1177 B.C.  turning points in ancient history Barry Strauss, Series Editor Turning Points in Ancient History pre sents accessible books, by leading scholars, on crucial events and key moments in the ancient world. The series aims at fresh interpretations of both famous subjects and little- known ones that deserve more attention. The books provide a narrative synthesis that integrates literary and archaeological evidence. 1177 B.C. the year civilization collapsed  revised and UPDATED Eric H. Cline prince ton university press prince ton and oxford Copyright © 2021 by Eric H. Cline Princeton University Press is committed to the protection of copyright and the intellectual property our authors entrust to us. Copyright promotes the progress and integrity of knowledge. Thank you for supporting free speech and the global exchange of ideas by purchasing an authorized edition of this book. If you wish to reproduce or distribute any part of it in any form, please obtain permission. Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to permissions@press . princeton . edu Published by Prince ton University Press 41 William Street, Prince ton, New Jersey 08540 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TR press . princeton . edu All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Cline, Eric H., author. Title: 1177 B.C. : the year civilization collapsed / Eric H. Cline. Other titles: 1177 BC Description: Revised and updated edition. | Prince ton : Prince ton University Press, [2021] | Series: Turning points in ancient history | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2020024530 (print) | LCCN 2020024531 (ebook) | ISBN 9780691208015 (paperback) | ISBN 9780691208022 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Bronze age— Mediterranean Region. | Mediterranean Region— Civilization. | Mediterranean Region— History— To 476. | Sea P eoples. Classification: LCC GN778.25 .C55 2021 (print) | LCC GN778.25 (ebook) | DDC 937— dc23 LC rec ord available at https://l ccn. l oc. g ov/ 2 020024530 LC ebook rec ord available at https://l ccn. l oc. g ov/ 2 020024531 British Library Cataloging- in- Publication Data is available Editorial: Rob Tempio and Matt Rohal Production Editorial: Lauren Lepow Text and Cover Design: Leslie Flis Production: Danielle Amatucci Publicity: Tyler Hubbert and Amy Stewart Cover art: Kerstiaen de Keuninck (Coninck). Fire of Troy. Oil on panel. 58.3 × 84.8 cm. Inv. no. GE-6780. Courtesy of The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Photo graph © The State Hermitage Museum / photo by Vladimir Terebenin, Leonard Kheifets, Yuri Molodkovets. This book has been composed in Minion Pro with Trajan display Printed on acid- free paper. ∞ Printed in the United States of Amer i ca 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Dedicated to James D. Muhly, who has been debating t hese issues, and introducing them to his students, for nearly half a century  BBllaacckk SSeeaa CC aa ss pp ii aa HHelleelslpesopnotnt AAegeegaenan TrToryoy HalysHa lysR iRvievrerHaHtatuttsuasa n nS eSe aa SSeaea AASSI IAA GGREREECEECE LaLkaeke AtAhtehnesns MMI INNOORR PyPloyMlsoMyscTyeicTrnyeiarnnyesanes MMileilteutsus M Mo uo nutnatianisn s VaVnan uruursu Tsa Trasrussus LYLCYICAIA TaTa CaCracrhcehmemishish AlAallaalkahkh MMeeddiitteAegAigaPi TahPr TiahariidsaatiadsotsaosCKrnCKeornteMesotsMesaoslZsaloiaalZslkiaarkoro CyCpyrpursusEnEkBnoykBmboylmbiolsiosUgUagrKaitraKidtaedsehsh EuEpuhMrpahMatreasr at ie sr i RiRveivreArsAssusruTrigrisT iRgriviesr River ZaZgargoros sM Moo rrrraanneeaann SSeeaa MMegeSiTgdBiySidedTdBrioiyoededrrnuoioertnutSeSae aoD faoD Gfma Gamalsaiacllesiueclseues BaBbaybloylnon ELEALAuunSntuSatsuaasianinss BB MM JeJreursuaslaelmem JeJreicrhicoho AA AsAhskhekleolnon DDeaeda dS eSaea BBYY LL LOLOWWERER OONNIAIA EGEGYPYTPT MMememphpihsis SISNINAIAI FAFYAUYUMM PP MMt. St.i nSianiai erer ss A(AkA(mAhkmeahtreaantrtaano)tano)n iaiann GGuullff UUPPPEPRER EGEGYPYTPT ThTehbeebses RR MMinionaonasn-sM-Mycyecneaneaaenasns ee dd HHittititteit eE mEmpipreire SS EKgiEKnygignpydgtpiodatmionam n Eo m Efo mtpfh tiperhei erMe Mitaitnannini NilNei leR ivRierver eaea BaBbayblyolnoinai au nudnedre trh teh eK aKsassisteitses 00 25205 0m mi i 00 25205 0k mkm Frontispiece. Map of the Late Bronze Age civilizations in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. BBllaacckk SSeeaa CC aa ss pp ii aa HHelleelslpesopnotnt AAegeegaenan TrToryoy HalysHa lysR iRvievrerHaHtatuttsuasa n nS eSe aa SSeaea AASSI IAA GGREREECEECE LaLkaeke AtAhtehnesns MMI INNOORR PyPloyMlsoMyscTyeicTrnyeiarnnyesanes MMileilteutsus M Mo uo nutnatianisn s VaVnan uruursu Tsa Trasrussus LYLCYICAIA TaTa CaCracrhcehmemishish AlAallaalkahkh MMeeddiitteAegAigaPi TahPr TiahariidsaatiadsotsaosCKrnCKeornteMesotsMesaoslZsaloiaalZslkiaarkoro CyCpyrpursusEnEkBnoykBmboylmbiolsiosUgUagrKaitraKidtaedsehsh EuEpuhMrpahMatreasr at ie sr i RiRveivreArsAssusruTrigrisT iRgriviesr River ZaZgargoros sM Moo rrrraanneeaann SSeeaa MMegeSiTgdBiySidedTdBrioiyoededrrnuoioertnutSeSae aoD faoD Gfma Gamalsaiacllesiueclseues BaBbaybloylnon ELEALAuunSntuSatsuaasianinss BB MM JeJreursuaslaelmem JeJreicrhicoho AA AsAhskhekleolnon DDeaeda dS eSaea BBYY LL LOLOWWERER OONNIAIA EGEGYPYTPT MMememphpihsis SISNINAIAI FAFYAUYUMM PP MMt. St.i nSianiai erer ss A(AkA(mAhkmeahtreaantrtaano)tano)n iaiann GGuullff UUPPPEPRER EGEGYPYTPT ThTehbeebses RR MMinionaonasn-sM-Mycyecneaneaaenasns ee dd HHittititteit eE mEmpipreire SS EKgiEKnygignpydgtpiodatmionam n Eo m Efo mtpfh tiperhei erMe Mitaitnannini NilNei leR ivRierver eaea BaBbayblyolnoinai au nudnedre trh teh eK aKsassisteitses 00 25205 0m mi i 00 25205 0k mkm R Contents R List of Illustrations xi Series Editor’s Foreword xiii Author’s Preface to the Revised and Updated Edition xv prologue The Collapse of Civilizations: 1177 BC 1 chapter one Act I. Of Arms and the Man: The Fifteenth Century BC 13 chapter two Act II. An (Aegean) Affair to Remember: The Fourteenth Century BC 41 chapter three Act III. Fighting for Gods and Country: The Thirteenth Century BC 69 chapter four Act IV. The End of an Era: The Twelfth Century BC 98 chapter five A “Perfect Storm” of Calamities? 134 chapter six Sea P eoples, Systems Collapse, and Complexity Theory 167 epilogue The Aftermath 181 Acknowl edgments 189 Dramatis Personae 191 Notes 197 Works Cited 223 Index 267