A Compendium of the Earth, and of the People of the Earth, and of the Wars They Fought

By James Navarra

Since the dawn of mankind, there has been war. And though the cause of each may be different, all have one thing in commonthe quest for power of one man or group over another. Explore the entire history of human warfare from the very beginning of humanity to modern times and beyond and witness a lust for power that has not diminished with age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Aug 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982209902

James Navarra

James Navarra contributed to his high school literary magazine and served as its editor in his senior year. He has been writing ever since. After graduating from Roxbury High School in Roxbury, New Jersey, Navarra attended Dover Business College, where he studied computer electronics. He has been working in manufacturing for his entire career. Navarra has published the science fiction book The Search for the Krxra.

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PART I

ROME

The Creation of the Universe

A ND, SO, BEFORE THE FIRST universes were created, there was time. And time was infinite. And then the first universe was created and it was created in seven seconds. And, in the first second, hydrogen was created: One proton and one neutron created one nucleus, and one electron began orbiting the nucleus. And this was repeated seven thousand trillion times seventy thousand trillion times. And the first second ended.

And, in the second second, stars were created, and gravity caused hydrogen to collect together in various places in the universe. And, when enough hydrogen had been collected, the first hydrogen fused with the second hydrogen and the first helium was created. And this caused a burst of energy more powerful than the speed of light times the speed of light, and light and heat were emitted into the universe. And this was repeated seven thousand trillion times seventy thousand trillion times. And from the stars came the light elements: lithium and carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. And the second second ended.

And, in the third second, supernovas were created, and, in the first star, when all the hydrogen had been fused into helium, and there was no more hydrogen left, the first star exploded, and the first supernova was created. And this was repeated seven trillion times seventy trillion times. And from the supernovas came the heavy elements: nickel and iron, silver and gold. And the third second ended.

And, in the fourth second, the Earth was created, and gravity caused the light elements and the heavy elements to collect around a star called the sun. And the heavy elements sunk to the bottom and formed a core of iron and nickel, and the light elements rose to the top and formed a crust of silicon and sulfur. And, at first, the Earth was hot and covered in molten lava, and the days were short; the sun set three hours after it rose. And the fourth second ended.

And, in the fifth second, the moon was created, and gravity caused the moon to form, and the moon collided with the Earth and tilted the Earth. Then, when the Earth spun, it wobbled, and the wobble created the seasons: winter and spring, summer and fall. And the moon held the Earth steady and prevented it from spinning out of control. And the collision of the moon slowed the rotation of the Earth, and the days grew longer; the sun set twelve hours after it rose.

And the longer days cooled the Earth, and the lava began to coalesce into land. And hydrogen and oxygen formed into water vapor, and water rained down upon the Earth and cooled the Earth further. And, at first, it was too hot, and the water evaporated, but then the water began to collect, first in puddles, and then the puddles grew into lakes, and then the lakes grew into oceans. And the moon became the master of the tides. And but six land masses were left behind: three in the east and two in the west, and all were connected by land or ice, but the sixth, Terra Australis, was separate from the rest and lost for many years. And the fifth second ended.

And, in the sixth second, life was created. And life emerged from the Earth’s first stable bodies of surface water. And six simple elements (hydrogen and oxygen, carbon and nitrogen) formed into bacteria: Earth’s first life form. And bacteria absorbed the sun’s energy and emitted oxygen, and the atmosphere was created, and the bacteria grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth.

Next came the plants, and the plants, too, absorbed the sun’s energy, and they also absorbed carbon dioxide and, like the bacteria, emitted oxygen, and the atmosphere grew thicker. And plants, too, grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth, first in the seas and then on the land.

Next came the animals, and the animals were distinguished from the plants, for they did not absorb the sun’s energy, but rather they consumed plants to absorb energy. And, also unlike the plants, they did not absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, but rather they absorbed oxygen and emitted carbon dioxide. So that a great symbiosis was created between the animals and the plants; the animals absorbed the oxygen emitted from the plants, and the plants absorbed the carbon dioxide emitted by the animals.

And the first animal was the insect, and the insect had no bones and they had no jaws, but they consumed plants to absorb energy, and they absorbed oxygen emitted from the plants, and they grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth.

Next came the fish, and they were distinguished from the insect, for they had bones and they had jaws, but their eyes were closed and sideways facing, for poor depth perception. But the fish grew and multiplied, and spread to all the seas of the Earth, but they could not spread to the land, for they had not lungs but gills, and they had not legs but tails.

Next came the amphibian, and they were distinguished from the fish, for they could walk on the land and they could breathe the air, but they could not lay their eggs on the land, for their eggs would dry out, for they lacked a hard outer protective shell to keep moisture in. So they had to lay their eggs in water, and, when they hatched, like the fish, they had not lungs but gills, and they had not legs but tails. And they had to live in water until they reached maturity, and then they grew lungs and lost their gills, and then they grew legs and lost their tails. And, unlike the fish, they could step onto the land and could breathe the air. And they grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth, but only on the land that was warm and not on the land that was too cold, for their skin was made of scales, and their blood was cold.

Next came the reptile, and they were distinguished from the amphibian, for they could live all their lives on the land, and they could lay their eggs on the land, for their eggs would not dry out, for they had a hard outer protective shell to keep moisture in. So they laid their eggs on the land, and, when they hatched, they had lungs and they had legs, and they could walk the land. And they grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth, but only on the land that was warm, and not on the land that was too cold, for their skin was made of scales, and their blood was cold.

And then the reptiles grew larger, and they became the masters of the Earth, and they kept down mammals and all other life on Earth, for they consumed a majority of the food on Earth. And they were distinguished from the fish and the other forms of life that came before them, for they did not consume plants only, but they also consumed other animals: fish and birds and other reptiles. And they grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth, but only on the land that was warm, and not on the land that was too cold, for their skin was made of scales, and their blood was cold. So that when the ice came and spread around the Earth, and covered all of the land, they did not survive.

Next came the mammals, and the mammals were distinguished from the reptiles, for they could walk the land that was cold as well as the land that was warm, for their skin was covered in fur, and their blood was warm. And, also unlike the reptiles, they did not lay eggs but gave birth to their young live, and they could nurse their young with milk from their own bodies. And the mammals grew and multiplied, and spread around the Earth to all of the land, to the land that was warm, and also to the land that was cold.

And then the mammals grew larger, and, because their blood was warm, they could huddle together for warmth, so that, when the ice came and spread around the Earth, and covered all of the land, they survived; and because they nursed their young with milk from their own bodies, they formed close bonds between mothers and their offspring. And this caused them to form into close tight-knit societies and close communities that reptiles and other animals that came before them did not form. And they became the masters of the Earth. And the sixth second ended.

And, in the seventh second, nothing was created, but the ice melted, and all things living and not living were separated and isolated on the two halves of the Earth. And the world became like two worlds; the three lands in the east were separated from the two in the west, and those in the east knew not of those in the west, and those in the west knew not of those in the east. But those in each half of the world continued to grow and to multiply and to spread on all the lands of the Earth, save Terra Australis in the deep south, for it was too cold, and nothing grew there. And the seventh second ended.

The First War

A ND THESE ARE THE CAUSES of the first war of men. Now, at the dawn of mankind, men lived in trees, and walked on all fours, and ate meat uncooked, and did not bury their dead, and had no tongue, and built no cities, and did not codify their laws, but their eyes were open and forward facing for better depth perception, and they prospered and multiplied, and soon there were more men than trees. And there were not enough animals and not enough plants to feed them all, and, so, the first war began.

And the weapons used in the first war were fists. And dozens of men fought, and dozens died. And the victors claimed the spoils: the trees and the security the trees provided, and the advantage they had over the other animals, and the fruit they could gather there. And the defeated were expelled from the trees and exiled to the grass. And, when the first war ended, the second war began.

And these are the causes of the second war of men. Now, there was less security on the ground, and men became hunted by the wild beasts of the grass, so the men of the grass had to adapt quickly or pass into extinction. So they stood on their hind legs so they could better see the wild beasts over the grass, and this gave them an advantage, and this freed their hands. And their thumbs could be used to grasp things, and they made tools, and the first tools they made were weapons. And there were those who were strong, and there were those who were weak, and the strong led, and the weak followed, but there were those who were strong and followed but wanted to lead, and, so, the second war began.

And new weapons, stones, were used in the second war. And hundreds of men fought, and dozens died. And the victors claimed the spoils: the right to lead by force of arms, and they did not rule by the consent of the governed, but ruled by the fear of the governed. And the defeated were doomed to die or to follow and obey. And, when the second war ended, the third war began.

And these are the causes of the third war of men. Now, the leaders led the hunt, and the followers followed and gathered plants along the way. And, with wood and air, they learned to control fire and to cook their meat, and this allowed them to consume more energy, and they grew wiser. And they prospered and multiplied, and soon, there were more men than grassland. And there were not enough animals and not enough plants to feed them all, and, so, the third war began.

And new weapons, clubs, were used in the third war. And the leaders commanded, and the followers fought and died, and hundreds fought, and hundreds died. And the victors claimed the spoils: a tract of land not previously claimed, and all the animals that roamed in it, and all the plants that grew there. And the defeated were forced to move on, and to find an unclaimed tract of land to hunt and gather or to die of starvation and pass into extinction. And, when the third war ended, the fourth war began.

And these are the causes of the fourth war of men. Now, Adam was a follower who wanted to follow no more; he did not want to fight and die for the leader, but he was not the strongest, and he dared not challenge the leader. So he abandoned his leader for a self-imposed exile, and he came to a fertile place that he claimed for himself and he settled there. And he wanted to hunt no more, so he waited for spring, and then, in spring, he gathered the seed from wild plants, and he tilled the earth with muscle and sweat, and he buried the seeds beneath it in even rows and columns.

Then, in summer, he rested and waited, and the fruits of his labor grew; then, in autumn, he reaped what he had sown, and it fed him all season, and he grew fat. And he was proud of himself and he congratulated himself, but, when winter came, he had none left. And he could not plant again until spring, and all winter he starved.

Then, the next year, in spring, he again gathered the seed from wild plants, and he tilled the earth with his muscle and sweat, and he buried the seeds beneath it in even rows and columns. And again, in summer, he rested and waited, and the fruits of his labor grew; then, in autumn, he reaped what he had sown, but he did not eat all that he had grown. For he was humble, and he divided what he had grown, and kept only one-quarter of it, and the other three-quarters he put away and did not eat from it, even when what he had kept was not enough to satisfy him.

And one-quarter of what he had grown fed him all season, and then, in winter, he again divided the rest of what he had grown, and he kept one-third, and the other two-thirds he put away and did not eat from it, even when what he had kept was not enough to satisfy him. And that one-third fed him all winter, and then, in spring, when he planted anew, he again divided the rest of what he had grown and he kept one-half, and the other half he put away and did not eat from it, even when what he had kept was not enough to satisfy him. And that one-half fed him all spring, and then, in summer, when he was resting and waiting, he took the rest of what he had stored, and that fed him all summer. And, when he had eaten the last of what he had stored, it was autumn, and he could reap what he had sown, and not a day had gone by that he had starved. And he was proud of himself and he congratulated himself.

So, that autumn, he kept one-quarter of what he had grown, and the other three-quarters he put away and did not eat from it, and he slept well, and he had a son and he named him Abel. But, when winter came, he went to divide what he had stored and he found it was not there. He had been robbed, and all that winter, he starved, and his son starved with him.

Then, the next year, in spring, Adam and Abel gathered the seed from wild plants, and they tilled the earth with their muscle and sweat, and they buried the seeds beneath it in even rows and columns. And, when they were done planting, they built a wall of earth and rock to mark the border of civilization. And then, in summer, Adam stood guard on the wall, and, when he slept, Abel stood guard in his place, and the fruits of their labor grew; then, in autumn, they reaped what they had sown, and they kept only one-quarter of it, and the other three-quarters they put away and did not eat from it, even when what they had kept was not enough to satisfy them.

Then, when winter came, Cain, a hunter and a follower, returned from the hunt to the place where he had found the plants in even rows and columns the year before. And he came to the wall, which had not been there before, and he did not know what to make of it, for he had not seen such a thing before, and he would not have built such a border to keep men out or to keep plants in. And he crossed the border and he found Abel standing guard there, and, though they were of a different species, they were of the same genus.

And Abel said, Stop! for he had found a tongue, and he continued, Turn back, for this is our land and our food, and you are not welcome here!

But Cain did not answer, for he did not understand, for he had not found a tongue, and, so, the fourth war began.

And new weapons, spears, were used in the fourth war. And Cain killed Abel and robbed from Adam, but Adam caught Cain and expelled him from his garden. And the victors claimed the spoils: the garden and all that was planted in it, but the spoils carried a heavy price, and Adam buried his son, Abel, for he had found spirituality, and remembered his past, and wanted to memorialize it. And the defeated were forced to move on or to become slaves. And, when the fourth war ended, the fifth war began.

And these are the causes of the fifth war of men. Now, the garden that Adam planted grew and multiplied, from one acre to ten acres to one hundred to one thousand. And the army he founded grew also, from one man to ten men to one hundred to one thousand. And they tamed the wild beasts and they put them to work, but there were those who were strong and there were those who were weak, and those who were strong took advantage of the weak. And they robbed from the food surpluses, and they kept the largest portions for themselves and left the scraps for the rest, and, so, the fifth war began.

And the weapons used in the fifth war were clubs, but the clubs had grown larger. And thousands of men fought, and hundreds died. And the victors claimed the spoils: protection of the weak from the strong, and the fair and even distribution of the food surpluses, and the law was codified so it would not be forgotten or disputed. And a king was installed to keep the peace, who was both a general and a judge, and there was great hope and trust placed in the first kings, and they did not expect to be betrayed. And the defeated were forced to abide by the law or face a harsh punishment. And, when the fifth war ended, the sixth war began.

And these are the causes of the sixth war of men. Now, the cities grew larger and spread over the fertile plains, from one city to ten cities to hundreds, and there were soon more cities than plains. And there were not enough animals and not enough plants to feed them all, and there was famine. And, where one city prospered, another starved, and, so, one city marched on the other, and the sixth war began.

And the weapons used in the sixth war were spears, but the spears had grown longer. And thousands of men fought, and thousands died. And the victors claimed the spoils: the food surpluses and the satisfaction consuming the food surpluses brought. And the defeated starved, and famine was brought to their city. And, when the sixth war ended, the seventh war began.

And these are the causes of the seventh war of men. Now, some cities were governed better than others, and some kings were honest and just, and others were not, for they did not rule by the consent of the governed but ruled by the fear of the governed. And the kings became tyrants, and the tyrants became gods, and the people were reduced to slavery, and, so, the seventh war began.

And new weapons, swords, were used in the seventh war. And tens of thousands of men fought, and thousands died. And the victors claimed the spoils; the king was deposed, and a new king was installed in his place, and with the new king came the promise of justice and prosperity. And the defeated were ostracized. But it was an empty promise, for no king was honest and just for long, and, when one was deposed, he was replaced by another, and the vicious cycle began anew.

And, so, the seventh war never ended, and the seventh war was like the first war, for, when one war ended, a new one began. And, alas, there was no end to the seventh war, and there was no end to the first war, and, even now, when one war ends, a new one begins.

One World

F IRST THERE WAS ERIDU, BUT many others followed, for then