Austin Temples

AP World History Essay 1st Period

8-22-15

Ancient Egypt vs. Ancient Mesopotamia

Prompt:
Compare and contrast the influences of geography and
environment on the rise of civilizations and cultures in Mesopotamia
and Egypt.

Essay:
Man ruled in the ancient eras of Mesopotamia and Egypt;
however, the rivers upon which man had set up a great, fertile
agricultural civilization contributed well beyond the rule of man.
Mesopotamia was plagued with political turmoil, being conquered
countless times and having kings with no religious power while
pharaohs ruled Egypt with claims of divine power for millennia;
allowing Egypt to become more influential compared to Mesopotamia
over the course of history.

The political states in Mesopotamia and Egypt were polar

opposites. Kings, who ruled with full political power, but little to no
religious power depending on the ruling nation at the time, ruled
Mesopotamia. Nations that ruled over this swath of land include, but
are not limited to, Babylon, Ur, Assyria, and Akkadia. The reason this
occurred was due to the geographical location in this area. As

civilization spread throughout the semi-arid farmland, small kingdoms

would rise and would sometimes conquer the current main power in
the region. The openness of Mesopotamias land caused its political
turmoil. Egypt on the other hand was geographically closed off. The
lands of Egypt were very arid outside of the Nile River, being
considered deserts, allowing civilization to be less spread out than in
Mesopotamia with its two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. Egypt was
also geographically closed off due to the deserts to the west and the
Isthmus of Suez/Sinai Peninsula to the east. Not being able to grow
horizontally like Mesopotamia, Egypt instead grew vertically, growing
large cities along the Nile. This vertical instead of horizontal growth
helped to strengthen the ruling pharaohs who, unlike the kings of
Mesopotamia, ruled with claims of divinity, often considering
themselves either gods or demigods.

The religious states of Mesopotamia and Egypt were also very

different. Both civilizations would often make sacrifices to their gods,
being polytheistic. However, with the changes in political power in
Mesopotamia, their religion was unstable compared to their Egyptian
brethren. Obviously, both of these places had special temples where
they would worship their gods. Everyday Egyptians would worship at
temples and funerary complexes, honoring their ancestors, both of
which were not too extravagant. However, pharaohs made pyramids

which worked as a giant funerary complex all to themselves.

Mesopotamians, unlike their Egyptian brethren, made ziggurats.
Ziggurats were the main structures of Mesopotamia when it came to
religion. These large buildings were very closed off on the inside. Only
priests and high-ranking officials were allowed inside the ziggurats.
One major difference between these societies was the view of their
gods. Mesopotamians viewed their gods as very fickle, often giving
many animal sacrifices to them and offering goods in exchange for a
good harvest or a calm flooding season. The main reason they saw
their gods in a somewhat negative light was because of the massive
flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Often times, the flooding
was so bad on these rivers that they would sometimes change their
location, moving to a new area but always emptying out on the Persian
Gulf. Egyptians view their gods positively, still giving sacrifices, but
perhaps not as many compared to their Mesopotamian brethren. The
flooding patterns of the Nile reinforced their optimism, as the flooding
was very predictable and the river always stayed within its natural
banks, never changings its location.

The science of Mesopotamia and Egypt was also very interesting

in its development. Mesopotamia, while often war-torn, was extremely
invested in the furthering of the sciences. This investment towards
science also could also be due to the lack of a theocratic rule. In this

investment, Mesopotamia invented the first form of writing, cuneiform,

the first sailboat, the first calendar, the wheel, and the first plow. Not
only these, but they also invented the first currency, irrigation, and the
first code of law, the Code of Hammurabi. However, while
Mesopotamia created, Egypt refined. Egypt often took the inventions
of Mesopotamia and made them better. For instance, Egypt was the
first to figure out that oxen could easily pull the plow for them. Egypt
also made hieroglyphics, being their form of writing paralleling
cuneiform. Egypt also took papyrus and were the first to write on
something similar to paper. Egypt also made much advancement in
the field of astronomy. They mapped out the stars on charts within
some pyramids. In fact, the pyramids were carefully pointed towards
the pole stars, Polaris and Sigma Octantis.
Overall, Egypt was better able to maintain influence over the
course of history due to their lack of political turmoil, consistency of
religion over time, and scientific advancement past Mesopotamian
invention. Both of these societies, built along the powerful rivers that
raised them to power, ensured the first steps were taken towards
modern civilization; but it was Egypt that allowed civilization to
become of age.