoples, Dorians or Jews, marched on civilized countries.

Already Pharaoh Merneptah had to fight with the alliance of the Libyans and the Sea Peoples. Later, Ramses III had to repel several attacks not only from the sea, but also from Asia. Moreover, these were not just predatory raids, but real resettlement of peoples. However, before coming to Egypt, the wave of the Sea Peoples swept through other countries to the north. And although the Egyptians managed to fight back, many Palestinian cities were destroyed or captured by the invaders. Despite the fact that the victorious Ramses III tried to gain a foothold in Asia and placed garrisons in a number of cities, by the middle of the 12th century BC, the Asian possessions were completely lost.

Around 1200 BC, the peoples who invaded Anatolia destroyed the Hittite kingdom and the principalities dependent on it; the main force of this invasion were the tribes of the so-called Eastern Mushki and the Sea Peoples. The war was fierce and not always successful for the attackers - a message has been preserved that the Hittite fleet defeated the Sea Peoples near Cyprus, but in the end the Hittites lost the war. In the center of Asia Minor, in the very heart of the Hittite state, not a trace remained of them, and the country was populated by Phrygians who were alien to them in culture and language. In the southeast of Asia Minor and northern Syria, the Hittite principalities survived; they considered themselves the heirs of a great power, but these were only shadows of the former empire.

The power of the “great powers” ​​over Syria and Palestine, which had lasted for centuries, was destroyed. However, the Sea Peoples not only destroyed the Hutts and drove out the Egyptians, they also destroyed the states dependent on these hegemons. Thus the kingdom of Amurru in Syria was destroyed. In the fifth year of the reign of Ramses III, it is reported that King Amurru “became ashes” - the name disappeared, the people were subjugated and scattered. In the eighth year of the reign, it is reported that the Sea Peoples camped in Amurru, and its people were destroyed “as if they did not exist.” After that, the kingdom of Amurru no longer existed, and the name itself was used only to designate territories in Syria or generally to the west of Mesopotamia. Likewise, Hatty no longer meant the lands of the former empire, but sometimes the small kingdoms of New Hetians, and sometimes Syria in general. On the Euphrates, Emar was destroyed and never reborn.

North of Amurru, the ancient city-state of Ugarit perished. Somewhere between 1185-1180 BC, the city was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. It was no longer revived, but a little to the south of it, on the ruins of the summer palace of the Ugaritic kings, a small settlement of the Sea Peoples arose. It is likely that the attackers took advantage of a natural disaster and desecrated the weakened country. These lands were never again an independent state.

The northern lands of Phenicia also seem to have suffered from the invasion of the Sea Peoples. Excavations at Sukasi, Tsumuri and Irkati indicate extensive destruction. These cities continued to exist, but no longer had the same importance as before. But the south of Phenicia did not suffer, and although this statement is based on very insignificant archaeological material and hints from Egyptian sources, it can be argued that at least no catastrophic changes occurred, and the old population continued to live in the same place

In the fifth year of the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah (approximately 1207 BC), Egypt was attacked by the Lapu tribes (Libyans) in alliance with the Sea Peoples. The Allies, along with children, women and treasure, invaded the western Delta. Merneptah came out to meet the army and defeated the invaders in a six-hour battle. The description of this event has come down to us in four different documents, namely the great Karnak inscription, the texts on the Cairo Column and the stelae of Athribis and Merneptah (aka the stele of Israel), with the exception of the last inscription all mentioning the Sea Peoples.

The Great Karnak Inscription is one of the best known ancient Egyptian temple inscriptions now. The text begins with a list of enemies who invaded Egypt - Libyans, Ekwesh, Terah, Lucca, Shardana, Shekelesh. Later in the text the Meshwesh people are also mentioned. Ekbesh and Terah, traditionally classified as sea peoples, are in fact mentioned along with other populations that are classified as a group only in this text. The most important part of the text for studying the Sea Peoples is the list of prisoners, killed and captured booty at the end of the inscription. In total, 9,376 enemies were killed or captured, mostly Libyans, who lost 6,539 killed, however, the Sea Peoples also suffered noticeable losses - 222 Shekelesh people and 742 Terah people, figures for the losses of Shardan and Ekwesh have not been preserved. Regarding the Ekwesh, it is indicated that they were circumcised - this fact significantly influences theories regarding their origin. From the point of view of the material culture of the Sea Peoples, the list of booty captured from them is interesting: 9,111 copper swords, as well as cows, goats, beautiful ships, armor and various weapons were taken from the Meshwesh and Libyans.

The text from the Cairo Column is extremely short - it contains a message from a messenger to Merneptah about the invasion of the Libyans and their allies: The fifth year, in the second month of the third season. One came and said to His Majesty: “The insignificant (leader) of the Libyans invaded (with) men and women, shekelesh...”.

Stella Athribis repeats the Karnak inscription. It contains an abbreviated version of the description of the fighting, accompanied by another list of chopped enemies, prisoners and loot. The numbers are generally consistent with each other with minor differences, the number of Shardan killed is again lost, but for the Ekwesh it is indicated as 2201.

Later, Ramses III had to repel several attacks not only from the sea, but also from Asia. Moreover, these were not just predatory raids, but real resettlement of peoples. However, before coming to Egypt, the wave of the Sea Peoples swept through other countries to the north. And although the Egyptians managed to fight back, many Palestinian cities were destroyed or captured by the invaders. Despite the fact that the victorious Ramses III tried to gain a foothold in Asia and placed garrisons in a number of cities, by the middle of the 12th century BC, the Asian possessions were completely lost.

FOR MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLES OF THE SEA, SEE THE WEBSITE

Context

Even in the first half of the 20th century, some historians considered the region of the Mycenaean civilization, which at that time was dying under the blows of the Dorians, to be the homeland of the Sea Peoples.

Modern historians, on the contrary, associate the migration of the "Sea Peoples" with the end of the Trojan War, which had a devastating impact not only on the civilization of the western coast of Anatolia, which was defeated, but also on the economy of the victorious Achaeans. This seems to explain the presence of Achaeans and Danaans among the Sea Peoples, most of whom are identified with the pre-Greek population of western Asia Minor. This migration occurred one or two centuries before the Dorian invasion.

History (according to Egyptian sources)

The very name of the “peoples of the sea” is of Egyptian origin - this is what the Egyptians called it in the 14th–12th centuries. BC e. previously unknown to them northern peoples who lived beyond the Mediterranean Sea.

Tribes of the Sea Peoples

The SKLS (Shekelesh) tribe is identified with the Siculi, who, together with the Elymians, arrived in Sicily around the 13th century. BC e. Thucydides and Virgil write about the “Trojan” origin of these peoples.

The SRDN (Sherden) briefly formed the personal guard of the Egyptian pharaohs. They are identified with the people who around the XIV-XIII centuries. BC e. arrived in Sardinia and founded the Nuraghe builder culture there. During the same period, similar cultures emerged in Corsica (torre builders) and in the Balearic Islands (talaiot builders).

The TRS tribe is identified with either the Tyrsenes or the Trojans (both hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, in light of the tradition of Aeneas). Modern historians suggest that the Tyrseni were skilled navigators and reached northern and central Italy, where they gave rise to the Etruscan tribe, before 510/509 BC. e. who also ruled Rome. The Etruscans left many traces of a highly developed culture (their cities had sewers, and it was the Etruscans who gave the Romans the toga), so they likely had a strong foundation on which to build such a culture.

Ethnicity and language

The ethnicity of the “Sea Peoples” has not been reliably established, that is, all identifications are speculative. Among the Sea Peoples, Egyptian inscriptions include:

  • JKWŠ, JQJWŠ, JKWS (conventionally read: “ekush”) - usually identified with the Hittite Ahhiyawa, the Homeric Ἀχαιϝοί, later - Ἀχαιοί, that is, the Achaeans;
  • DNJN, TNJ, DJN (conventionally: “denyen”) - are identified with the Hittite Danuna, the Greek Δαναοί, that is, the Danaans;
  • DRDNY - usually associated with the Homeric Δαρδάνιοι, that is, the Dardanians - one of the Trojan tribes or neighbors of Troy;
  • MŠWŠ (conventionally: “meshesh”) - identified with Assyrian Mushki, Greek Μόσχοι, biblical Meshech; they are probably Phrygians;
  • PLST, PRŠT (conventionally: “peleset”) - is identified with the biblical Plishtim, which in Greek turned into Φυλιστιιμ, and in the Russian translation - into Philistines; it is also possible that the name is identical to the Pelasgians of Greek sources; problematic - with Pulastya of the Mahabharata;
  • RK, L’KK, RWK - identified with the Hittite Lukka and the Greek Λύκιοι, that is, with the Lycians;
  • ŠKLŠ, SQRWS, ŠQRSŠ (conventionally: “shekelesh”) - identified with the Greek Σικελοί, that is, with the Siculs;
  • ŠRDN (conventionally: “Sherdana”, “Shardana”) - probably Sardis;
  • ṮJKR (conventionally: “teker”, “zeker”, “cheker”) - is identified with the Greek name Τεύκροι, which has become one of the synonyms of the Trojans;
  • TRŠ, TWRYŠ, TWRWS (conventionally: “teresh”) - identified with the Greek Τυρσηνοί, that is, Tyrrhenians, later the Etruscans were called that way; according to another version, it correlates with the Hittite Taruisa - Troy; and also (problematically) with Turvaśa of the Rigveda;
  • WŠŠ (conventionally: “ўeshesh”) - not identified.

L.A. Gindin and V.L. Tsymbursky, in the book “Homer and the History of the Eastern Mediterranean,” express the opinion that the “peoples of the sea” are mainly people from the north of the Balkan Peninsula, related to the proto-Thracian tribes.

The German historian and linguist H. Rix put forward a hypothesis about the Tyrrhenian group of closely related languages. The hypothesis is interesting in that almost all the peoples included in it (Pelasgians, Etruscans, Eteo-Cypriots) are to one degree or another identified with the “peoples of the sea”, who are considered as the pre-Indo-European population of the west of Asia Minor. The inhabitants of ancient Sardinia (the builders of the Nuraghes) did not leave written monuments, however, a number of historians, in particular A.I. Nemirovsky, pointed out the similarity of their culture with the Etruscan one. The RK ("Lycians") of the Sea Peoples may not have been identical to the later Lycians, but were a pre-Indo-European population of the region (just as the Etruscans were pre-Indo-European people from Lydia).

Notes

Literature

  • History of the Ancient East. vol. 2. M. 1988.

Links

  • Katz T.P. Nuragic Sardinia and the “sea peoples” // AMA. Vol. 6. Saratov, 1986. pp. 31-42.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Peoples of the Sea” are in other dictionaries:

    - “PEOPLES OF THE SEA”, a symbol for tribes or peoples who attacked in the 13th-12th centuries. BC e. to Egypt from the sea and from land (from Asia). Before this, they probably lived in Asia or on the Balkan Peninsula. * * * “PEOPLES OF THE SEA”, the Egyptian name for a number of peoples... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Sea Peoples- “Sea Peoples”, as they called it in the East. Mediterranean con. 13 start 12th centuries BC. conquerors who came from the sea. Perhaps among them were Greeks, Sardinians and Etruscans, although neither their origin nor their details have been precisely established... The World History

    Symbol for tribes or peoples who attacked in the 13th-12th centuries. BC e. to Egypt from the sea and from land (from Asia). Before that, they probably lived in Asia or on the Balkan Peninsula... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Conventional designation of tribes or peoples that attacked in the 13th-12th centuries. BC. to Egypt from sea and land (from Asia Minor). Before that, they probably lived in Asia Minor or on the Balkan Peninsula. It is believed that the Trojan War was partly related to... ... Historical Dictionary

    Sea Peoples- (English Peoples of the Sea, or Sea peoples, German Seevölker), a group of peoples of mixed origin who invaded Egypt and settled there in the 13th–12th centuries. BC. Defeated by Pharaoh Merneptah in 1219 BC and then expelled... Archaeological Dictionary

    - (“Peoples of the Sea”), a symbol for tribes or peoples who originally lived, perhaps, on the Balkan Peninsula or in Asia Minor; mentioned in Egyptian sources of the 13th-12th centuries. BC e. as attackers on the borders of Egypt from the sea... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

    Conventional designation of tribes or peoples that attacked in the XIII-XII centuries. BC e. to Egypt from the sea and from land (from Asia Minor). Before that, they probably lived in Asia Minor or on the Balkan Peninsula... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Peoples of the Sea- a symbol for tribes or peoples who attacked in the XIII-XII centuries. BC. to Egypt from sea and land (). Before that, they probably lived in Asia Minor or on the Balkan Peninsula. It is believed that the Trojan War was partly related to movements... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History

    Sea Peoples- group of tribes. ed., invading OK. 1200 BC from the Balkans to Western Asia through the Aegean Sea. That is why the Egyptians gave them the name N. m. The troops of Ramesses III defeated N. m. on land in Syria and at sea at the entrance to the Nile delta (relief images in ... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary

    Sea Peoples- group of tribes. associations that invaded ca. 1200 BC e. from the Balkans to Western Asia through the Aegean Sea. That is why the Egyptians gave them the name N. m. The troops of Ramesses III defeated the N. m. on Cyme in Syria and on the sea at the entrance to the Nile Delta (relief... ... Dictionary of Antiquity

Books

  • Peoples of Russia i, issue II. painting album, four chromolithographs i and 7 engravings, . In the region, adjacent to the sloping shore of the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian tribe has lived since ancient times. For a long time, it was forced to fight the neighboring German tribe, mercilessly...

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One of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world is the mysterious peoples of the sea. Almost nothing is known about them. The first mentions date back to around the time of the reign of Ramses III. However, by the time this Egyptian ruler ascended the throne, the Sea Peoples had already been burning neighboring lands for 40 years and destroying the great states of the Mediterranean.

The Hittite kingdom was one of the first to fall. Cities were destroyed and burned. There is no trace of the former culture left. And after some time, tribes settled in their place, in many ways superior to the Hittites in terms of development.

Our contemporaries recently found about 80 refuge villages high in the mountains of the island of Crete. According to historians, it was the indigenous inhabitants of the island who fled from the ruthless powerful invaders who arrived on the shores on numerous warships.

Quite narrow paths lead to the fortifications, along which more than 2 people could not pass at the same time. High in the mountains, even a small group of men could hold off an entire army for a long time by dropping heavy stones or showering arrows on enemy invaders.

Judging by the finds of archaeologists, the original population of Crete hid in villages for many years, managing to establish a fairly decent life in the mountainous area.

It was worse for those who were unable to hide in the inaccessible mountains. The Sea Peoples showed inhuman cruelty, almost completely burning out the cities they invaded. They, like real killing machines, unexpectedly landed on the shore. After them, only ashes and piles of bones remained.

The first appearance of the Sea Peoples at the border of the Egyptian lands was noted during the reign of the 19th Dynasty pharaoh Merneptah (approximately 1203 BC). Countless military ships appeared from the direction of the Phoenician land. But the pharaoh managed to gather a large army and position it along the coast. Perhaps it was for this reason that the mysterious invaders did not engage in battle.

All their fury fell on the city of Ugarit, which was located on the territory of modern Syria. The barbarians destroyed the city, burned the most valuable library, and destroyed sanctuaries and temples. Some of the residents were taken prisoner, the rest were simply killed. Blooming Ugarit was turned into ruins.

Another great city, comparable in its power to Rome - Anatolia (Asia Minor), did not escape the tragic fate. The Sea Peoples wreaked death and destruction, and an entire culture was reduced to dust.

Their attacks lasted for twenty long years. According to one version, the great Troy fell precisely at the hands of this mysterious people. Although there is no definite answer: did internecine strife lead to the destruction of the city long before the invasion of sea conquerors.

At the beginning of the 12th century BC, it was the turn of weakened Egypt to experience all the atrocities and cruelty, ruthlessness and power of an invincible people. Troops arrived in countless numbers. Some landed on the shore, others moved by land. Wives and children rode in carts with them. It is not known for certain whether the warriors of the Sea People were always accompanied by their families on their campaigns.

However, Ramses III gathered a powerful army against the advancing invaders. The decisive battle took place in 1777 BC, in which the Sea Peoples suffered a crushing defeat. The Egyptians mercilessly killed the defeated invaders. Blood flowed like a river. There was no mercy or mercy for the vanquished.

The Sea Peoples disappeared without a trace. However, by order of Ramses, tribes settled in the Mediterranean and began to call themselves Philistines. Whether they were the descendants of a people who bowed their heads before the power of the winner is not known.

There is another version. Some scientists believe that the Tyrsen tribes were the peoples of the sea. They were the ancestors of the Etruscans and inhabited the territory of the Apennine Peninsula before the arrival of the Romans. The Tiersens taught the inhabitants of the powerful empire how to build roads, build unique cities and conduct gladiator battles.

But no one excludes the possibility that the Teucrian tribes who inhabited the mysteriously destroyed Troy could once have been a powerful people. Having gathered “luck hunters”, the Teucrians could well turn into ruthless killers, terrorizing the coast of the entire Mediterranean.

There is another version. It is believed that the Sea Peoples may once have been mercenary troops who served in highly developed countries of the ancient world. After military affairs became the occupation of the elite, plebeian mercenaries were left out of work. Having organized themselves into a cohesive group, they formed a powerful army. They conquered city after city.

Numerous weak tribes joined powerful and ruthless wars. The population of large and wealthy cities, unprepared for war, turned out to be unable to repel the battle-hardened conquerors. And entire cultures turned to ashes under the warlike sword of the invaders. Until they themselves were destroyed by a worthy opponent. Ramses the Third, who united the Egyptian people, perhaps saved more than one culture from complete ruin and destruction.

Today there are countless versions of who the Sea Peoples were. And although there is evidence and facts in favor of each, it is impossible to say exactly which one is true. This mystical mystery will remain an unresolved mystery of the ancient world for now.

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