Africa

  • Magic Beans-  The History of Coffee

    Java.  Cup of Joe.  My reason for living.  These are all euphemisms for that most delicious of things-  a cup of coffee.  But how did coffee become the popular pick me up it is today? There is a legend that coffee was first discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi around 850.  While out with his flock, he noticed that his goats were eating red cherry-like berries off a plant and afterward they were always frolicking and full of energy.  Kaldi tried the fruit and had a similar reaction.  A local monk observed Kaldi and his goats, and took some of the fruit back to his monastery and shared…

  • The Role of Religion in Empire Building

    Although Empires began and subsequently expanded for a variety of reasons, religion and culture played an important part, both as a catalyst and subsequently in the shaping of newly established Empires regardless of the initial motive for conquer. Examples of trade, security, lack of resources in the core nation, financial gain, religion and exploration demonstrate this, from various periods of their history covering expansion in similar areas, I will show how these motives affected the conquered nations as well as the settlers and associated parties involved. I have chosen to concentrate on non-contiguous Empires for my examples. Spain’s successful overthrowing of their Moorish conquerors from the eleventh century onwards gave…

  • Peace Treaty of Kadesh

    Egypt and the Hittites had been warring over the area around Kadesh for years.  The last major battle was in 1274 BCE and Pharaoh Ramesses II and Hittite emperor Muwatallis fought to a draw.  Both sides sustained heavy losses, but neither side could claim total victory.  However, both sides did claim victory in their various propaganda. There were skirmishes south by the Hittites against the Egyptians over the next fifteen years, but neither side gained a distinct advantage.  These were finally decided by a treaty signed by both Ramesses II and Hattusili III, the new king of the Hittites.  Historians place the signing of the treaty around 1259 BCE.  This…

  • Cleopatra Selene II

    The affair between Cleopatra and Marc Antony was one of the biggest scandals of the ancient world.  Reports of how Antony had given up Roman ways for the decadent East was the talk of Rome.  Eventually, in 40 BCE, Antony went back to Rome to marry Octavia and try to forge a peace with her brother, Octavian.  What he didn’t know was he left Cleopatra pregnant.  Later that year, the twins were born-  Alexander Helios (Sun) and Cleopatra Selene (Moon) Antony did not acknowledge his children until he met with Cleopatra in Antioch three years later.  The family then returned to Egypt much to Octavian’s chagrin.  A year later, Ptolemy…

  • The Lost Tribes of Israel

    Jacob had twelve sons, and the descendants of those sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. They settled in the promised land, then divided into to two kingdoms. Everyone was living happily, more or less, until the conquest of the northern kingdom. The Bible discusses the lost tribes of Israel in 2 Kings 17:6: “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.” The Assyrians conquered all of Israel and destroyed the First Temple. Once in exile, this left only the Tribe of…