Rameses the Great

Would it be a stretch to add Semitic and Egypt together and make a Middle East subforum? Including Persians, Sumerians, Phoenician, Hitites, Assyrians, Egyptians, etc.

The concept of 'zero' came from India by the way of the Arabs who gave it to the West.

Ancient Egypt You can see Egyptian society started in 5500 BC, not 3100 BC. Link The issue is very debatable. The oldest known city is Sumer, but the Egyptians started urban planning well before the Mesopatamians did.

The gap is not that large, and recent evidence had pointed to it starting in Egypt before Mesopatamia.

Thanks GO, and Publius Nonius Severus. This link really helps a lot!

I wondered how Romans dealt with dealt especially withing each social class. Obviously they probably greaved a lot more then we do today. I was wandering if they had a special ritual like the Egyptians. How was it portrayed in their culture? Where did they go in the after life? I'm thinking it would be similar to how Greeks dealt with a death, but looking for some insight.

Can't the Huns be classifies as Mongols?.

Thanks for the link P-P, this is something big!

I just want to know more about the emperor in Persia. He had advisors and government officials, but appears to wield an awful lot of power. Did this ever conflict with his citizens? Perhaps an uprising or civil war like in Rome? It seems that Persians supressed any uprising since there were never any major events in the course of their history.

--Benjamine Franline.

It was partly what Zoroastrianism morals are about. They believed in equality regrdless of gender, race, or religion (probably why it didn't last very long in the Ancient World. ) It not only taught equality, but taught more kindness to foreigners who were conquered, and sought to treat them better.

Thinking of entering. I still need to finish a book on the Republic, is there a date or deadline yet?

Cleopatra was not really beautiful, just very seductive.

They didn't resist or anything. Many refused to fight, such as the Copts, layed a welcome mat for the Arabs and were under their rule. Syrians were the same way, Maronites resisted because they had intelligence and will. Now that my fury is out, Christians were valuable and many Muslim conquerors could not touch Christian aristocrats. For example, the reason why the Greek Orthodox Church in Alexandria survived so well, was becuase the Muslims could not kill them. For example, my ancestors likely payed themselves out of trouble. Some had to relocate to Upper Egypt, where the Arabs could not figure out the Nubian style of fighting. Now tolerance for Christians were in direct correlation with the emperor or regime that was in power. For instance, the Fatimids enjoyed great wealth incorporating Christians into their government living peacefully.

2 things are wrong with that: 1. If someone is stronger and smarter then you it will probably be a painful experience. 2. What if the person's a woman!

Yes, the Achaemenid dynasty. I thought those were the Assyrians? Anyways, many people who were under Persian control saw the Mulims conquerors as 'Liberators' and Persians as 'Opressors.' Did the Persians make use of the columns? If so, from whom?

LOL, to clarify it was about to hit my face. My shoulder took one for the team. (I know many of you hear would've liked it if it did hit my face. ) I was the only one stupid enough to shovel the snow at a late time when it was switching from snow to ice. The few, the proud, the manual shovelers! :usaflag:

As the Ming Dynasty became a power, they decided to take their supremacy to the seas. In 1405, Zheng He, a Chinese admiral, ordered the constuction of 317 ships. Consider this, at that time all European ships only equaled less than half the amount of Zheng He's fleet and England's navy at its hegiht only reached 125. The 9 main ships were 63.25-meter-long and 13.8-meter-wide ship, with a tonnage of 1,300 tons carried across 30 African and Asian countries reaching as far west as the Red Sea and maybe even north into Egypt. It may have even reached the Americas at a time when no one in the East knew it existed. It carried horses, soldiers, and bronze cannons to secure its supremacy at sea. The ships consited of 4 levels: Base Level: carried storage like gun powder, food, and horses. Second Level: Troops quarters including the general's quarters. Third Level: Contained the kitchen and dining area. Forth Level: The deck included the nine giant masts. It ventured the seas as China controlled it. When Zheng He died in Ceylon in 1433, the ships were recalled and burn by the next emperor. Although the reasons are not known, China turned inward and Europe started its industrial age and supremacy. Imagine what if the Chinese used these ships to conquer not only the seas, but the world. Amazing.

You're not making this easy on me. Ok, here we go: The word satrap or satrapy, derives from an Old Persian word meaning 'eye of the king' They were appointed by the king to oversee various lands abroad. Through time the word has been Hellenized and Romanized. If I'm not mistaken even after the Persians were not longer in power, foreign conquerors still called Egypt a satrap or satrapie. Satraps and Satrapies.

Glad your ok. There is a mess here in Pittsburge snow, to ice, to snow. While I was shoveling the driveway I think I got hit by a couple chunks of ice, thank goodness it hit my shoulder.

Sure, conquered territories were called satraps. :smartass:

He was a 2 to 1 favorite to win, not much money would have went your way anyways.

I just wanted to talk about the enormous Persian Empire and its influence in the Middle East and Europe. Their governing systmes was unique, and it seemed they influenced Greek language somewhat. If anything their successful invastions were a result of shear numbers rather then troops. I also want to get in a little bit into why they hit a brick wall in Greece. It seems like the Greeks really knew how to stop their advance into Europe. Also some of questions of how opressive the Persians were could help with discussions in other threads. Facts and opinions apreciated.

Those who did not pay the taxes and refused to convert were killed.

It was the time of the Chalcedonian debate that made the Byzantines angry with the Egyptians. The taxes they had to pay to the Muslims, were harsh nonetheless.