Lost in Spades

When was the last time a coalition of medium-size nations came together to address a regional security problem, as Saudi Arabia and other nations are doing in Yemen, without boundaries being set for them by a geopolitical hegemon? A world without a hegemon  

A Fourth Kingdom — The Terrible Beast Legend Beginning as a small eighth century BCE Italian town on the Tiber, Rome comes to dominate the Mediterranean, continental Europe and Britain. Yet, the Eternal City's — that sits on seven hills — days may be numbered.     Ancestor twins of a fleeing Trojan prince who ultimately fought and conquered the Etruscans, Romulus and Remus then duelled for the rights to the city’s name. In the end, as is oft the case, siblicide won out ca. 753 BCE. Republic   The dynasty runs through seven kingships before a populous uprising leads to the formation of a representative ruling Senate — in contrast to the hitherto advisory body to the king — and a Republic ( res publica : “matters of the state”) is born. The Senate appoints a consul who rule for a year at a time. Societal structure is four-fold — owned slaves , free but relatively powerless plebeians , wealthy equestrians (knights), and ...

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. Human-headed winged lion (lamassu), 883-­859 B.C. Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Babylonia: 1894-1750 BCE * Neo-Babylonia (Chaldean Dynasty): 612-539 BCE *The first period of Babylonian rule is often used more loosely to refer to the entire culture that developed in the area from the time it was first settled, circa 4000 BCE, thus covering the expa...