FRANKOPAN2.mp3 - Rise of Cities, Globalization, and Volcanic Effects (Thera and Okmok) Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History After 2200 BC, the rise of cities established long-ran

FRANKOPAN2.mp3 - Rise of Cities, Globalization, and Volcanic Effects (Thera and Okmok) Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History After 2200 BC, the rise of cities established long-range connections across Europe, Africa, and Asia, forming a globalized exchange system. Nomadic peoples were essential vectors for transporting goods, ideas, and technologies like bronze and cereals. Volcanic activity often caused major political consequences. The eruption of Thera may have triggered the variola virus (smallpox), killing millions. More critically, the Okmok eruption (43 BC) devastated the Nile floods essential for Egypt, causing famine and inflationary pressure. This ecological crisis fueled instability against Queen Cleopatra, enabling Octavian (Augustus) to conquer Egypt and establish the Roman Empire.