When the first of the ancient Greek shepherds strayed into Greece they found a civilized people already living there. These people were the Aegeans. They were members of a race that lived on the Island of Crete, on the other islands lying in the blue Aegean sea, in a few cities in Asia Minor and in a few settlements along the coast of Greece. But their most important home was the island of Crete.

It was in Crete that the Aegeans first became civilized. This was more than five thousand years ago at a time when the rest of the old European peoples were still shepherds. The Aegeans dwelled in fine homes which had bathrooms and running water. In Crete the Aegeans built stone palaces decorated with paintings and statues, fine pottery and metal wares. One of the most beautiful examples of stone work in one of the main palaces was a throne made of marble.

While the rest of Europe was still using stone weapons the Aegeans were making bronze swords, spears and even had bronze money.
They built ships and sailed the seas. They even had their own system of writing.

It is believed that the Aegeans gained much of their knowledge from the Egyptians. The pictures and carvings which have been found show scenes of Egyptian life and art. We do know that European civilization started with them.

The ancient Greeks who first encountered the Aegeans couldn't understand the civilization of the Aegeans in any case, they made war against them and destroyed some of their cities. Later in history the Greeks finally conquered the Aegeans on the islands of the Aegean sea and even those living in Asia Minor. The Trojan war was one of those battles. Troy was an Aegean city in Asia Minor in what is now called, Turkey.

Even though the Greeks didn't understand the Aegean civilization they learned a lot from them. Little by little the Greeks gave up their roaming about the land and settled down to building more comfortable houses and began planting gardens, farms, orchards and vineyards. In time they learned to make pottery of their own and even to decorate their stone or brick homes. You might have also heard of the people called the Eutruscans. It is said that Aeneas fled the sacking of Troy with some of his family and friends. They settled in what is now Italy near the mouth of the Tiber river. Later Aeneas merged his people with the natives who were living there before he came. They later became the Latins

Almost from the beginning the ancient Romans feared the more civilized Aegean - Etruscan peoples. They, the ancient Romans saw how easily the Etruscan sailors navigated the Tiber river with their boats. The Etruscans also had better tools and weapons than the ancient Romans
had. Eventually one Etruscan ruler led an army across the Tiber and drove out the Roman chiefs and took Rome. For some two hundred and fifty years after that Rome was ruled by the Aegean - Etruscan Kings.
Under the rule of the Etruscans the city of Rome grew larger and larger. In fact it may well be that it was thye Etruscan kings that conquered the settlements on the six near by hills and united them to make Rome a city. These Etruscan rulers had walls built to protect the city from its enemies. They also drained the near by swamps and docks were built along the Tiber River. Some of their work can still be seen.

The last of the Etruscan kings was a man named, Tarquin who was very cruel and proud thus he became known as Tarquin the Proud. He was so unjust that the Romans vowed that they would never again be ruled by a king. The people drove him out of Rome. Tarquin led an army of followers against the people who had rebelled against him. The hero of this war was Horatius who held off Tarquin's army while a main bridge to Rome was cut down. When the bridge finally collapsed Horatius fell into the river armor and all, but he managed to swim back across the Tiber.
They set up a statue to him and gave him all the land he could plow in a day for his brave deed by holding back the Tarquin army.

I hope you are finding these little historical ditties interesting. My studies into DNA have also led me to study the history of Europe and the Aegean Seas. In any case, it might be a good place for you to direct your children since I try to keep these stories simple and uncomplicated.
When I finally get back here I will be writing about Carthage.

Enjoy.

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