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One would think a shift to larger, less expensive armies would favor established, reasonably centralized states that could muster large, local populations over
by jjk166 2y ago
One would think a shift to larger, less expensive armies would favor established, reasonably centralized states that could muster large, local populations over small forces of foreigners.
- pfdietz 2y agoOr it would encourage suppressed populations to arm themselves to exploit the now relatively weakened condition of the elites.
- jjk166 2y agoBut we don't see armed rebellions of native populations against the local elites, we see foreign forces attacking with the native population (generally unsuccessfully) resisting the invaders. While undoubtedly there were internal power struggles that contributed to the larger collapse, the sea peoples are not explained by a military shift to larger armies.
- pfdietz 2y agoI don't think the evidence is enough to conclude foreign forces were involved, at least in most cases (for Egypt, sure). And the exceptions could just be that once the local mobs finished off the local elites, they coalesced and moved to other targets.