Geography, climate, and environment had played a significant role in the development of civilizations, as it had with Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. On one hand, Ancient Greece had evolved drastically from the impact of its surroundings. Given that much of its land comprised of a mountainous terrain as well as being scattered about into numerous small islands, Greece was divided into individual city-states with no central government. As for Ancient Egypt, the land was predominantly isolated by various deserts and bodies of water, such as the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert. Due to a scarce amount of rainfall, life was centered on the Nile River, the longest river worldwide. The impact of these distinct environments influenced their …show more content…
Ancient Greece, for one, had been deprived of ordinary resources, as previously mentioned. Nevertheless, Greece had other minerals and materials that made up for the majority of the land not being suitable for agriculture or containing supplies. The World of the Ancient Greeks by John Camp and Elizabeth Fisher dwells upon this idea by stating that “many areas of Greece also provided excellent marble or limestone for building, fine clays for pottery…and a fair amount of gold, silver, lead and iron”3. With elements as said alongside remarkable trading routes, the financial growth improved. Considering how the climate within Ancient Greece would be appropriate for cultivation, the assortment of plants, nuts and fruits that are created served as admirable source of food to distribute amongst the Greeks. Additional food also indicates that these types of food could be traded together with the naturally occurring minerals for a greater financial growth. This was especially perceptible in Ancient Egypt, with the knowledge that it contained arable land, a central water source, and much-desired floods. These factors had resulted in proper irrigation and growth of produces. The floods of the Nile had allowed for land to remain fertile with the minimal rainfall occasions, and permitted for further trading of food between societies. This was noted by Alan B. Lloyd, where he observes, “Nile …show more content…
In Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, both civilizations had based their religious perceptions in accordance to their land. The gods and goddesses worshipped by the Ancient Greeks were all based on nature, given that the Greeks were afraid that nature might interfere negatively with their lives. The environment in Greece was an important aspect to survival, which led to the people believing that nature could show leniency to them if they were worshipped. The authors of Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History point out that, “It is no wonder, considering the extent to which the Greeks were at the mercy of the land, sky, and sea, that the gods they worshipped were personifications of the elements and forces of nature”5. This was exemplified in Ancient Egypt as well, for their gods and goddesses had been derived from nature and its cycles. Alan B. Lloyd notes, “Nothing formed ancient Egyptian culture and religion more than its landscapes…Dietres represented specific aspects of landscapes, while creation myths reflected an annual environmental cycle”6. In this situation, the people of Ancient Greece and Egypt both dealt with gods and goddesses of nature in hope for good fortune and resources. Every characteristic of nature was defined by a different god in both Greek and Egyptian
During the years of 3500 BC to 2500 BC, the geography of a land often impacted a civilizations development in great measures. Depending on the resources available or the detriments present due to certain topographical characteristics like rivers or deserts, a civilization could flourish or collapse. By studying the geographic features of growing societies like the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris Rivers as well as the Mediterranean Sea of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the link between developing cultures and geography will be examined through sources, including Egypt: Ancient Culture, Modern Land edited by Jaromir Malek and Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek. To determine the extent of its influence, this investigation will attempt to compare and contrast the role of geography in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, focusing on the civilizations’ various periods of development and settlement.
The first way that the Nile shaped Ancient Egypt was through population distribution. According to document A, the map of Ancient Egypt, a lot of people lived among the Nile. But a majority lived by the delta. Living among the Nile and by the delta gave people fresh drinking water, good farmland, and ways of trading and transportation. The Red Land was land desert area that protected
Geography affected the River Valley of Ancient Egypt in many ways. The flooding of the Nile River left behind a rich black silt along its river banks, that was used for farming. The Nile River was very predictable and flooded every year from June to September. This lead to a food surplus and a stable society. Also, it was easy to travel on the Nile which helped King Mene unify Egypt for the first time in 3100 BCE. Egypt had the best natural boundaries of all the river valleys. They were surrounded by the Saharan desert to the east, west, and south. To the north lay only the Mediterranean Sea. This lead to protection from attackers. Egypt had bountiful natural resources. They had gold, metals, stone and salts. But they lacked fine wood. There resources gave them the ability to trade away some of their resources for what they lacked. Egypt had great geographical conditions and th...
Then by some chance, the river Nile formed and allowed Egypt to fructify into a populous civilization. Evidently, the river Nile affected a number of factors in Egypt’s development. Agriculture became widespread and possible due to the stable periodic inundation of the Nile, while the art and culture of the Egyptians became much more sophisticated and refined by the influences of the Nile. Commerce was manifest by the Nile when foreign countries sailed by the Nile to make their trades. Despite the Nile not being the only factor in affecting ancient Egypt’s trade and culture, the river itself is satisfactory enough, in that removing it from Egypt’s geography will significantly change the course of Egyptian trade and culture. Therefore, it is certain to declare that the Nile river has indeed substantially affected the agriculture, trade, and culture of ancient
The Nile’s geography impacted Ancient Egypt and its civilization. There were the deserts surrounding the Nile, the Sea, and the Nile River itself. To the east and west of the Nile there were deserts that could help protect the Ancient Egyptians and prevent
The locations of both of these civilizations has guided them through survival and existence. Ancient Egypt was located near the Nile River, which produced a fertile area in the middle of a desert. The people relied on this sector for two effects, which were food and water and the environment
Officially titled the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a country whose historical and cultural heritage continues to influence the modern world through art, philosophy and politics. Greece is located in southern europe. Critically placed at the byroads of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. Greece shares land borders with four countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Republic of Macedonia. The country is greatly consumed by water to the south with over 1,400 islands, the largest of them being Crete. Over eighty percent of Greece is of mountains, the largest and most culturally significant being mount Olympus, which in Greek mythology is the resting place of the twelve olympians. Greece is a country which is filled with aesthetically pleasing landmarks which have existed for thousands of years and are deemed historically significant. These include, but are not limited to the Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens, Panathenaic stadium, Mount Athos, Sounion (where the temple of Poseidon lays), Temple of Hephaestus and Theatre of Dionysus. These are just a few of the influential landmarks this authentic country possesses.
Approximately 5500 years ago four of the worlds' most prestigious ancient river civilizations had emerged. Our world has been left in astonishment and awe wondering how these civilizations were developed. Egypt and Mesopotamia were the first ancient river civilizations to create cities and their own ways of living. Society, geography, and religion played an enormous role in the development of the ancient cities. Although there is evidence of early Sumerian contact with the Egyptians, Egypt's civilization was largely self-generated and its history and cultural patterns differed from Mesopotamia.
According to history there existed two of many important ancient civilizations that left a significant mark in the history of human development that even today leaves modern society in awe of its greatness. In spite of being distant civilizations, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece share similarities and difference in terms of how they practiced religion,political structure, everyday life style, and how they built the monumental architectures that continued to amaze the modern world of today. These comparison and contrast explain their difference in history and their dynasty's long term success. Through the early developmental age these two ancient civilizations contrasted in many ways perhaps due to the geographical location that helped shape their diverse cultures.
In Ancient Greece they use many of their geography to help them be the civilization that they wanted to be. The mountains help them be isolated and separate from other city-state making them more independent. They use the Mediterranean Sea to provide farming to provide additional crops, but they became master sailors and developed a large trading network to be able to trade with others. The climate was always hot and dry, which sometimes affected the growth of the crops for that season.
The Greek climate is referred as a ‘mediterranean climate’. It receives mild and rainy winters; and warm and dry summers. The top part of Greece can although be cold reaching temperatures of 9°c and snow is common for this part of the country. The bottom half of Greece (consisting of islands) will have milder winters. During the whole of Greece snowfall can be expected for the top of mountains. Summer in Greece is very hot, reaching consistent temperatures of 30-35°c +. Though the east of Greece a strong northern wind known as “Meltemi” sweeps through creating relief for the nation.
Every idea has a start and a history that can be traced back in time. An incredible amount of these ideas and thoughts were started by great ancient civilizations. These ancient civilizations are the base of all modern knowledge. No ancient civilization has contributed more to this base than the civilization of Ancient Greece. The unique ways of ancient Greek agriculture have left a profound influence on the agriculture of today.
Throughout history, there have been several significant architectural movements. The last, and perhaps most enduring movement is that of Classic Greece. Although for centuries, the architecture of ancient Greece has been admired, mimicked, and replicated, its beginnings are somewhat surprising to one unfamiliar with the history of the region. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Classic Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate its form, function, and beauty. “Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general. The formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (metmuseum.org).
Greece is a country with an interesting geography that is diverse in many senses. The location of Greece itself, as well as the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere come together to form the cumulative geography of the country. These categories of geography interact with each other to form Greece as it is. The location, its longitude and latitude, effects the country’s climate, or its atmosphere. Likewise, the country’s relationship to water, the hydrosphere also effects the climate. This is just one example of how the different categories and characteristics of a place’s geography can effect it.
Providing extremely fertile soil is one, if not the most important, roles the Nile River played in the life of the ancient Egyptians. By providing fertile soil, the Nile made it easy for cities and civilizations to grow alongside the banks of the river. This fertile soil comes from the annual flooding of the Nile. This replenishes the top soil with silt deposits that hold much needed nutrients for crops to grow. Ancient Egyptians developed highly complex irrigation methods to maximize the effect of the Nile waters. When the Nile overflows in mid summer, Egyptians divert the waters through the use of canals and dams. As the water seeped into the farm land, rich deposits of silt ensured a good harvest for the year. This allows the civilizations of Egyptians to grow enough food to feed the community. Without the annual flooding of the Nile, Egyptians would have a very difficult time growing necessary amount food to sustain life. Most of the land in the Egyptian nation is dry desert. Very little rain falls year round here. The river provides the needed water to grow the crops as well as provide drinking water for the people. Th...