Similarities And Differences Between Ancient Greens And Ancient Athens

In Egypt, the social structure was very important to everyday life. At the top they had their main gods, Ra, Osiris, and Isis. They even elevated some of their own people to the top, giving the god status. These were the Pharaohs. The Pharaohs had total control and power over their subjects and pyramids were built as their graves. There is also a chain of command at the top of hte social structure. After Pharaohs came his appointed assistant, known as the Vizier who collected and kept track of the taxes. Under the vizier came their scribes to helped record all the documents. These were vitally important because they were largely the only ones in the entire community who could read and write. Then came the soldiers, quite high up on the ladder compared to many of the other civilizations. This was because fighting for the Pharaoh was highly appraised work. The middle class was made up of the craftsmen, traders and merchants, and artisans. These are the people who created the everyday tools for people up and down the entire social structure. And finally at the very bottom came the farmers and slaves, doing the unsklled work unlike the middle

s history runs its’ course, there are certain topics that are always addressed such as religion, politics, and societal structure. Also brought up is the role of women. During all periods of the world, women are given their own category due to being treated differently than the men. Comparing the women of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt reveals the vast differences of people’s views of women and the disappointing similarities of being unjustly judged based on their gender. Each of these cultures puts their women into positions that are degrade the skills of females, some more than others, and create the societal barriers for women that last for many years after ancient times.

Ancient Egyptian Government was dominated by a single man, the Pharaoh. The position was inherited and was passed down to the eldest of the king’s chief wife. The people believed that the king was more than a man, however, but that he was a god. This gave him absolute control over the affairs of the Empire and its people. Ancient Egypt was also a theocracy, which meant that it was controlled by the clergy. The Pharaoh’s advisors and ministers were almost always priests, who were considered the only ones worthy and able to carry out the god-king’s commands. As in most religious ancient societies, priests had special status above the rest of the citizens, forming a kind of nobility. The governmental officials included the vizier (or the prime minister), the chief treasurer, the tax collector, the minister of public works, and the army commander. These officials were directly responsible to the Pharaoh. The land itself was divided up into provinces called nomes. Each nome had a governor, who was appointed by the Pharaoh and responsible to the vizier. Taxes were paid in goods and labor. Citizens were drafted into the army and into forced labor for periods of time to pay what was called a corvée (the labor tax). Slaves, mercenaries, and draftees were often used in the

The people groups in ancient Egyptian were very different than our societies social groups today. Ancient Egyptians were grouped in a hierarchical system with the Pharaoh at the top and farmers and slaves at the bottom. The groups of people nearest to the top of society were the richest and most powerful. The Pharaoh was believed to be a god on earth and had the most power. He was responsible for making laws and keeping order. Ensuring that Egypt was not attacked or invaded by enemies and for keeping the gods happy so that the Nile flooded and there was a good harvest. The Vizier was the Pharaoh's chief advisor

Ancient Egypt is often divided into three kingdoms of prosperity, the old, middle, and new kingdoms. During the old kingdom (2613-2160 BCE), a social structure begins to take shape in the newly unified society. At the top of the structure is the Pharaoh (or the almighty ruler of Egypt and is worshiped as mortal version of god), moving down pyramid we then have other government officials (nobles and priests), soldiers, scribes (experts in hieroglyphics), merchants, craftsmen, and the farmers and slaves. During the end of the old kingdom, and all throughout the middle (2040-1750 BCE) and new (1550-1070 BCE) kingdoms of ancient Egyptian society, the building of

Mesopotamian and Egyptian social structures are similar because of the fact that they have a structure which divides their cultures into classes. In both cultures, the bottom of the social ladder was reserved for peasants and slaves who did the dirty work and hard labor that led to agricultural surplus and then the modernization of these cultures. In contrast, people in Egypt that were born commoners had more of an opportunity to attain high positions than those in Mesopotamian society where nobles were born into their rankings. In addition to social classes, both civilizations also formed a patriarchal society. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, men dominated public affairs as well as household decisions, and they always held positions of power. In both societies, women were able to influence men and even some positions of power such as high priestesses in Mesopotamia who managed estates owned by the temples whereas in Egypt women could serve as regents and ultimately hold positions of real power. For example, Hatshepsut was a female ruler who filled the role of pharaoh for her stepson as he was too young. Despite their new found power in Egypt, they still where mainly responsible

The ancient city-state of Athens, spawned many of the essential ingredients of modern civilization--democracy, philosophy, science, and drama. However despite these aspects, Athens like many other civilizations throughout history, was dominated by men. Although the role of women in Athens is highly controversial, the examination of Athenian laws, philosophical and moral writings, and information about the conditions of daily life and the organization of society, reveals women were excluded from many aspects of public and private life. While men held a monopoly on every aspect of daily life, women remained secluded in the sphere of domestication.

We can see some similarities of this ancient hierarchy in modern day. The social/working pecking order of ancient times hasn’t faded. We have the government officials, the politicians, the doctors & lawyers, the modern merchants and salesmen, the working class, and even convicts who work to earn credit or are even forced to work.

People were born into these social classes, but could send their children out of it if they could afford it. The first and highest class was the pharaohs and government. The pharaohs were viewed as gods, and had supreme rule over the lands, making the government of the Nile River Valley a monarchy. Their second in command were the viziers, who oversaw all government operations for the pharaoh. The second class was the soldiers.

In comparing and contrasting the societies of Periclean Athens and ancient Egypt, we must first mention some of the characteristics of an actual society: a society has a stable food supply, social levels and classes, specialization of labor, a system of government, and a highly developed culture. Both the societies of ancient Athens and Egypt fit into these parameters. In this essay we will explore social classes, gender relations, social inequality, and hierarchy as they apply to these societies.

Just like other ancient civilisations, Ancient Egypt posed a pyramid of hierarchy. The hierarchical pyramid (or the Social Pyramid) divided the people among 6 social classes. Where they sat within the pyramid was dependent on their occupation, and this social structure ruled their entire lives. At the top of the pyramid of hierarchy was the Pharaoh and at the bottom were the slaves and farmers. The diagram above (figure 1.1) shows the basic structure

The Ancient Egyptians had a very strict social status. If you were a peasant, you couldn’t do things that a noble could do. If you were a craftsmen, you would have a harsher punishment for crime than the pharaoh. Your class would also limit how you were treated, where you could go, etc.

The lives of royal and elite women in the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt can be easily compared. Both cultures provided women with the similar occupational opportunities. The sources of power for elite women were also similar in both civilizations. The area where they differ the most is in the impact of cultural constructs surrounding gender. Overall the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt were very similar in their treatment of elite and royal women.

First and foremost, Ancient Egypt was structured in the form of a pyramid. The top of the pyramid of course was the gods. These gods included Ra, Osiris, and Iris, and according to the people of Egypt, these gods controlled almost the entire earth. Leaders in Egypt were called pharaohs so they were believed to be Gods in human form which is amazing. The ruler in status were powerful nobles and priests. Only nobles could hold government posts and in those positions they profited from tributes paid to the pharaoh. Priests were responsible for pleasing the gods. While soldiers fought in wars or quelled domestic uprisings. When there was no war to fight, the soldiers supervised

Two widely known ancient civilizations in history are those of the Greeks and the Egyptians. Both are famous in their history and favored by many. Each of these civilizations were built from the ground up, and they developed their own culture, practices, religions, and architectures. Although these two civilizations are similar in having this development, they differ significantly in each of these aspects of life. In this essay, we will observe the similarities and differences of Greek and Egyptian religion, as well as their attitudes towards women in this time.