The term thalassocracy (from the Greek Θαλασσο-κρατία) refers to a state with primarily maritime realms—an empire at sea, such as the Phoenician network of merchant cities. Traditional thalassocracies seldom dominate interiors, even in their home territories (for example: Tyre, Sidon, or Carthage). Distinguish this traditional sense of thalassocracy from an "empire," where the state's territories, though possibly linked principally or solely by the sea lanes, generally extend into mainland interiors. A state is an organized political community, occupying a territory, and possessing internal and external sovereignty, that enforces a monopoly on the use of force. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sunset at sea Look up Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up maritime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plains of what are now Lebanon and Syria. ... For a wheel tyre, see the article under the US English spelling of the word, tire. ... Sidon, Zidon or Saida, (Arabic صيدا á¹¢aydā is the third-largest city in Lebanon. ... A map of the central Mediterranean Sea, showing the location of Carthage (near modern Tunis). ... A sea lane is regularly used route for ocean-going vessels. ...

The term can also simply refer to naval supremacy, in either military or commercial senses of the word "supremacy." A Navy is the branch of a countrys military forces principally designated for naval warfare, namely maritime or ocean-borne combat operations and other functions. ...

The word thalassocracy itself, deriving from the Greek thalassokratiā—thalassa meaning "sea," and kratiā meaning "rule" or "government"—first occurred amongst the ancient Greeks describing the government of the Minoan civilization, whose power depended on its navy. Herodotus spoke of the need to counter the Phoenician thalassocracy by developing a Greek "empire of the sea." In Greek mythology, Thalassa (sea) was a primordial sea goddess, daughter of Aether and Hemera. ... Ancient Greece – an Indo-European culture spanning much of the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins and lasting for close to a millennium, until the rise of the Roman Empire, is considered by most historians to be the foundational culture of Western Civilization. ... Fresco of a Minoan fisherman from Akrotiri The Minoans were a pre-Hellenic Bronze Age civilization in Crete in the Aegean Sea, flourishing from approximately 2600 to 1450 BC when their culture was superseded by the Mycenaean culture, which drew upon the Minoans. ... The multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) The British Grand Fleet, the supreme naval force of WW1 A rare occurrence of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... Bust of Herodotus at Naples Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: , Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ...

Examples

There are many ancient examples besides those mentioned above, such as the Sea Peoples and the Delian League. Asides from these, which were empire based primarily on naval power and control of waterways and not on any land possessions, the Middle Ages saw its fair share of thalassocracies, often land-based empires which controlled the sea. Among the most famous is the Republic of Venice, conventionally divided in the fifteenth century into the Dogado of Venice and the Lagoon, the Terrafirma of Venetian holdings in northern Italy, and the Mar of the Venetian outlands bound by the sea. Near-contemporaneously, the Dubrovnik Republic can be seen as a "thalassocracy," a protégé of Venice. Sea Peoples is the term used for a mysterious confederacy of ship-faring raiders who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, invaded Cyprus, Hatti and the Levant, and attempted to enter Egyptian territory during the late 19th dynasty, and especially year 8 of Rameses III of the 20th... The Delian League was an association of Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. It was led by Athens. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Most Serene Republic of Venice (Venetian: Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta; Italian: ) was a Venetian city-state in Northeastern Italy, based around the city of Venice. ... The Republic of Dubrovnik, also known as the Republic of Ragusa, was a maritime city-state that was based in the city of Dubrovnik from the 14th century until 1808. ...

The Dark Ages (c.500–c.1000) saw much of the coastal cities of the Mezzogiorno develop into minor thalassocracies whose chief powers lay in their ports and their ability to sail navies to the defend friendly coasts and ravage enemy ones. These include the variously Greek, Lombard, and Saracen duchies of Gaeta, Naples, Salerno, Amalfi, Bari, and Sorrento. Later, northern Italy developed its own trade empires based on its navies in Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Ragusa (today Dubrovnik) Petrarch, who conceived the idea of a European Dark Age. From Cycle of Famous Men and Women, Andrea di Bartolo di Bargillac, c. ... Events Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 510) Note: This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur. ... // Events World Population 300 million. ... The Mezzogiorno or Southern Italy is the area of Italy south of Rome. ... Gaeta (ancient Latin name Caieta) is a city in Province of Latina, in Lazio, Italy. ... Naples panorama Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Nàpule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. ... Map of Italy showing Salerrno southeast of Naples Salerno is a town and a province capital in Campania, south-western Italy, located on the gulf of the same name on the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... The Amalfi coast. ... Location within Italy Bari is the capital of the province of Bari and of the Apulia (or Puglia) region, on the Adriatic sea, in Italy. ... Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns: Sorrento,_Italy Sorrento,_Florida, United States of America Sorrento, suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Sorrento, suburb of Perth, Western Australia, Australia Sorrento, Hong Kong, the largest residential development on Kowloon Station This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ... Location within Italy Christopher Columbus monument in Piazza Aquaverde Genoa (Italian Genova, Genoese Zena, French Gênes, German Genua, Spanish Génova, Galician Xénova) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. ... Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... Ragusa can refer to: The city of Ragusa in Sicily, Italy. ... County Dubrovnik–Neretva Area 14 335 km² Location Population 43,770 Mayor Dubravka Å uica Official website www. ...

It was with the modern age, the Age of Exploration, that some of the most remarkable thalassocracies emerged. Anchored in their European territories, several nations establish colonial empires held together by naval supremacy. First among them was the Portuguese Empire, followed soon by the Spanish Empire, which was challenged by the Dutch Empire, itself replaced on the high seas by the British Empire, whose landed possessions were immense and held together by the greatest navy of its time (a long time). With naval arms races (especially between Germany and Britain) and the end of colonialism and the granting of independence to these colonies, thalassocracies, which had controlled the world's oceans for centuries, ceased to be. The so-called Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century, during which European ships were traveled around the world to search for new trading routes and partners to feed burgeoning capitalism in Europe. ... History of Portugal series Prehistoric Portugal Pre-Roman Portugal Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia Visigoths and Suevi Moorish rule and Reconquista First County of Portugal Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal Second County of Portugal Establishment of the Monarchy Consolidation of the Monarchy 1383–1385 Crisis Discoveries Portuguese Empire 1580 Crisis Iberian... The Spanish Empire was one of the first truly global empires. ... A map showing the territory that the Netherlands held at various points in history. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in red, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Others

• Carthage
• Byzantine Empire, for much of its decline it was a maritime power, dwindling on land
• Kingdom of Majorca and Crown of Aragón
• Hanseatic League
• Swedish Empire
• Srivijaya

A map of the central Mediterranean Sea, showing the location of Carthage (near modern Tunis). ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: ), is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Majorca Kings Palace at Perpinyà The Kingdom of Majorca (also Kingdom of Mallorca) was created by James I of Aragon (Jaume I, The Conqueror) as a vassal kingdom of the Kingdom of Aragon. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Muslim Conquest of Iberia Timeline of Muslim Occupation Medieval Spain Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History... Carta marina of Baltic Sea (1539). ... Sweden between the years 1611 and 1718 is known as the Swedish Empire. ... Srivijaya (200s-1400) was an ancient Malay kingdom on the island of Sumatra which influenced much of the Malay Archipelago. ...

External links

• The Fragility of Thalassocracy, Pericles to Heinlein.