Ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylon – 3000–500 BC) First Commerce Oligarchy: Temple-based elites managing wealth, land, and trade. Ancient Egypt (2700–300 BC) Egypt’s merchant and priestly classes gained temporary but significant influence during periods of pharaonic weakness. Phoenicians (circa 1500–300 BC) The Phoenicians are often seen as the “first globalists” — networked, merchant-centered, focused on … Continue reading Before Rome: The Roots of the Commerce Nation and Global Oligarchs