Thesis:
Greek and Aztec world views were both greatly influenced by their unique geography.
Geography. Greeks. Aztecs. Is there a connection between them? The correct answer is yes, and the following essay will take you on a journey that explores and proves thatis statement: Greek and Aztec world views were greatly influenced by their unique geographies.
Excellent examples of how Greek and Aztec world views were influenced by their geographies are their tThe Greek and Aztec eEarth creation myths are excellent examples of how their world views weare influenced by their geographies. At the end of the Greek creation myth, Zeus becomes the ultimate ruler, ruling …show more content…
over all twelve other Greek gods and goddesses. The myth states that they rule on Mount Olympus, which is a mountain located in Greece, near the Gulf of Salonika. How does this relate to the geography? Well, Mainland Greece is located near Southern Europe, on mountainous land that is almost completely surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. This means that this land consisted of numerousmany, many mountains, which definitely influenced thiseir creation myth, since Zeus, as well as the other twelve gods and goddesses, ended up ruling on Mt. Olympus. The Aztec creation myth was also influenced by geography. In the ancient Aztec society’ss’ fourth attempt to create the Earth, Chalchiuhtlicue, the water goddess, became the sun. This made Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl, the sons of Otemeol, the ultimate ruler, very furious. Together, they struck her out of the sky, and the myth says that as Chalchiuhtlicue fellwas falling down, water came and flooded the Earth completely. The Aztecs lived on a small, swampy island near the Gulf of Mexico, where flooding was a common occurrence. Therefore it makes perfect sense that the Aztecs’ geography affected their creation myth, specifically their fourth Eearth creation myth.
In addition to the creation beliefs being influenced, the Greek and Aztec religious beliefs were also influenced by their unique geographies. The Greeks’ island home containedsisted of an abundaent supply of mountains and trees, and from them, they obtained natural resources, such as rock and wood. They used this large amount of material to build sepaerate temples for each one of their gods to worship them. There are also many instances in which a temple’s surroundings helped express the god of that temple. For example, the temple located in Sounian, which wasis dedicated to Poseidon, has a spectacular view of water from all sides. This reflects Poseidon’s character well, since he is the Greek god of the sea and the protector of all aquatic organisms. This is how Greek temple building to worship their gods was influenced by their geography. As stated before, tThe Aztecs lived on a small, swampy island with very little high land, such as mountains. They believed that their gods ruled high up in the sky, and the higher up they were, the closer they were to them. Because of this, they saw the mountains as a sacred/holy placesite, since they brought them closer to the sky, therefore closer to their gods. The Aztecs also built temples in the shape of mountains, which they called Teocalli. For example, one of the main temples, the Templo Mayor, which is called Hueteocalli by the Aztecs, is dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the war god, and Tlaloc, the rain god. This temple is also built in the shape of a mountain. This is how the geography impacted the religious worship beliefs of both the Greeks and Aztecs.
The Greek and Aztec ways of life were greatly affected by geography as well.
Ancient Greece consisted of many, many small islands, surrounded mostly by the Meditterranean sea. The climate inland was hot and humid, therefore difficult to work and live in, because crops and such were hard to grow. Whilst, near the sea, there were several agricultural advantages, such as more mild temperature, which attracted many people to live there. Living by the coast also meant new job opportunities for Greek citizens. These opportunities included becoming farmers, sailors, pirates, traders, fishermean and muchmany more. The society was also stable, with many cities becoming independent states. Furthermore, this meant that there were many new opportunities for colonization. This was ultimately influenced by their geography, because the sea was the foundation for this new way of life in Ancient Greece. The Greeks were not the only ones whose way of life influenced their economy. The Aztecs’ way of life was geographically influenced as well. In lots ofmany, many ways, the Aztecs’ home was not the ideal living location. It was a small, swampy island in a lake with salty water, surrounded by a few mountains. Why did they stay there? Why did they not move? Well, rReligion was very significant to the Aztecs, therefore the belief that one of the their gods: Huitzilopochtli, led them there, and wanted them to settle down there, gave them determination to survive. Upon arrival, the mountains that surrounded this island immediately gave the Aztecs a sense of security. They hoped that the mountains, much like a shield, would protect them from invaders. While these mountains protected them and kept them safe, they also posed a few major problems. For example, because the mountains were so steep, rain stormscould cause flash-floods in low-lying areas. In 1500, after a large flood occurred, Aztec engineers built a dam all the way across the lake, to the east of the island. This, as they hoped,
helped control the water levels. Soon, they were faced with another problem: drought. During times of drought, the Aztecs had to find a way to ensure they had clean, drinking water available. To do this, they built an aqueduct, which is a structure that brings in fresh water from underground springs outside of their city. This is all proof that geography greatly impacted the Ancient Greeks’ and Aztecs’ ways of life.
What a journey! One could have never guessed that geography played a large role in Greek and Aztec World Views, but the above information precisely proves that correct. With this new knowledge, people should be concious and respectful towards these two unique religions and their connections to their seperate geographies.