Compare And Contrast Ancient Egypt And Mesopotamia

With the Agricultural Revolution came the flourishing of many ancient civilizations. Two of these civilizations, the ancient Mesopotamians and the ancient Egyptians have provided modern day historians to uncover what life was like during these times. While these two have similar beginnings and locations, there are major differences between the two early civilizations. While both civilizations are nested near rivers which allow their agricultural lifestyles to flourish, Egypt has one advantage over ancient Mesopotamia, the sea. Being surrounded by the Red and Mediterranean seas, Egypt is provided with a natural defense from their enemies. Unfortunately for Mesopotamia, the lack of these defenses leaves them open for invaders. The one benefit …show more content…
The difference between the system and the Gods between cultures was the reason they were at the top. In Egyptian culture the Gods were great providers who were fair and just. However, in Mesopotamian culture, the Gods were feared. In the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, it is revealed that long ago the Gods flooded the Earth simply because they were tired of hearing humans talk. After this story, the Mesopotamians learned to fear the Gods. Everything they did from rituals to the way laws were written were done so out of fear of the Gods. As far as the afterlife went, the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, it is also revealed that there is no joyful afterlife for the Mesopotamians. This also differs from the Egyptian religious views where the afterlife is a dangerous place, due to the Book of the Dead and the Pyramid Text, which describes the troubles they will face, to start out in but turns into a great, joyous place for …show more content…
Pharaohs in culture were believed to be semi-divine beings who represented Gods while they were on Earth. Chosen by the Gods, Pharaohs were given the right to rule. This honor is what led many of them to become successful rulers, besides the one case of the biblical Pharaoh. Mesopotamian rulers, while also being chosen by Gods, did not treat their appointment as seriously as the Egyptians did. Based off of Hammurabi’s Code and the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, we can concluded that many, if not all Mesopotamian rulers were harsh rulers. This extremeness could also be due to their government system. While the Egyptian Pharaohs controlled over one land mass single handed, the Mesopotamians had a city-state system, making it difficult for each area to be on the same boat. This system could be what led to the fall and separation of the Mesopotamia region. In short, the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations were very different. Despite their proximity and similar beginnings and influences, each culture provides us with varied insights as to how life was lived during ancient times. The geographical locations alongside the religious beliefs led each civilization to further their advancements in a cultural aspect. These advancements is what has influenced the rest of the world today and how we view life, death, and social