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The Story of the Mediterranean World

Take a deep dive into the incredible history of the Mediterranean in this unique course, and marvel at everything that made this amazing region a fountainhead of human civilization.
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The Story of the Mediterranean World

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The Formation of the Mediterranean World

01: The Formation of the Mediterranean World

Take an overview of the Mediterranean region, beginning with the geologic forming of the Mediterranean Sea. Grasp the geographic, seismic, and climate conditions that characterize the region and have shaped its human history. Chart how Neanderthals and then homo sapiens populated the Mediterranean, how they lived there and took to the seas, and the remnants of their cultures they left behind.

34 min
Stone Age Farmers and Settlers, 10,000–4000 BCE

02: Stone Age Farmers and Settlers, 10,000–4000 BCE

In the Neolithic period, a revolution in animal and plant domestication profoundly changed Mediterranean life. Learn about the cultivation of grains and other crops, the uses of livestock, the advent of pottery for the storage of food and drink, and the settlement of islands. Trace the rise of the peasant villages which provided vital support for the Mediterranean's later cities and empires.

38 min
Understanding the Earth and Sky, 30,000–2500 BCE

03: Understanding the Earth and Sky, 30,000–2500 BCE

Here, uncover conceptions of a spiritual world and the divine held by early peoples of the Mediterranean. Find the oldest vestiges of ancient spiritual expression in the veneration of sacred places, and the remarkable prehistoric cave paintings of France and Spain. See Neolithic cosmology and religion expressed in megalithic monuments, tombs, temple complexes, and stone circles across the Mediterranean.

34 min
Island Ecology and the Bronze Age, 3500–2000 BCE

04: Island Ecology and the Bronze Age, 3500–2000 BCE

Track geologic events which formed thousands of islands in the ancient Mediterranean, and learn how island living affected Mediterranean peoples, physically, culturally, and mentally. Then grasp how Mediterranean civilization was transformed by metallurgy. Across the arc of the Bronze Age, trace the rise of cities such as Troy, and dramatic advances in weaponry, maritime activity, and trade.

35 min
Bronze Age Ships and Heroes, 2500–1400 BCE

05: Bronze Age Ships and Heroes, 2500–1400 BCE

Explore the archetype of the mythic hero, such as Hercules and Jason, whose exploits reflected the world of the Greek Bronze Age. Follow the rise of merchant shipping, which produced huge wealth in the Eastern Mediterranean. Witness the revolutions in shipbuilding, of wooden ships, oars, and sails, and note the astonishing wealth seen in the cargo of ancient shipwrecks and in Cypriot tombs.

36 min
Minoans and Mycenaeans, 2000–1200 BCE

06: Minoans and Mycenaeans, 2000–1200 BCE

Two early powers laid the foundations for Greek civilization. Encounter the Minoans of Crete, bold mariners who produced fabulous art and architecture, and exported pottery and agricultural goods across the Aegean. Then study the Mycenean Greeks; their fortified citadels, military might, and powerful galleys which secured them a major role in burgeoning trade and exchange in the Mediterranean.

34 min
Troy and the Bronze Age Collapse, 1200–850 BCE

07: Troy and the Bronze Age Collapse, 1200–850 BCE

Examine Homer's story of the Trojan war, as it bears on life and warfare from the 13th to 9th centuries BCE. Explore the origins of the war, and visualize the dramatic events of the 10-year siege of Troy, and the lengthy return home of Odysseus, as they heralded the fall of powers and empires in the eastern Mediterranean. Learn how the ancients charted the seas and revolutionized shipping.

33 min
Phoenicians and the Greek Rebirth, 850–550 BCE

08: Phoenicians and the Greek Rebirth, 850–550 BCE

Phoenician mariners rebuilt trade in the Mediterranean following the destruction of the late Bronze Age. Learn about their blazing of new trade routes, innovations in shipbuilding, writing, and navigation, and the role of trade in the resurgence of major Greek city-states. Observe how the Phoenicians and Greeks created colonies across the region, such as the imposing city of Carthage.

34 min
Inland Invaders and Land Empires, 750–320 BCE

09: Inland Invaders and Land Empires, 750–320 BCE

After 750 BCE, peoples from regions to the North expanded into the Mediterranean. Envision the rise of the mighty Assyrians, followed by the Babylonians, powers which dominated the Near East for centuries. Trace the history of the Persian Empire, and their prolonged wars with the Greeks. Finally, learn about the conquests of Alexander, the Ptolemies, and the great cultural center of Alexandria.

34 min
Rome Conquers the Mediterranean, 753–31 BCE

10: Rome Conquers the Mediterranean, 753–31 BCE

Discover the origins of Rome and its great power. See Rome's first expansion, by land, overthrowing the Etruscans. Relive Rome's centuries of naval conflict with Carthage, seen in the three Punic Wars. Witness how the Romans leveraged their military skill, swallowing Carthage and Greece and suppressing piracy, to become masters of the Mediterranean.

37 min
Mare Nostrum, the Roman Sea, 31 BCE–410 CE

11: Mare Nostrum, the Roman Sea, 31 BCE–410 CE

Study the features of Rome's epoch of dominance of the Mediterranean Sea. Learn how Rome managed its massive need for food supply, through its ports, shipping, and control of food production across the empire. Observe the ways in which Rome extended a unifying Roman culture throughout the Mediterranean, through trade, colonization, agriculture, language, and religion.

35 min
Problems of Space and Time, 200–500

12: Problems of Space and Time, 200–500

Grasp the realities of travel and communication within the Mediterranean, as they affected the trajectory of the Roman Empire. Take account of the challenges and duration of long-distance travel, and of the courier system that facilitated the travel of information. See how these factors fueled the restructuring of the empire under Diocletian, and its ultimate disintegration in the 5th century.

29 min
The Winds of Change, 200–500

13: The Winds of Change, 200–500

Here, delve into a core climate element of the Mediterranean: the region's powerful winds. Look into the features of four major winds: the mistral, the sirocco, the meltemi, and the bora. Note where they arise geographically, the ways in which cultures have adapted to them, and how they shaped the events of the late Roman Empire, such as the sea battle of Actium and the Battle of the Frigidus.

32 min
Islam Divides the Mediterranean, 610–902

14: Islam Divides the Mediterranean, 610–902

Chart the rise of Islam, and the conquests of Muslim armies, as they created two spheres of power within the Mediterranean, with Muslim control of the east and southern shores, and Christian kingdoms stretching from southern France to Anatolia. Explore key changes to the regions under Arab rule, from advances in trade and agriculture to a workable coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

32 min
Muslim Shipping, Trade, and Piracy, 640–1100

15: Muslim Shipping, Trade, and Piracy, 640–1100

Investigate how Muslim peoples took to the sea, in an era of conflict with Christian kingdoms. Learn about Byzantine and Muslim naval warfare of the time, and Muslim maritime conquests and trading. With the division of the Islamic world into Shi'ite and Sunni factions, note remarkable advances in navigation, naval technology, and the upsurge in both piracy and slave trading in the Mediterranean.

36 min
Crusading across the Mediterranean, 1095–1291

16: Crusading across the Mediterranean, 1095–1291

Travel into the era of the Crusades: religious wars launched by European Christians, aimed at claiming the Holy Land for Christendom. Examine the shifting balance of power which triggered the wars, with Crusaders initially taking Jerusalem and creating Christian states around the region. Across two centuries of the conflicts, grasp how factors of time, travel, and commerce shaped their outcome.

38 min
The Venetians Rule the Waves, 828–1400

17: The Venetians Rule the Waves, 828–1400

The sea empire of the Venetians is a notable piece of Mediterranean history. Take stock of Venice's great wealth, built through centuries of domination of oceanic trade routes. Underlying their maritime power, learn about the Venetians' vast shipbuilding, network of strategic ports, their innovative use of guns, the compass, and nautical charts, and their rivalry with Genoa for trade supremacy.

33 min
Guns and Galleons, 1320–1650

18: Guns and Galleons, 1320–1650

From the 14th century onward, new weapons and ships dramatically changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean. Follow the early technology and adoption of gunpowder and cannons, as they impacted the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the emirate of Granada. Learn about the transition to fully rigged ships, facilitating trade, long sea voyages, and--with firepower--transforming naval warfare.

31 min
Muslims and Christians Fight for the Sea, 1500–1650

19: Muslims and Christians Fight for the Sea, 1500–1650

Events in the 16th-century Mediterranean reflected religious conflicts playing out across Europe. Track the dominance of the Ottomans in the eastern Mediterranean, as the Christian Knights Hospitaller patrolled the western regions. Follow the dramatic unfolding of the Battle of Lepanto, with Christian forces arrayed against the Turks, and take account of the era's major escalation of piracy.

31 min
The Age of Sail and Global Trade, 1650–1816

20: The Age of Sail and Global Trade, 1650–1816

Relive the great era of sailing ships, as it unfolded in the Mediterranean world. Begin with the ships themselves; the galleons, battle-ready "ships of the line," and support vessels. Visualize life aboard the ships, and its many hardships. Then witness the era's struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean, with powers from Britain, Russia, and America to Napoleonic France vying for trade routes.

34 min
Steam Power Transforms Land and Sea, 1807–1900

21: Steam Power Transforms Land and Sea, 1807–1900

Trace the evolution of steam technology, from steam-powered boats to ocean-going steamships. Note how steam and metal-hulled ships dramatically sped travel and communication, and revolutionized naval warfare. Mark the spread of colonialism, as the British, French, and Italians claimed regions of the Mediterranean, and the building of the Suez Canal, making the Mediterranean simply a passageway to the East.

31 min
Technology, Nationalism, and War, 1900–1929

22: Technology, Nationalism, and War, 1900–1929

In the early 20th century, see how a global race for naval dominance played out in the Mediterranean, aided by oil propulsion, "big gun" battleships, and submarines. In World War I, follow the conflicts in the Adriatic, the Turkish coast, and the Levant, and the critical battles between the Allies and the Ottomans. Grasp the role of the war in the rise of nationalism across Europe and beyond.

33 min
World War II and Ever-Faster Travel, 1930–1960

23: World War II and Ever-Faster Travel, 1930–1960

Observe how increased speed of travel, by sea, land, and air, changed human perceptions of time and space. With ever more lethal weaponry, chart the events of World War II in the Mediterranean, in key battles at Gibraltar, Malta, and the Allied naval campaigns in North Africa and France. In the war's aftermath, mark the creation of Israel, the race for oil, and the beginnings of the Cold War.

32 min
Tourism and the Modern Mediterranean, 1960–Present

24: Tourism and the Modern Mediterranean, 1960–Present

Conclude with a look at one of the Mediterranean's newer roles, as host to travelers from around the world. Learn about the ways in which Mediterranean countries have developed tourism on a grand scale, and the region's draws for travelers, from sun, surf, and food to treasures of history and culture. Reflect on both the benefits and the environmental challenges brought by mass travel.

38 min

Overview Course No. 30760

For millennia, the Mediterranean Sea has been a global crossroads, carrying people, goods, ideas, beliefs, and conflicts across the waters. Great empires have fought to control it, great adventurers have made their fortunes on it, and great legends have been told about it.

In the 24 immersive lectures of The Story of the Mediterranean World, Professor Salisbury takes you deeply into the history, the culture, and the breathtaking human drama of a unique and pivotal region of our planet, as you explore core moments such as:

  • Stone Age Origins. Explore the dramatic movement of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens as they transform the Mediterranean world. Admire their artistic and architectural achievements as they explore the spiritual world.
  • Glories of The Bronze Age. Trace the remarkable history of Bronze Age shipbuilding and maritime trade; and encounter the remarkable societies and achievements the Minoans and the Myceneans.
  • The Juggernaut of Rome. Witness how the Romans parlayed their brilliant military skill to dominate the entire Mediterranean Sea; and discover how they administered what became a vast and resplendent empire.
  • Muslim Conquests, Learning, and Trade. Witness the military campaigns that brought the eastern and southern Mediterranean under Muslim rule; and visualize the spectrum of Muslim trading, navigation, and naval warfare.
  • The Venetian and Ottoman Empires. Encounter the Venetians, whose navigational genius built a major maritime trading kingdom; and the Ottoman Empire, which ruled large tracts of Mediterranean lands from the 14th century to World War I.
  • The Age of Sail. Travel into the epoch of great sailing ships and track the evolution of fully rigged vessels, galleons for trade, and fully armed warships, as a range of European powers fought for political and trade supremacy in Mediterranean waters.
  • Colonialism and the World at War. In the modern era, mark the role of the Mediterranean in colonialism, as Britain, France, and Italy claimed lands within the region, and as a vital theater of conflict in both world wars.

In The Great Courses’ The Story of the Mediterranean World, you’ll relive the fabulous history of a critical crossroads of human civilization.

About

Joyce E. Salisbury
Joyce E. Salisbury

When dealing with human beings, nothing is simple or predictable, and these are the kinds of wonderful contradictions that have kept me engaged for so long.

INSTITUTION

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay

Joyce E. Salisbury is a Professor Emerita of Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. She earned her PhD in Medieval History at Rutgers University. She is the author or coauthor of more than 10 books, including The First Christian Communities, 32–380 CE and Acequias of Albuquerque. A popular speaker, she has been featured on National Public Radio and HISTORY and has lectured all over the world, including throughout the Mediterranean.

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