From the era of the early cultivators to the conquests of Alexander the Great
From the beginning of history up to the conquests of Alexander the Great, continuous and rapid development of civilization occurred in the valleys of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile Rivers, as well as on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Each of these regions has its own particular historical context, and each would be worthy of its own detailed description. But the regions were also closely linked together and unified by extensive trade and military ventures, and by the transfer of technology that came with them.
The historical period of Part I of this book ends in the era of Alexander the Great, whose conquests marked the end of a civilization in the Orient.
To understand this period, one must keep in mind that it includes the Bronze Age, from the IVth millennium BC to the end of the IInd millennium BC, and the transition to the Iron Age. In some areas, such as Egypt, this transition occurred smoothly and continuously. In other areas, such as Greece, the transition represented profound ruptures with the past.
