| otamian, Ancient Egyptian, Hellenistic Greek, and | | | | bodies. Macedon was also kind of buffer to protect |
| Roman were great civilizations that enormously | | | | the rest of the Greek empire from the aggressive |
| influenced the following development of the world. | | | | neighbors. However, Macedonians were always |
| Each civilization contributed a large amount of | | | | unappreciated by their fellow Greeks. Hellenistic era |
| it’s achievements to the overall progress of the | | | | was also called "the age of the Greeks" because |
| world. However, I think that Hellenistic Greek was the | | | | Greeks’ culture was spread all over the world. |
| most important out of the chosen civilizations to impact | | | | Unlike the previous civilizations Greeks were not afraid |
| the world. Hellenistic Greek was the culmination of the | | | | of finding something new about the Earth. Greeks |
| advancement of the ancient world. By using the | | | | were the first to find out that the earth was round. |
| following comparison of these civilizations I will try to | | | | Greeks wanted to know more about the universe, |
| prove my point of view of Hellenistic Greek being the | | | | heavens, and themselves. They studied the sky, moon, |
| greatest. | | | | connection to other planets. |
| Mesopotamian is one of the oldest civilizations in the | | | | The main fact that reminds us about the Hellenic |
| world. It is very interesting that Mesopotamians had a | | | | architecture is Hellenic Pyramids. Greeks borrowed the |
| started some sort of democracy. They solved all the | | | | idea from the Egyptians. Greeks also got a lot |
| rising questions and problems by public assemblies and | | | | assembled in their culture from different cultures. By |
| voting. They used debates to have pros and cons | | | | doing this they created the best known culture at that |
| presented and then decided about the following | | | | time. By the 300's BC, in the Hellenistic period, there are |
| actions or solutions. However, their class structure was | | | | some new architectural types. Less time is spent on |
| sharply divided. At the top were kings and noble | | | | temples. The new form is the theater, and many |
| classes. There were also slaves who could engage in | | | | theaters are built all over the Greek world. Also, there |
| business, own property, and even testify in court. | | | | is new interest in town planning at this time: streets |
| The daily life of Mesopotamians was very boring. | | | | begin to be laid out in straight lines, instead of just |
| They only worked and worshiped their gods. The main | | | | developing naturally. With the conquests of Alexander |
| industry that people were engaged in was agriculture. | | | | the Great, architecture becomes an important way to |
| The tools used to work in the field were made out of | | | | spread Greek culture and show who is in charge in the |
| stone. This shows not much of the progress in | | | | conquered countries. |
| innovations that would make the very day life much | | | | The main trend in philosophy at that time was unique |
| easier. | | | | that was never practiced before. It was called |
| The main reminding of Mesopotamian art are the | | | | autarkeia which meant self-sufficiency. It was |
| frescoes that were found as decorations of sanctuary | | | | introduced by cynics who were headed by Diogenes. |
| rooms. Bull and bear heads were also used as | | | | Behind his rejection of traditional allegiances lay a |
| decorations. Scholars also found drawings that | | | | profound concern with moral values. What matters to |
| probably were the musical notes for Mesopotamians. | | | | human beings, he taught, was not social status or |
| Mesopotamian did not achieve much in architecture. | | | | nationality but individual well-being. |
| Their houses were plain without any decorations which | | | | The Hellenic language is the most perfect human |
| is probably the result of people being busy working and | | | | achievement in the linguistic field. And this, of course, is |
| not having time to decorate their houses. | | | | not incidental. This language, therefore, is the creation |
| Mesopotamian philosophy is revealed in their myths | | | | of people with superior thought and mental |
| that were the combination of Babylonian, Assyrian, | | | | consistency. The qualities characterizing the language |
| Akkadian and Sumerian myths. Each of these regions | | | | of the Hellenes, also characterize their being. Proof is |
| had their own myths but due to the closeness all of | | | | that the same qualities (clarity, providence, power, |
| them were related and had a lot of similarities. Myths | | | | expressional wealth etc) are found in their mental and |
| were mostly about the religious events and importance | | | | artistic creations. |
| of worshiping their ancestors. Most of the writing, | | | | Roman civilization was basically a copy of Greek. That |
| though, that survived from Mesopotamian times | | | | is the main reason why I think it is not as great as |
| consist of laws, accounting records, list of kings and | | | | Greek. The conduct of political affairs was heavily |
| enemies. | | | | dominated by the senatorial class, particularly by a |
| Ancient Egypt had a different concept of political | | | | small number of noble families. The upper classes |
| structure comparing to Mesopotamia. In Egypt it was | | | | generally followed one of two informal political factions: |
| all up to the pharaoh and there were no debates and | | | | Populares ("the party of the people") Optimates ("the |
| public discussions. The social structure was similar to | | | | party of the best men" or of the aristocrats). |
| the Mesopotamian. On the very top was the pharaoh, | | | | The main occupation of Romans was agriculture. |
| then vizier, then high priests and nobles, then priests, | | | | Latium which was the area around Rome was an |
| engineers and doctors, then scribes and craftsmen. On | | | | agricultural region. That is very similar to all civilizations |
| the very bottom of the social pyramid were soldiers, | | | | that I wrote before. Romans also had a new industry |
| farmers and tomb builders. | | | | – pottery. Pottery was introduced from |
| Agriculture was the main occupation for Egyptians just | | | | Campania and the art of bronze-casting from Etruria. |
| like for Mesopotamians. The Egyptians were one of | | | | A Roman would usually get up early and work a six |
| the first groups on earth to begin farming, probably | | | | hour day. |
| around 10,000 BC. They were also great at building. | | | | One distinct difference between the civilized Roman |
| The Egyptian pyramids were built throughout ages and | | | | world and others was their housing. Whereas others |
| still remain one of the wonders of the world. | | | | lived in primitive huts, Rome took to housing its people |
| Most of what we know about Egyptian art comes | | | | in sophisticated brick-built houses, not so different from |
| from the paintings the Egyptians created in the tombs | | | | what people live in today. The Romans brought a lot |
| of rich people when they died. It is very similar to | | | | of new ideas to architecture, of which the three most |
| Mesopotamians. These pictures were supposed to | | | | important are the arch, the baked brick, and the use of |
| help the dead person when he or she reached the | | | | cement and concrete. |
| next world, where the Egyptians thought a person | | | | Roman art grows out of Etruscan art and at first it is a |
| lived after the death in this world. So the paintings | | | | lot like Etruscan art. Because of this, it has a close |
| showed all sorts of things that people did in their | | | | relationship to Greek art as well. Roman art as a type |
| regular lives. | | | | of its own really gets going around 500 BC. The |
| Egyptian homes were made of dried mud bricks. | | | | Romans were particularly interested in portraiture: in |
| Towns had small narrow streets. Throughout the | | | | making statues that really looked like one particular |
| Egyptian history the styles in architecture were | | | | person, especially a famous person. As was the habit |
| changing. In the beginning, they built mainly mastabas, a | | | | of Roman society, the Romans did not invent their |
| kind of tomb with a flat roof like a house. Then during | | | | music. The music of Rome has its origins in Greek |
| most of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians built the | | | | traditions. Our term for music itself is derived from the |
| pyramid tombs which are now so famous. In the | | | | Greek term Mousike, which means "the art of the |
| Middle Kingdom, the mastaba tomb came back again, | | | | muses." Early Greek music was purely melodic, or |
| although in a more elaborate form for the Pharaohs. | | | | homophonic, utilizing only one melody without chordal |
| No more pyramids were built. Finally in the New | | | | accompaniment. The Greek musical system used |
| Kingdom there was a lot of building that was not | | | | Pythagorean mathematics to organize the chief |
| tombs: temples for the gods especially, but also | | | | concodant intervals according to simple numerical |
| palaces for the Pharaohs. | | | | ratios. |
| The main philosophy of the Egyptians was to be afraid | | | | Roman philosophy is thoroughly grounded in the |
| of nature gods. They believed in Gods, sacrificed, and | | | | traditions of Greek philosophy. Interest in the subject |
| were afraid of them. Each natural thing had its own | | | | was first excited at Rome in 155 BC by an Athenian |
| God. What we have left of Egyptian writing, like | | | | embassy, consisting of the Academic Carneades, the |
| Egyptian art, mostly comes out of tombs. Because of | | | | Stoic Diogenes, and the Peripatetic Critolaus. Of more |
| this, most of what we have left is prayers. Other | | | | permanent influence was the work of the Stoic |
| writing like laws and lists of who gave their fair share | | | | Panaetius, the friend of the younger Scipio and of |
| to the temple mostly has rotted away over the years. | | | | Laelius; but a thorough study of Greek philosophy was |
| We do not know whether the Egyptians wrote novels | | | | first introduced in the time of Cicero and Varro. In a |
| or stories, but if they did then these stories have also | | | | number of works they tried to make it accessible |
| rotted away. | | | | even to those of their countrymen who were outside |
| The civilization that I believe is the greatest is Hellenistic | | | | the learned circles. |
| Greek. During the Hellenic era Macedon was the most | | | | Roman authors turned primarily to Greek sources, |
| popular, important, and interesting city-state of Greece. | | | | when composing the cultural heritage that became |
| Hellenistic Greece was more similar to Mesopotamia | | | | known as Roman ancient culture. For example Virgil, |
| than to Egypt in its political structure. Huge Greece | | | | when describing the mythical origins of Rome in his |
| was divided into city-states that has own governing | | | | Aeneid, turned to Homer's tales about Troy. |