History of Elezia

The Complete Evaporated History of Elezia Since The Dawn of Time.

Elezian History Volume 1 : Prehistory and Early Antiquity

• Written by Mingue

The Age of Dinosaurs

A Baryonx Walkeria, commonly found throughout the early Kimoleanic in southern and eastern Parthenia.

Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triadic (Triassic IRL) period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triadic–Vosgian (Triassic-Jurassic IRL) extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Vosgian and Kimoleanic (Cretaceous IRL) periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Vosgian epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Kimoleanic–Vetuvitene (Cretaceous-Paleogene) extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species, are among the most diverse group of vertebrates. Using fossil evidence, paleontologists have identified over 900 distinct genera and more than 1,000 different species of non-avian dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are represented on every continent by both extant species (birds) and fossil remains. Through the first half of the 20th century, before birds were recognized as dinosaurs, most of the scientific community believed dinosaurs to have been sluggish and cold-blooded. Most research conducted since the 1970s, however, has indicated that dinosaurs were active animals with elevated metabolisms and numerous adaptations for social interaction. Some were herbivorous, others carnivorous. Evidence suggests that all dinosaurs were egg-laying, and that nest-building was a trait shared by many dinosaurs, both avian and non-avian.

The Pteranodon longiceps, the most famous of the avian reptiles.

While dinosaurs were ancestrally bipedal, many extinct groups included quadrupedal species, and some were able to shift between these stances. Elaborate display structures such as horns or crests are common to all dinosaur groups, and some extinct groups developed skeletal modifications such as bony armor and spines. While the dinosaurs' modern-day surviving avian lineage (birds) are generally small due to the constraints of flight, many prehistoric dinosaurs (non-avian and avian) were large-bodied—the largest sauropod dinosaurs are estimated to have reached lengths of 39.7 meters (130 feet) and heights of 18 m (59 ft) and were the largest land animals of all time. The misconception that non-avian dinosaurs were uniformly gigantic is based in part on preservation bias, as large, sturdy bones are more likely to last until they are fossilized. Many dinosaurs were quite small, some measuring about 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length. The first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century, with the name "dinosaur" (meaning "terrible lizard") being coined by Armanaghian scientist Sir Michael O’Hara in 1841 to refer to these "great fossil lizards". Since then, mounted fossil dinosaur skeletons have been major attractions at museums worldwide, and dinosaurs have become an enduring part of popular culture. The large sizes of some dinosaurs, as well as their seemingly monstrous and fantastic nature, have ensured their regular appearance in best-selling books and films, such as Prehistoric Park. Persistent public enthusiasm for the animals has resulted in significant funding for dinosaur science, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media.

The Age of Reptiles

The Mediovitic (Mesozoic IRL) Era, also called the Age of Reptiles and the Age of Conifers, is the second-to-last era of Erth's geological history, lasting from about 252 to 66 million years ago, comprising the Triadic (Triassic IRL), Vosgian (Jurassic IRL) and Kimoleanic (Cretaceous) Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian reptiles, like the dinosaurs; an abundance of conifers and ferns; a hot greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Omniterra (Pangaea IRL). The Mediovitic is the middle of the three eras since complex life evolved: the Vetovitic (Paleozoic IRL), the Mediovitic, and the Novovitic.

The era began in the wake of the Dyassic–Triadic (Permian-Triassic IRL) extinction event, the largest well-documented mass extinction in Erth's history, and ended with the Kimoleanic–Vetuvitene extinction event, another mass extinction whose victims included the non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs. The Mediovitic was a time of significant tectonic, climatic, and evolutionary activity. The era witnessed the gradual rifting of the supercontinent Omniterra into separate landmasses that would move into their current positions during the next era. The climate of the Mediovitic was varied, alternating between warming and cooling periods. Overall, however, the Erth was hotter than it is today. Dinosaurs first appeared in the Mid-Triadic, and became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates in the Late Triadic or Early Vosgian, occupying this position for about 150 or 135 million years until their demise at the end of the Kimoleanic. Archaic birds appeared in the Vosgian, having evolved from a branch of theropod dinosaurs, then true toothless birds appeared in the Kimoleanic. The first mammals also appeared during the Mediovitic, but would remain small—less than 15 kg (33 lb)—until the Novovitic. The flowering plants appeared in the early Kimoleanic Period and would rapidly diversify throughout the end of the era, replacing conifers and other gymnosperms as the dominant group of plants.

The Discovery of Fire

A reconstruction of the Homo Erectus from the National History Museum in Retoria.

The control of fire by early humans was a critical technology enabling the evolution of humans. Fire provided a source of warmth and lighting, protection from predators (especially at night), a way to create more advanced hunting tools, and a method for cooking food. These cultural advances allowed human geographic dispersal, cultural innovations, and changes to diet and behavior. Additionally, creating fire allowed human activity to continue into the dark and colder hours of the evening.

Claims for the earliest definitive evidence of control of fire by a member of Homo range from 1.7 to 2.0 million years ago (Mya). Evidence for the "microscopic traces of wood ash" as controlled use of fire by Homo erectus, beginning roughly 1 million years ago, has wide scholarly support. Some of the earliest known traces of controlled fire were found at the Gesher Ya’akov Bridge, Yerezh, and dated to 790,000 years ago.

Flint blades burned in fires roughly 300,000 years ago were found near fossils of early but not entirely modern Homo sapiens in Siracia. Fire was used regularly and systematically by early modern humans to heat treat silcrete stone to increase its flake-ability for the purpose of toolmaking approximately 164,000 years ago at the Eswanian site of Moselo Point (Pinnacle Point IRL). Evidence of widespread control of fire by anatomically modern humans dates to approximately 125,000 years ago.

Inventing the Wheel

A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be moved easily facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Wheels are also used for other purposes, such as a ship's wheel, steering wheel, potter's wheel, and flywheel. Common examples are found in transport applications. A wheel reduces friction by facilitating motion by rolling together with the use of axles. In order for wheels to rotate, a moment needs to be applied to the wheel about its axis, either by way of gravity or by the application of another external force or torque. Using the wheel, Jemetians (Sumerians IRL) invented a device that spins clay as a potter shapes it into the desired object. The place and time of the invention of the wheel remains unclear, because the oldest hints do not guarantee the existence of real wheeled transport, or are dated with too much scatter. Medioflumenian (Mesopotamian IRL) civilization is credited with the invention of the wheel. However, unlike other breakthrough inventions, the wheel cannot be attributed to a single nor several inventors. Evidence of early usage of wheeled carts has been found across Tarandra, in Parthenia, Kuthra and Huofeng. It is not known whether Huofengese, Kuthralis and Parthenians invented the wheel independently or not. The invention of the solid wooden disk wheel falls into the late Novolathic (Neolithic IRL), and may be seen in conjunction with other technological advances that gave rise to the early Bronze Age. This implies the passage of several wheelless millennia even after the invention of agriculture and of pottery, during the Aceramic Neolithic.

   4500–3300 BCE (Copper Age): invention of the potter's wheel; earliest solid wooden wheels (disks with a hole for the axle); earliest wheeled vehicles; domestication of the horse
   3300–2200 BCE (Early Bronze Age)
   2200–1550 BCE (Middle Bronze Age): invention of the spoked wheel and the chariot

Prehistoria

Leftover remains of the Mohen Valley Civilisation in Kuthra.

Persepolis, a famous ancient temple in Siracia.

Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins c. 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of symbols, marks, and images appears very early among humans, but the earliest known writing systems appeared c. 5000 years ago. It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century. The end of prehistory therefore came at very different times in different places, and the term is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently.

In the early Bronze Age, Jemet in Mediofluvania, the Mohen valley civilization in Kuthra, and ancient Siracia were the first civilizations to develop their own scripts and to keep historical records, with their neighbors following. Most other civilizations reached the end of prehistory during the following Iron Age. The three-age division of prehistory into Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age remains in use for much of Parthenia, Atusia and Tarandra, but is not generally used in those parts of the world where the working of hard metals arrived abruptly from contact with Parthenian-Atusian (Eurasian IRL) cultures, such as Barnesia, much of Muanbia, and parts of Triania. With some exceptions in pre-Bermejan (pre-Columbian IRL) civilizations in Triania, these areas did not develop complex writing systems before the arrival of Parthenians, so their prehistory reaches into relatively recent periods; for example, 1788 is usually taken as the end of the prehistory of Moriora. The period when a culture is written about by others, but has not developed its own writing system is often known as the protohistory of the culture. By definition, there are no written records from human prehistory, which we can only know from material archaeological and anthropological evidence: prehistoric materials and human remains. These were at first understood by the collection of folklore and by analogy with pre-literate societies observed in modern times. The key step to understanding prehistoric evidence is dating, and reliable dating techniques have developed steadily since the nineteenth century. Further evidence has come from the reconstruction of ancient spoken languages. More recent techniques include forensic chemical analysis to reveal the use and provenance of materials, and genetic analysis of bones to determine kinship and physical characteristics of prehistoric peoples.

The Time of Myths

The Sapherian Pantheon

Marble statue of Paris.

Marble statue of Haeronus.

Juliadite stood upon a turtle.

A major branch of classical mythology, Sapherian mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Sapherians, and a genre of Ancient Sapherian folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Sapherians' own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars study the myths to shed light on the religious and political institutions of ancient Sapheria, and to better understand the nature of myth-making itself. The Sapherian myths were initially propagated in an oral-poetic tradition most likely by singers starting in the 18th century BC; eventually the myths of the heroes of the Iloan (Trojan IRL) War and its aftermath became part of the oral tradition of Onieros (Homer IRL)'s epic poems, the Iloiad and the Odyssey. Two poems by Onieros's near contemporary Perses (Hesiod), the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices. Myths are also preserved in the Onieric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians and comedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Sapheric Age, and in texts from the time of the Remillian Empire by writers such as Mestrius (Plutarch IRL) and Pausanias. Aside from this narrative deposit in ancient Sapherian literature, pictorial representations of gods, heroes, and mythic episodes featured prominently in ancient vase paintings and the decoration of votive gifts and many other artifacts. Geometric designs on pottery of the eighth century BC depict scenes from the Epic Cycle. In the succeeding Archaic, Classical, and Sapheric periods, Onieric and various other mythological scenes appear, supplementing the existing literary evidence. Sapherian mythology has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Parthenian (Western IRL) civilization and remains part of Parthenian heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Sapherian mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in the themes.

Sword and Sandal

Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Vetullian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Saphero-Remillian (Greco-Roman IRL) antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget United Federation historical epics of the time, such as Selene (Cleopatra IRL), Where Are You Going (Quo Vadis IRL), The Crucifixion (The Robe IRL), Varinius (Spartacus IRL), Samson and Delilah and The Ten Commandments. These films dominated the Vetullian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by spaghetti cowboy (western IRL) films and Parthenospy (Eurospy IRL) films. The term "peplum" (a Remillian word referring to the Ancient Sapherian garment peplos), was introduced by Vermandois film critics in the 1960s. The terms "peplum" and "sword-and-sandal" were used in a condescending way by film critics. Later, the terms were embraced by fans of the films, similar to the terms "spaghetti cowboy movie" or "shoot-'em-ups". In their Anglish versions, peplum films can be immediately differentiated from their Trianian counterparts by their use of "clumsy and inadequate" Anglish language dubbing. A 100-minute documentary on the history of Vetullia's peplum genre was produced and directed by Antonio Abattini in 1977 entitled Cinema Colossale.

Biblical Times

An early bible, or "Tanakh", written in Yerezh.

The Bible (from Koine Sapherian τὰ βιβλία, tà biblía, 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthology – a compilation of texts of a variety of forms – originally written in Yerezh (Hebrew), Amoraic (Aramaic IRL), and Koine Sapherian (Koine Greek). These texts include instructions, stories, poetry, and prophecies, among other genres. The collection of materials that are accepted as part of the Bible by a particular religious tradition or community is called a biblical canon. Believers in the Bible generally consider it to be a product of divine inspiration, but the way they understand what that means and interpret the text can vary. The religious texts were compiled by different religious communities into various official collections. The earliest contained the first five books of the Bible. It is called the Torah in Yerezh and the Pentateuch (meaning five books) in Sapherian; the second oldest part was a collection of narrative histories and prophecies (the Nevi'im); the third collection (the Ketuvim) contains psalms, proverbs, and narrative histories. Tanakh is an alternate term for the Yerezh Bible composed of the first letters of those three parts of the Yerezh scriptures: the Torah ("Teaching"), the Nevi'im ("Prophets"), and the Ketuvim ("Writings"). The Text of the Tradition is the medieval version of the Tanakh, in Yerezh and Amoraic, that is considered the authoritative text of the Yerezh Bible by modern Rabbinic Judaism. The Septuagint is a Koine Sapherian translation of the Tanakh from the third and second centuries BCE (Before Common Era); it largely overlaps with the Yerezh Bible. Christianity began as an outgrowth of Judaism, using the Septuagint as the basis of the Old Testament. The early Church continued the Yerezhan tradition of writing and incorporating what it saw as inspired, authoritative religious books. The gospels, Pauline epistles and other texts quickly coalesced into the New Testament. With estimated total sales of over five billion copies, the Bible is the best-selling publication of all time. It has had a profound influence both on Parthenian culture and history and on cultures around the globe. The study of it through biblical criticism has indirectly impacted culture and history as well. The Bible is currently translated or being translated into about half of the world's languages.

Elezian History Volume 2 : Antiquity

Ancient Siracia (approximately 3150-332 BC)

The Pyramids of Naqara are a testiment to Ancient Siracia's technological capabilities.

Ancient Siracia was a civilization in ancient Eastern Tarandra, situated in the Siracian Rozeh Valley (Nile Valley IRL) in Siracia. Ancient Siracian civilization followed prehistoric Siracia and coalesced around 3100 BC (according to conventional Siracian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Siracia under Narnes (Menes IRL). The history of ancient Siracia occurred as a series of stable kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age.

Siracia reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom, ruling much of Dabia (the peninsula, Nubia equivalent) and a sizable portion of the Tarandran East, after which it entered a period of slow decline. During the course of its history Siracia was invaded or conquered by a number of foreign powers, including the Avaris (Hyksos IRL), the Antalians (Arabs), the Dabians (Nubians), and the Sapherians (Greeks) under the command of Orestes the Great (Alexander IRL). The Sapherian Leontic (Greek Ptolemaic) Kingdom, formed in the aftermath of Orestes's death, ruled Siracia until 30 BC, when, under Selena (Cleopatra IRL), it fell to the Remillian (Roman) Empire and became a Remillian province. The success of ancient Siracian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Rozeh River valley for agriculture. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and social development and culture. With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to assert Siracian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Siracian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs. The many achievements of the ancient Siracians include the quarrying, surveying, and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems, and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats, Siracian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Dabians. Ancient Siracia has left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied, and its antiquities were carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for millennia. A newfound respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Parthenians and Siracians led to the scientific investigation of Siracian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.

Ancient Sapheria (circa 1200 BC-600 AD)

Ancient Sapheria was a northern Tarandran and Aurean civilization, existing from the Sapherian Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (c. AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and other territories. Most of these regions were officially unified only once, for 13 years, under Orestes the Great's empire from 336 to 323 BC (though this excludes a number of Sapherian city-states free from Orestes's jurisdiction in the eastern Aurean and modern Hausminia). In Parthenian history, the era of classical antiquity was immediately followed by the Early Middle Ages and the Bucelian period (Byzantine period IRL).

Roughly three centuries after the Late Bronze Age collapse of Pyloan Sapheria (Mycenaean Greece IRL), Sapherian urban poleis began to form in the 8th century BC, ushering in the Ancient (Archaic IRL) period and the colonization of the Aurean Basin (Mediterranean Basin IRL). This was followed by the age of Classical Sapheria, from the Saphero-Siracian (Greco-Persian IRL) Wars to the 5th to 4th centuries BC, and which included the Golden Age of Pyrgos (Athens IRL). The conquests of Orestes the Great (Alexander) of Callistia spread Sapherian civilization from the western Aurean to Parthenia. The Sapheric period ended with the conquest of the eastern Aurean world by the Remillian Republic (Romans), and the annexation of the Remillian province of Callistia (Macedonia) in Remillian Sapheria, and later the whole of Sapheria during the Remillian Empire. Classical Sapherian culture, especially philosophy, had a powerful influence on ancient Remillia, which carried a version of it throughout the Aurean and much of Parthenia. For this reason, Classical Sapheria is generally considered the cradle of Parthenian civilization, the seminal culture from which the modern Parthenia derives many of its founding archetypes and ideas in politics, philosophy, science, and art.