1909.—R. E. Peary (U. S.) reached the North Pole, April 6.
1911.—Roald Amundsen (Norw.) reached the South Pole, December 14.
1912.—Capt. Scott (Eng.) reached the South Pole, but perished before returning.
COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF NATIONS
Showing their Origin, Chief Events, Changes or Extinction, from the Earliest Period to the Present
I. [1]FROM EARLIEST HISTORIC RECORDS TO THE TIME OF ABRAHAM, X-2250 B. C.
[1] All dates down to the First Olympiad, 776 B. C., are almost wholly conjectural. Dates here given, however, are from the latest and best authorities.
The earliest history of mankind, so far as we now know, begins with the peoples known as Semites. Northern Arabia is generally accepted as their primitive home. Issuing thence, they conquered or settled Babylonia and Egypt, and through amalgamations with the native races (of which we know very little), became the earliest historic Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. Historians sometimes assume that the native races were Mongolians, traces of which still persist in China, Thibet, Finland, The Caucasus, and perhaps, among the American Indians.
| B. C. | Greeks (Cretans and Mycenæan) | Egypt (Heb. Misraim) | Border Peoples (Between Egypt and Babylonia) | Babylonia (Heb. Shinar) | Border Peoples (East of Babylonia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Prehistoric Period | I. Sumerian Period | ||||
| 5000 | 5000. Extensive excavations in Crete reveal a prehistoric civilization before the BronzeAge. | 5000. Egyptian records name the Gods as the earliest rulers and Kings, who were decendentsof gods, succeeded them. Actual history begins by revealing, in the Nile valley, a number of districts or nomes held together chiefly by areligious bond. | A variety of tribes and peoples dwelt on the ill-defined borders of Egypt and Babylonia.We come to know their names later through their attacks upon the various states. These tribes and other migratory peoples from the olderSemitic centers became the founders of the Syrian states and Asia Minor. | 5000. Government in Babylonia had reached the form known as the city state. The southerngroup of cities (known collectively as Sumer) comprised Eridu, Lagash (Shirpurlo), Ur, Larsa, Uruk (Erech) and Isin: the northern group(known as Accad or Akkad) comprised Agade (Accad), Sippar, Nippur, Kutha, and later Babylon. | Out of these tribes developed the Elamites, Medes, Persians, and Hindus. |
| 4241. Earliest fixed date marking the introduction of the calendar. | |||||
| 4000 | 4000. Pre-dynastic kingdoms flourish in Upper and Lower Egypt. | 4000. Lugalzaggisi of Uruk, first great conqueror made expeditions to the Mediterranean and north ofMesopotamia. | |||
| II. Semitic or Chaldean Period | |||||
| 3800-3600. Pre-dynastic kings Ka-ap and Ro are placed within these dates according to recentinterpretations of tombs and vases. | 3800. Sargon I. begins to rule. He and his son Naram-Sin, kings of Agade, extendtheir conquests to Armenia, Elam, Arabia and the Mediterranean. These reigns were an early “Golden Age” ofBabylonia. | ||||
| II. The Old Kingdom (Includes Dynasties 1 to 10) | 3750. Naram-Sin built temple of Sun-god at Sippur. Fusion of Sumerians and Semites follows hisreign. | ||||
| 3400. Accession of Menes and beginning of dynasties. Under Menes the kindgoms wereunified. | |||||
| I. Prehistoric Period | Tombs erected at Abydos by successive kings; wars with Libyans and others; mining in Sinai. | ||||
| 3000 | 3000-2500. Rising civilization on coasts and islands of the Aegean Sea and in Crete. | 2900-2750. Fourth dynasty is most important. Kingsmemorialized by Pyramids at Gizeh and Abu Roash. Capital probably at Memphis. | 3000. The Kings of Ur. Under this dynasty Ur became the seat of government. Temples were built in both Northand South. | 3000. Assyria (Asshur) founded by a colony from Babylonia. Niniveh also in existence. | |
| 2700. The Phœnicians settle on the Sidonion coastand build Aradus (Arvad); later Tyre and Byblos. | 2800. Gudea, priest-king, or governor of Lagash (Shirpurla or Tello) became the chiefruler. Built a palace, temples and statues of bronze. | ||||
| 2590-2570. Primitive sea-voyages made to Palestine. Governmentcentralized at Memphis. Landed nobles in evidence. | 2600-2400. Dynasties of Isin and Larsa, respectively. This was a period of strife among the various centers. | ||||
| 2500 | 2500. The cities of Mycenæ and Tiryns already founded. | 2500. Semitic (Amoritic) migrations into Syria and Palestine, about Jerusalem. | 2445-2160. Kings resided at Heracleopolis; numerous struggleswith Thebes to which seat of government was finally removed. | 2400. First Babylonian dynasty. The South lost itspoliticalpower and the city of Babylon became for the first time the seat of government. | 2400. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, invades SouthBabylonia. |
| B. C. | Greeks (Cretans and Mycenæan) | Egypt (Heb. Misraim) | Border Peoples (Between Egypt and Babylonia) | Babylonia (Heb. Shinar) | Border Peoples (East of Babylonia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Prehistoric Period | I. Sumerian Period | ||||
| 5000 | 5000. Extensive excavations in Crete reveal a prehistoric civilization before the Bronze Age. | 5000. Egyptian records name the Gods as the earliest rulers and Kings, who were decendents of gods, succeeded them. Actual history begins by revealing, in the Nile valley, a number of districts or nomes held together chiefly by a religious bond. | A variety of tribes and peoples dwelt on the ill-defined borders of Egypt and Babylonia. We come to know their names later through their attacks upon the various states. These tribes and other migratory peoples from the older Semitic centers became the founders of the Syrian states and Asia Minor. | 5000. Government in Babylonia had reached the form known as the city state. The southern group of cities (known collectively as Sumer) comprised Eridu, Lagash (Shirpurlo), Ur, Larsa, Uruk (Erech) and Isin: the northern group (known as Accad or Akkad) comprised Agade (Accad), Sippar, Nippur, Kutha, and later Babylon. | Out of these tribes developed the Elamites, Medes, Persians, and Hindus. |
| 4241. Earliest fixed date marking the introduction of the calendar. | |||||
| 4000 | 4000. Pre-dynastic kingdoms flourish in Upper and Lower Egypt. | 4000. Lugalzaggisi of Uruk, first great conqueror made expeditions to the Mediterranean and north of Mesopotamia. | |||
| II. Semitic or Chaldean Period | |||||
| 3800-3600. Pre-dynastic kings Ka-ap and Ro are placed within these dates according to recent interpretations of tombs and vases. | 3800. Sargon I. begins to rule. He and his son Naram-Sin, kings of Agade, extend
their conquests to Armenia, Elam, Arabia and the Mediterranean. These reigns were an early “Golden Age” of Babylonia. | ||||
| II. The Old Kingdom (Includes Dynasties 1 to 10) | 3750. Naram-Sin built temple of Sun-god at Sippur. Fusion of Sumerians and Semites follows his reign. | ||||
| 3400. Accession of Menes and beginning of dynasties. Under Menes the kindgoms were unified. | |||||
| I. Prehistoric Period | Tombs erected at Abydos by successive kings; wars with Libyans and others; mining in Sinai. | ||||
| 3000 | 3000-2500. Rising civilization on coasts and islands of the Aegean Sea and in Crete. | 2900-2750. Fourth dynasty is most important. Kings memorialized by Pyramids at Gizeh and Abu Roash. Capital probably at Memphis. | 3000. The Kings of Ur. Under this dynasty Ur became the seat of government. Temples were built in both North and South. | 3000. Assyria (Asshur) founded by a colony from Babylonia. Niniveh also in existence. | |
| 2700. The Phœnicians settle on the Sidonion coast and build Aradus (Arvad); later Tyre and Byblos. | 2800. Gudea, priest-king, or governor of Lagash (Shirpurla or Tello) became the chief ruler. Built a palace, temples and statues of bronze. | ||||
| 2590-2570. Primitive sea-voyages made to Palestine. Government centralized at Memphis. Landed nobles in evidence. | 2600-2400. Dynasties of Isin and Larsa, respectively. This was a period of strife among the various centers. | ||||
| 2500 | 2500. The cities of Mycenæ and Tiryns already founded. | 2500. Semitic (Amoritic) migrations into Syria and Palestine, about Jerusalem. | 2445-2160. Kings resided at Heracleopolis; numerous struggles with Thebes to which seat of government was finally removed. | 2400. First Babylonian dynasty. The South lost its political power and the city of Babylon became for the first time the seat of government. | 2400. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, invades South Babylonia. |