Ancient Egypt vs. Mesopotamia - Comparative Essay - 988 Words

Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Egypt and Mesopotamia, although similar, are different as a result of one major natural resource: a river. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia were an agricultural based society that believed in the existence of many deities; however, they differed in the aspect of how they evolved as an agricultural society and whether they feared or praised their gods. Mesopotamia, also known as the Fertile Crescent, was located inside the Euphrates and Tigris River. The fertile land was a home to the many city-states. Although the city-states are not unified, they share the same curse/ blessing. All city states are located near the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The rivers provide rich soil that is favorable for farming. The†¦show more content†¦The underworld is a very gloomy place and all are to suffer in their afterlife. This belief caused the Mesopotamians to adopt a more optimistic view in their current life. They treasured the life they have until the unavoidab le end. This belief is supported in the ancient text, â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh.† In the story, a king (who is the son of a god) was unjust and was very unpopular. One day the gods delivered him a friend, and through their friendship, Gilgamesh believed that he was unstoppable. However, one day the gods decided to kill his friend and this caused Gilgamesh to fear death. He searched for a flower that will grant him eternal life. Although Gilgamesh found the flower, he lost it. Therefore he accepted his fate as a mortal. He became a better ruler and was subdued to the gods. This epic highlights the capricious nature of the gods and the vulnerability of the humans. The ancient Egyptians, however, did not share the same fate as the Mesopotamians. They prospered a great life in the ancient world and were in favor with the Nile. The Nile is a single river that spit into several rivers. That particular part of the Nile is referred to the Nile delta. The Nile is the core to understandi ng the Egyptian civilization. Unlike the Mesopotamians, the Nile is a tamed river that flooded in a controlled fashion. Therefore, the Egyptians were able to create calendars that would coincide with the floodingShow MoreRelatedMesopotamia and Egypt Comparative Essay876 Words   |  4 PagesMatthew B Owens World History AP-3 21 September 2011 Mesopotamia and Egypt Comparative Essay While both the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations share similar political, social and economic qualities, the details of these broad spectrums branch off in opposite directions. For example, both Mesopotamia and Egypt were ruled by kings, but in Egypt, their kings were called pharaohs and they had significantly more power than the Mesopotamian kings of the city-states. Both civilizations also hadRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesimpose a logical order on the illogicality of the book. Book I In the preface, after some autobiographical material, the author gives his reason for writing the work, which is to shed light on the nature of magic, a secret closely guarded by the ancient philosophers. He adds a summary of the contents of his four books (pp.1-3). This is replaced, in some manuscripts, by a detailed list of contents, arranged by chapter, of which a translation will be found on pp. lxxvi-lxxviii of the present volume