The ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek civilizations are two of the oldest known civilizations in history. It is believed that the ancient Egyptian civilization, based in eastern North Africa, started around 3150 B.C., and survived until 31 B.C. Slightly younger is the ancient Greek civilization, making its mark in history around 1100 B.C. and lasting until 146 B.C. There are many similarities and differences between these civilizations, even though they co-existed and were located in different geographical regions. As there are many mysteries surrounding life, ancient civilizations often utilized religion to explain them, which played a vital role in every day life. Religion is defined as a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power
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Temples and shrines containing sacred writings dominated the urban landscape. Greek peoples worshipped and performed rituals, held festivals, and sacrifices for as many as 1,000 deities whom they believed appeared in human form and yet were endowed with superhuman strength and beauty. Each deity, like that of the Egyptians, represented a certain facet of the human condition and was believed to have a special gift or power . Like Egypt, they too had a major, or more powerful, head deity. In Greece, Zeus, like that of Horus in Egypt, was the god of the skies and thunder, and was the ruler over all other gods. Greece also consisted of villages that worshipped the main gods but had their own village gods as well. The Greeks also believed that the soul existed in the afterlife, and went to the underworld to be ruled over by the god Hades. Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, the Greeks constructed tombs decorated to honor the life of the deceased. Geographically located 700 miles apart, the ancient civilizations of Greece an Egypt had many similarities, but they also had their differences. While Egypt’s Pharaohs reigned supreme as a religious monarchy, the ancient Greeks were quite different. Instead of a central religious ruler, self-governing Greek city-states were formed. These city-states were frequently at war with one another and forms of government
Temples and shrines containing sacred writings dominated the urban landscape. Greek peoples worshipped and performed rituals, held festivals, and sacrifices for as many as 1,000 deities whom they believed appeared in human form and yet were endowed with superhuman strength and beauty. Each deity, like that of the Egyptians, represented a certain facet of the human condition and was believed to have a special gift or power . Like Egypt, they too had a major, or more powerful, head deity. In Greece, Zeus, like that of Horus in Egypt, was the god of the skies and thunder, and was the ruler over all other gods. Greece also consisted of villages that worshipped the main gods but had their own village gods as well. The Greeks also believed that the soul existed in the afterlife, and went to the underworld to be ruled over by the god Hades. Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, the Greeks constructed tombs decorated to honor the life of the deceased. Geographically located 700 miles apart, the ancient civilizations of Greece an Egypt had many similarities, but they also had their differences. While Egypt’s Pharaohs reigned supreme as a religious monarchy, the ancient Greeks were quite different. Instead of a central religious ruler, self-governing Greek city-states were formed. These city-states were frequently at war with one another and forms of government