Abstract An examination of the health and medical systems of AncientMesopotamia. The concept of sickness is defined for this time period and those who treated the sick, the medical practitioners, are discussed. The paper also looks at the monetary payment structure for medical services and the subsequent penalty structure if payment was not made.
From the Paper "During the past century, the rise of modern medicine and biotechnology has been astronomical. Scientists have engineered artificial limbs and organs, developed vaccines for numerous diseases, discovered preventative medical strategies, and created procedures to deal with most known ailments. Specialists have arisen in many fields and a complex payment structure involving insurance and HMOs has been established in modern times. Given this, it is interesting to notice that several of these same features were present in the medical world of ancient Mesopotamia. Of course, the Mesopotamians did not have the levels of understanding that exist today, but it appears that their knowledge was much greater than one would initially assume."
Tags:ancient, care, code, hammurabi, health, history, medicine, mesopotamia
Abstract This essay describes how the art and culture of ancientMesopotamia was defined by its climate and geographical locations. It also shows how the weather and geographical conditions affected wars and power in the region - and the reflection of this fact through art and artifacts found in the region.
From the Paper "Many believed that the south was the cradle of civilization until settlements dating back to around 5,000 B.C. were found in Northern Mesopotamia. Jarmo was the earliest of these settlements and was superseded by a series of cultures, Tell Hassuna, Samarra, and Tell Halaf. Tell Halaf was the most advanced of the early cultures (Mesopotamia pg). It is famous for Halaf ware, which is regarded as the finest prehistoric pottery in Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia pg). Halaf ware can be found at sites such as Neneveh and Tepe Gawra. While the north was making great advances in culture, ?civilization was just beginning in the south, particularly at Eridu."
Abstract This paper is on the "comparison the role of goddesses in ancientMesopotamia and Greece". It explains the roles they had and if they had similar functions in the Mesopotamian and Greek sources? Considering Ninsun, Ishtar, Thetis, Athena, Hera and Aphrodite. It is primarily based on the "Epic of Gilgamesh", the "Odyssey", and books I, VI, and XII of the "Iliad".
Abstract The paper explores the reasons behind ancientMesopotamia's history of disparate city-states that often vied for wealth, power and control of natural resources while ancient Egypt remained a unified kingdom for several thousand years. The paper explains how the differences between the two regions can be traced to their history, politics, geography and culture that all played major roles in determining their success of unification.
From the Paper "Egypt was more successful than Mesopotamia in developing a single unified state after the Bronze Age began in about 3000 BCE until the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE. Geography is a major reason for Egypt's greater success with political and cultural unification. Moreover, prior to the Bronze Age the city-states of Mesopotamia were already more well-developed, politically and economically powerful than were the villages of Egypt. By the time King Sargon unified Mesopotamia, the region's city-states already had political and economic institutions in place that undermined the supremacy of the central government. When compared with Mesopotamia, Egypt's Upper and Lower Kingdoms were less politically, economically, and culturally developed at the time of unification by King Menes. With one main river, the Nile, as the economic focal point of Egypt, the state also maintained social order easier than did Mesopotamia with its more complex and varied geographic terrain."
Tags: Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, geography, diversity, politics, religion
Abstract This paper explains how all ancient civilizations relied on flowing water to exist. The Egyptians relied on the Nile. To the east, the Euphrates and the Tigris created Mesopotamia. The Indus River nourished ancient Indian civilization, and the great Yellow River (Huang Ho) made the birth of Chinese civilization possible.
From the Paper "Thus all ancient culture hearths could depend on a steady source of water, which also brought nutrients to the soil and fish as a source of food. Except for the violent Tigris and Yellow, the rivers also served as an easy means of communication. Easy communications facilitated the exchange of ideas and goods while breaking down the culturally retarding barriers of isolation. The size and fertility of the broad valleys made possible a vast increase in the land that could be cultivated, which in turn meant a vast increase in wealth and population; necessary ingredients to the development of large sophisticated social structures. Although great rivers were a common feature of these pioneering civilizations, soil and climate differed, and these differences left a significant imprint on human development. Different climates meant that the rivers nurtured different crops and required different methods of agriculture. Geography and the means by which people turned it to their uses influenced the ways in which societies evolved."
Abstract This paper discusses and contrasts the main religions of three civilizations which shaped world history - the religions of ancientMesopotamia, Greece and Egypt. The paper provides reflections on god/human relations and the way people gods were perceived in different societies.
From the Paper "In the kingdom of Egypt, beliefs were different because of its isolated position. Situated in a river valley, surrounded by deserts, Egyptians hardly knew what invasion meant. The Nile, with its mild and indescribably fertile floods, gave the habitants of this region assuredness that the gods were with them. The climate was warm and humid, natural disasters were extremely rare. In other words, the gods loved people, and people loved them; in The Leiden Hymns for example, Amon Ra, was described as the ?all powerful one (yet kindly, / whose heart would lie open to men)? (Norton Anthology 45)."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the epic poem "The Epic of Gilgamesh" from the ancientMesopotamia. The author concedes that although there probably have been different versions and translations of this epic poem, the intended audience for this epic was probably the Sumerians. The paper suggests that whoever wrote the story down knew that history was being made and wanted to preserve it for centuries to come. The paper summarizes the poem and discusses how its historical context allows the reader to understand Gilgamesh and those who lived in his time. The author also calls the poem a historical document as it is the oldest surviving text of which the world is aware.
From the Paper "Gilgamesh is a character that allows us to see into the life of a king. It is no doubt that he and those he lead had a great respect for knowledge. After all, Gilgamesh was searching for the secret to immortality and he was revered for this feat. While he might not have been admired as a king, he was looked upon as sort of a hero for undertaking this journey. The journey that Gilgamesh embarks upon illustrates what man will do to learn the secret of an eternal life. However, in his godly pursuits, Gilgamesh was not above human experiences and emotions because he could not deny who he was."
Abstract The paper looks at the emergence of the ancient cities, where they emerged, and how they evolved in different regions. The paper shows how urban centers have evolved over time in large measure due to man's efforts to exploit the natural world to his advantage. The paper discusses how ancient cities laid the foundation for the modern urban community of today.
From the Paper "The history of the ancient cities of the Mediterranean - indeed, the history of cities everywhere - is an interesting one. To begin with, cities as we understand the term today began to emerge right around the time of the Neolithic revolution as agricultural surplus became sufficient to support heavily-concentrated populations (Brakman et al., 15). In the Mesopotamian world, it appears as though the first genuine city - Eridu - took root around 4900 B.C. This city, like all the others that the Mesopotamians would construct for themselves, had its own patron god and there is evidence that these urban centers had their own education systems (apparently centrally-planned) in addition to being locations that served as religious loci for the people of pre-Christian Mesopotamia."
Abstract This paper discusses how murder occurs in every society and what distinguishes one society from the other is its reaction. It examines the laws regarding murder found in the Hittite and Mesopotamian law codes and determines what they reveal about their respective societies. It compares these laws of the ancient Near East with the laws of contemporary American society to conclude that Near Eastern motifs of personal self worth determined by social class and reimbursement for that self worth are still present, while the theme of compensation in place of revenge has been lost.
From the Paper "Mesopotamian laws, such as Hammurabi's Law Code, were a combination of earlier law codes and new. Here, case law (as seen in the Hittite law codes) was blended with prescriptive law. A prescriptive law did not necessarily need to be founded on precedence, and was used to give proposed boundaries as to what was expected and allowed in a given society. Unlike the Hittite law codes, conclusions drawn about Mesopotamian culture from these laws are less sound because they are not solely based on precedence, and sometimes only the ideal."
Abstract This paper compares the history and development of the Mediterranean civilization to that of the history and development of the civilization of the Near East. The paper compares the political, economic, and social realms, cultural and intellectual ideas, and values and institutions of both civilizations and looks at how each differed in its impact on the creation of Western civilization, as well as the degree of that impact.
From the Paper "Civilization in the ancient Mediterranean (1000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.) arose out of a number of important causes. First, the location of the Mediterranean area between three continents, and the influence of civilizations like Mesopotamia, India and China nearby. Further, the excellent communication by sea, the mild climate, and the invention of writing were important factors in encouraging the development of civilization in the area (Poiycratis)."
Tags:ancient, mesopotamia, india, china, egyptians, hebrews, iran, afghanistan, sumerians
Abstract This paper is an examination of the ancient Mesopotamian creation and flood myth in the story of Atrahasis. Comparisons are briefly made to other Indo-European tales and myths, including Ulysses, Prometheus and Noah from the Judeo-Christian bible. The paper primarily looks at evidence of daily life in the myth of Atrahasis itself with only some comparison to outside tales.
From the Paper "Archaeology has recovered numerous myths from ancient Mesopotamia in the form of stone steles, wall carvings, and especially clay tablets. Most of these stories were written in Akkadian, the general term for a few of the languages of the ancient Sumerians. The stories were originally passed down in an oral cultural history for many hundreds or even possibly thousands of years before they were written in cuneiform. From the Atrahasis and Creation myths of ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia one can learn a great deal about the beliefs and daily lives of the people that told and wrote them down."
Abstract This paper discusses similarities between the ancient Greeks and the ancient Hebrews. It discusses the similarities in terms of both being relatively small kingdoms, both being centered on a few autonomous cities, both with a well-developed religious mythos, and both given to philosophical writings. The paper then compares the ancient Greeks and Hebrews to the ancient Romans.
From the Paper "Ancient Greece and the ancient Hebrews had similar civilizations in many respects, both being relatively small kingdoms, both being centered on a few autonomous cities, both with a well-developed religious mythos, and both given to philosophical writings. Neither civilization was as grandiose or widespread as the Roman civilization that followed, and both were shaped around smaller groupings of warring cities or tribes. The tribes of Israel were unified and held together first by their beliefs, but they clearly lacked many of the elements considered essential to the concept of a nation. The tribes of Israel never acted long as a unit prior to the time of the rise of the monarchy in Palestine. There was before that time only single tribes, and occasionally small groups of tribes intervening in historical events. The term "nation" used to refer to the Israelites cannot be seen as having the same sense when used for other nations."
Abstract This paper discusses ancient Greece and Rome, noting first that the two major city-states in ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta, and these two cities had different social systems and concentrated on perfecting different aspects of life. The writer notes that the ancient Greeks developed a social system that reflected their geography and climate. The writer further points out that the city-state was the name given to the early kingdoms built around a small city, with the largest political unit being the city itself.
From the Paper "The two major city-states in ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta, and these two cities had different social systems and concentrated on perfecting different aspects of life. The ancient Greeks developed a social system that reflected their geography and climate. The city-state was the name given to the early kingdoms built around a small city, with the largest political unit being the city itself. In time, city-states would join together to form larger political units, creating larger kingdoms and eventually empires stretching across much of a continent or other large area. For the Greeks, the city-state was the basic political unit, and the major ones were Athens and Sparta. The leadership in Athens was democratic, while that in Sparta was based more on strong military leaders."
Abstract This paper looks the topic of gynecology in ancient Greece, with a particular focus on the doctor Soranus, who in the early common era wrote a book on the subject. It also provides the content of his theory.
From the Paper "This research examines the topic of gynecology in ancient Greece with a particular focus on the doctor Soranus who in the early common era wrotea book on the subject. The research will set forth the historical and cultural context in which Soranus produced .."
Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which warfare has had a significant effect upon the growth and development of the ancient world. It shows how by tracing the history of warfare from prehistoric times up until the late Roman Empire, it is apparent that war has had a powerful effect on philosophy politics history and rhetoric.
From the Paper "Warfare was a powerful force in the ancient world, effecting both social development and change. Warfare has had a supreme effect on civilizations back to the beginning of recorded history and even into the prehistoric human era. One scholar on the subject points out that war is "both a law of nature and a human invention" (Garlan 23). In other words, warfare is an inescapable part of what it means to be human and yet the ways in which warfare effects social development can change from society to society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which warfare has had a significant effect upon the growth and development of the ancient world. "
