Summary: In this episode, we discuss the Trojan War myth; the historical evidence for Mycenaean conflict in Anatolia; the Bronze Age collapse in both Greece and the Near East; and the so-called "Dorian Invasion" southwards into Greece ca. 1430 BC - An anti-Hittite uprising, supported by the Ahhiyawans, forced the Hittites to put down two different rebellions in northwestern Anatolia ca. 1400 BC - An Ahhiyawan warlord, named Attarsiya (Atreus?), attacked Hittite vassals in western Anatolia before being defeated by the Hittites ca. 1315 BC - Another anti-Hittite uprising, with the support of the Ahhiyawans, forced the Hittites to take military action in western Anatolia ca. 1300 BC - Troy VI is destroyed by an earthquake ca. 1295 BC - Wilusa (Troy) is attacked by a Hittite vassal king, named Piyama-Radu (Priam?) ca. 1280 BC - Alaksandsus (Alexander/Paris?), the king of Wilusa (Troy) signs a treaty with the Hittite king, Muwatalli II, pledging military support to any campaigns that the Hittites should enter 1274 BC - The Wilusans (Trojans) fought alongside Muwatalli II and the Hittites against Rameses II and the Egyptians in the battle of Kadesh ca. 1250 BC - Another anti-Hittite movement broke out and was supported by the king of Ahhiyawa, resulting in Wilusa being ravaged (Trojan War?) ca. 1250-1190 BC - Troy VIIa was destroyed by fire ca. 1250 BC - various cities repelled invaders from the north, but heavy damage was done, leading to an increase in defensive fortifications ca. 1230 BC - the power of the Hittites began to wane under Tudhaliya IV, after they were defeated by the Assyrians in the Battle of Nihriya ca. 1210 BC - the Hittite king, Suppiluliuma II, had to fight off an invasion fleet coming from the direction of Cyprus using Levantine ships, including a naval battle against Alashiya off the coast of Cyprus 1207 BC - the Egyptian pharaoh, Merneptah, pushes out the so-called "Sea Peoples" from the Nile Delta 1205 BC - the Hittite capital of Hattusa was sacked and destroyed, probably by the proto-Phrygians (an Indo-European tribe from Thrace) ca. 1200 BC - Pylos was destroyed by fire ca. 1190-1180 BC - The fortresses of Mycenae and Tiryns were felled by an earthquake, both were able to recover but were weakened ca. 1190 BC - Various Syrian and Canaanite cities were sacked by the Sea Peoples, notably Ugarit 1181 BC - the Egyptian pharaoh, Rameses III, pushes out the Sea Peoples again 1177 BC - Rameses III pushes out the Sea Peoples for a third time from the Nile Delta, but in the process Egyptian power was severely weakened ca. 1150 BC - Mycenae was attacked for a second time from the north, but this time it did not recover
