ABSTRACT
A renewed twenty-first century maritime rivalry for strategic assets and geopolitical leverage is presently underway in the formerly Ottoman Near and Middle East. Once again the otherwise becalmed offshore waters of the southern Mediterranean basin are becoming roiled in a replay of the ceaseless contest for influence, prestige and comparative advantage. When framed in a dual historical-theoretical perspective the current dynamic is entirely in keeping with the pattern of swirling changeability traditionally assigned the Mediterranean Sea in world history and politics (Abulafia, 2011, p. 648), but also consistent with classic Balance-of-Power theory.
