Western Civilization from the beginning to approximately the 13th century

Western Civilization from the beginning to approximately the 13th century, the dawn of the Renaissance

Question 1:  Role of the geographical locations of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Aegean

Mesopotamia, Egypt and Aegean were the first known cultures to emerge in the history of civilization with the earliest being the Mesopotamia, followed by Egypt and then Aegean. Mesopotamia and Egypt, two of the earliest civilizations developed in the region where Southeast Asia joins northeast Africa. Egypt developed in the narrow strip of the Nile valley while the former were located in the place currently known as Southern Iraq. The development near rivers offered advantages to the two civilizations in terms of water to irrigate the fields and a means of transport. Aegean, similar to these two developed a civilization on the Aegean Sea. The coastal regions of Greece helped significantly in making this an ideal area for trade (www.historyworld.net).

The three civilizations were rich in terms of culture. Egyptian civilization as compared to Mesopotamia depended much on the Nile River and deserts around it and therefore, unlike Mesopotamia it had a more optimistic influence on its culture. Though Egypt took a lot of influence from Mesopotamia in the initial stages, it soon developed in both religion and politics owing to the economic development that was taking place at a much accelerated rate in the region. Egypt was more inclined towards a strong central authority while Mesopotamian politics considered the structure of regional city-states for their region (Guisepi, n.d.).

In terms of art, there were more monumental structures in Egyptian art while less of literary element as was found in Mesopotamian culture. This was mainly because of the geographical location that each was placed in which helped Egyptians gain access to great stones which they imported easily. Also the religious beliefs and the concern for the afterlife by Egyptians led to the construction of great tombs of pharaohs and pyramids which are still regarded with interest. Further, there are found colorful and lively pictures in the Egyptian decorative art.

Similarly, Aegean culture also drew from the two cultures and adopted the ingredients of civilized life from them such as farming and literacy. They then transformed the knowledge in their own ways and used sea to their advantage thereby bringing much progress and creating a culture of their own. Pottery, marble status and idols were common representation of their culture. Art there was lively and colorful while little interest could be seen in monumental art.

Similarities also exist in the cultures with social stratification in the cultures as a central similarity. Land owners and priests were considered to be at the top while slaves and peasants were at the bottom. The civilizations lasted longer than the ones that came later especially the Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures mainly because of being isolated and efforts to maintain their cultures.

Hence, geographies played a significant role in shaping the culture and life of the three early civilizations that have ...