Nature and Life Mesopotamian’s attitude towards nature and life evolves with each piece of literature and can closely be compared to Ancient Egyptian civilizations. Although the two civilizations differed economically, politically, and culturally, both civilizations did have a couple things in common which were their polytheistic beliefs and their associations with nature and its forces. In the Epic of Creation, Gilgamesh, and the Great Hymn to the Aten one sees the role nature played and its significance in both cultures. In Mesopotamia’s Epic of Creation, it is stated in the beginning that creation of the heavens started with two types of water intermingling- sweet water, also known as fresh water, Apsu and bitter water, known as sea water, Tiamat. Already, there is a prominence placed on water. The waters represent good and evil. The Hymn to the Aten also hits on good and evil with night and day, showing how when it is dark everything dies, but when the sun is out everything is alive. (Lichthiem, pg. 96-99) There is also an importance placed on water in Gilgamesh, when he travels across the water to meet Utnapishtim, who tells him about the flood, that wiped out mankind. (The Epic of Gilgamesh, pg. 92-93) Water is represented as both rejuvenating and destructive. Another interesting aspect in both Mesopotamian myths is the emphasis on the power of the natural elements. Marduk defeats Tiamat using the winds to fill her belly then slices her in half and uses her body to
The Epic of Gilgamesh not only told a story of the people of a Sumerian Civilization and the battles of their great ruler. The Epic spoke of current environmental and natural issues “It shows an understanding of ecological processes and the consequences of human action on the earth that anticipates current ecological work.”( Perlin 35)
When comparing cultures it would be difficult to find two that are more diverse than the Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures. The Mesopotamian culture was filled with tension and instability while the Egyptian people maintained a stable and somewhat more content way of life. In examining these two cultures one can surmise that these differences are mainly due to the political, economic, social, religious, and geographic differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia. These factors added to the overall mentality of the people. These mentalities affected the stability of each culture, whether for the better or worse.
What Does It Really Take to Be Great The central focus of Geoff Colvin’s article, “What It Takes to Be Great” published in October 30, 2006, is research on what it takes to be great. Colvin notes that the researchers were first curious why only certain people are able to go on improving and becoming great and that led them to study “expert performers” such as Michael Jordan, Bobby Fischer, Tiger Woods, and Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffet to find the answer to this “irresistible question”. While many believe that practicing a lot on what is necessary to get better at makes people great, Colvin and the researchers conclude that greatness can be achieved through deliberate practice. Deliberate practice involves hard, excruciating, and painful work, but most of all; a lot of time and effort.
Ancient world literature and early civilization stories are mostly centered on human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, ideas, and themes are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are parts of two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Whereas Gilgamesh is a myth and the book of Genesis is
All illustrated work for All Grown Up, is done by my baby brother, Josiah Gonzales. Thank you for riding this journey from beginning to the end, with me❤️
Ancient world literature and early civilization stories turn around human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, idea and theme are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Upon studying the book of Genesis and the story of Gilgamesh; whereas one
Water. It expresses its’ power in the form of hurricanes and flash floods. It displays its gentleness, washing dirt off a child's scabbed knee. Water has been used to quench the thirst of many longing throats; and it has been the cause of death to those who unfavorably crossed its path. It possesses the power of total destruction, yet it holds the bases of all life. Generally, water has symbolized cleanliness and renewal. In the Bible, water was used in Baptism, cleansing the soul of original sin and offering a new life in the light of God. Water in itself is a natural purifier, washing the dirt from our bodies. Water is a symbol of
While describing the cultural among the people of Mesopotamia and Egypt, I learned the differences and similarities in culture. The birth of Mesopotamian Civilization began in c. 3000 B.C.E., in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers of Southwest Asia. Mesopotamia is a Greek word and it means ‘between the rivers.’ In contrast, the birth of Egyptian Civilization began in c. 3100 B.C.E., in a valley of the Nile River in Northeastern Africa. Egypt is a Greek word and it means ‘House of the Spirit of Ptah.’ Since there are several categories in the cultures of the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians, I decided to narrows it to three categories: Religion, Writing, and Geography. The three categories will present the basis to compare cultural differences and similarities.
The early civilizations play a key role in society today. These civilizations had their own traditions and beliefs which made them all unique. The Greek, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian civilizations all had contrasting beliefs, religions, customs, traditions, and political views which made them all individually distinct. Through studying the three ancient civilizations, we are able to analyze the differences of these civilizations.
In the words of Henry David Thoreau who is a poet state, "Nature and Human life are as various as our several constitutions. Who shall say what prospect life offers to another." Speaking of nature and life, I want to compare and contrast ancient Mesopotamians attitudes towards nature and life through the stories of Gilgamesh, the Epic of Creation, and Hymn to the Sun. Looking at these stories establishes three different views of nature and life which can either be negative or positive. The first story, you see a man who meets his match and then goes on an adventure together. The second story is about how the world was created from a small swirl of water and then became more. The third which is a poem describes the way of life and how Aten provides the means to survive on earth. While reading, the reader should get a sense of how each one differs and how they compare in the small aspects. Now, let's start our journey in ancient times which is a time people believed the world was ruled by gods.
The epic gives insight to the ways in which ancient Mesopotamians valued life. This becomes most obvious when Enkidu reveals to Gilgamesh his nightmare of the dark and enslaving afterlife as he is dying (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This leaves Gilgamesh with extreme terror of death which provokes his desperate attempts to escape it. Giving death fearful and dark characteristics communicates that the afterlife is a harrowing experience and life is the individual’s harmonious experience. This serves to establish that ancient Mesopotamians sensed that life was something to be cherished and conceived of in a positive light. In addition, Mesopotamian life views are also illustrated when Gilgamesh must accept that he will not receive his requests for immortality from the gods (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This suggests Mesopotamian society believed wise men should be grateful for their destiny and that he or she should not reach beyond what they are given. In doing so, this
Most societies that developed in ancient civilizations were centered around their belief systems. The Egyptians and the Mesopotamians were no different in this sense. Both civilizations were polytheistic and built elaborate temples to praise their gods. Additionally, the leaders in both regions were believed to be related to the gods because of the great power they held and the wealth under their control. However, the Mesopotamians had a pessimistic outlook on life because of the unpredictability of their environment. The Egyptians, on the other hand, had an optimistic outlook because the Nile River inundated their region regularly, which could be predicted by the stars. The similarities and differences in the religions of these two
Known as one of the earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt both share set amounts of similarities along with a share of striking distinctions. Environmentally, these two civilizations were formed in similar surroundings, yet their weather patterns show distinctions. Politically, both governments derived from a monarch, yet their laws and punishments distinguished the two’s court systems. Economically, they both shared prosperous success in similar manners. Socially, although the two lands followed a hierarchy, the value of women contrasted. Culturally, they both believed in a higher order of creation; however, their views of them were polar opposites. Intellectually, these two societies developed skilled abilities and creations that
There were many ways that the Ancient Egyptian society and the Mesopotamian society were similar yet at the same time they were very different. Egyptians and Sumerians agreed on religion in a sense that both cultures were polytheistic. However, the relationships between the gods and goddesses were different between the Sumerians and Egyptians. This essay will discuss those differences in culture, religion and the viewpoints on death and afterlife.
Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian are two very comparable cultures. There are similar and differences in regards to their Government, Law, Writing, Cities, Religion, Jobs, and Technology. This is reflected in their literatures, Epic Gilgamesh, and the Story of Sinuhe. Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Sinuhe in the Story of Sinuhe are important characters that outline the perspective of an ancient society’s.