Mesopotamia
Alexander Salazar
Prof. Bailey
Humanities 2011/70T
Egypt vs. Mesopotamia Essay
October 8, 2012
Mesopotamia
The founding of the western civilization attributes its beginnings not solely on one civilization or culture, but several. Other civilizations have impacted the concept of the western civilization more than others. Mesopotamia has affected the western civilization more than the Egyptian culture had through their writing system, legal system, and their architecture and discoveries.
Any civilization to actually be considered a civilization and to function they would need some sort of a formal writing system. Any civilization that has a language would certainly be an influence to the western civilization, but the reason in why I believe Mesopotamia had much influence on the concept of western civilization is because they were the first ones to have a formal writing system. Any other civilization would be an influence to the concept because of their own language, but since most languages are originated from cuneiform, which adapted into other languages through the centuries including the language we use today. Mesopotamia has affected more than we think, having the first writing system has changed the world from there, as their language being the base for languages around the world.
Their legal system was theocratic rules in which religion and politics are one do not have the same effect on the contribution to the western civilization as language did, but the way the ruled their nation did. The Code of Hammurabi, a set of laws written on a stele, was posted on a hill so the citizens would know what consequences were to the actions they could make. Unlike other nations that punishment would be decided strictly to what the king decided. In today’s world not every single law is posted on a hill but is written, voted on, recorded and announce. King Hammurabi came up with all the laws by gathering laws around the civilizations near his empire, and wrote his
Prof. Bailey
Humanities 2011/70T
Egypt vs. Mesopotamia Essay
October 8, 2012
Mesopotamia
The founding of the western civilization attributes its beginnings not solely on one civilization or culture, but several. Other civilizations have impacted the concept of the western civilization more than others. Mesopotamia has affected the western civilization more than the Egyptian culture had through their writing system, legal system, and their architecture and discoveries.
Any civilization to actually be considered a civilization and to function they would need some sort of a formal writing system. Any civilization that has a language would certainly be an influence to the western civilization, but the reason in why I believe Mesopotamia had much influence on the concept of western civilization is because they were the first ones to have a formal writing system. Any other civilization would be an influence to the concept because of their own language, but since most languages are originated from cuneiform, which adapted into other languages through the centuries including the language we use today. Mesopotamia has affected more than we think, having the first writing system has changed the world from there, as their language being the base for languages around the world.
Their legal system was theocratic rules in which religion and politics are one do not have the same effect on the contribution to the western civilization as language did, but the way the ruled their nation did. The Code of Hammurabi, a set of laws written on a stele, was posted on a hill so the citizens would know what consequences were to the actions they could make. Unlike other nations that punishment would be decided strictly to what the king decided. In today’s world not every single law is posted on a hill but is written, voted on, recorded and announce. King Hammurabi came up with all the laws by gathering laws around the civilizations near his empire, and wrote his