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Research suggests our ancestors traveled the oceans 70,000 years ago
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I, THE SEA TRAMP

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Bianca
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« on: March 09, 2009, 09:10:55 pm »












I labor in seas frothed by the ambitions of very powerful men. Almost 20 years ago the boy-king who conquered Persia suddenly died and left his empire sprawled like a meaty carcass among carnivores. Alexander’s salivating generals immediately set upon each other for the prize; the fighting and feasting continue still. The only difference these days is that the wars have spilled into my waters. You see, Alexander had been a lad with no real navy and a novel idea—to win the sea by land. His great victories, all gained on solid ground, rendered the Mediterranean useless to the Persian fleet. Now some of his successors have taken the opposite tack: Win the land by sea. Demetrius, the son of Alexander’s general Antigonus, has just parlayed a naval triumph into a claim of kingship for both himself and his father, even though they have no actual territories to rule. Demetrius thinks his kingdom might come when his will be done at sea. We shall know soon enough if he is right.

Only a few miles from here, Demetrius’s armada has invested my home port of Rhodes, the largest base for merchant vessels in this part of the Mediterranean. Like good businessmen, we Rhodians have tried to remain neutral throughout the wars for Alexander’s empire, but our robust economy has become the envy of all and the objective of ‘King’ Demetrius’s 200 warships. Built for bone-crushing battles using ship-to-ship battering rams and powered by the synchronized muscle of at least 170 oarsmen each, these galleys give me nightmares. Over my years I have watched warships grow bigger and bigger, from the old “threes” throttled by a triple stack of rowers to the “fours,” “fives,” “sixes” and more of a mindless maritime arms race in this post-Alexander world. Any one of those ships could crash right through me without knowing I was there.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2009, 09:11:52 pm by Bianca » Report Spam   Logged

Your mind understands what you have been taught; your heart what is true.


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