TRIBES

The story of Native American resistance to colonisation is a tragic one. Being behind in technology, having no immunity to smallpox, opposed by 4(!) Empires (Spanish, Dutch, French, British). Did they stand a chance? As a matter of fact they did. They had the numbers and I can't believe they were afraid of horses. Dozens of muskets and few cannons couldn't have caused much trouble even in 1600+. The threat was global and obvious, they had enough time to figure that out. Yet it's another "too little too late" story: St. Clair's defeat ... 1791 ... U.S. Army ... largest defeat ever by Native Americans ... 1,000 warriors ... 1,000 Americans.

What if they amassed at least 20,000 warriors in 1600+ like Zulu in 1879? They never did it, because tribal hunter-gatherers can't form a stable union. Their "economy" implies low population density, regular migrations and tribal conflicts. Zulus were able to form a kingdom because they practiced agriculture (they still lost, but to a British Empire of 1879).

Historians tell us that Ancient Greeks also couldn't unite against Persian Empire. Too much democracy, they say. Well, Native Americans had exactly same problem. 300 Spartans + 700 Thespians? Sounds realistic: do not recognize themselves as a united group, but rather as individuals associated with their politically autonomous villages ... Headmen gain political power by demonstrating skill in settling disputes both within the village and with neighboring communities. A consensus of mature males is usually required for action that involves the community ... usually contain between 50 and 400 people ... use slash-and-burn horticulture, grow bananas, gather fruit, and hunt animals and fish. Crops compose up to 75% of the calories. There is no reason to believe that naked Greeks from the "antique" (Byzantine) vases were much more advanced than this Amazonian tribe when Persians discovered them. Persians were at the Zulu Kingdom level already.

Now we can map Macedonian dynasty (867–1056) Emperor Alexander (870-913) to a myth of Great Alexander, which describes formation of Zulu-style kingdom and challenging the British Persian Empire. Alexander was born 124 years after the "300" story. That means Persians defeated 300 Spartans and burned Athens somewhere around 750. This also matches establishment of Temple of Vesta in Rome Church of the Virgin of the Pharos in Byzantium (also 700+). Persians marked the new Greek capital and destroyed all nearby alternatives. They created their worst enemy - Roman Byzantine Empire.