The civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt have many similarities but are very much different. This essay will point out the differences and similarities of how each of these civilizations was governed, how the geography affected the people of these civilizations, the outlook these people had, and the relationship these peoples had to the law. Also the question why does the expansion of the Assyrian Empire in the 8th century BC mark a new stage in Western Civilization will be answered.
The geography of Mesopotamia affected the people in many ways. The people started their cities on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They did this, most likely because agriculture was only possible with good irrigation and drainage. Also because the rivers had an abundant supply of fish, which was a major element of Mesopotamian life. The rivers also provided reeds and clay for raw materials to construct and build. Even though the rivers provided all of this they caused a great amount of destruction and death with unpredictable floods.
Also the geographical maze of Mesopotamia was open desert or swamp, where Nomadic tribes roamed. These factors made it very difficult and dangerous for the people of Mesopotamia to communicate with one another. This made it very difficult to unify Mesopotamia. Therefore, the city-states of Mesopotamia were constantly at war.
The geography of Egypt affected the people there much differently The Nile river valley was very fertile and much easier to farm than the river valleys in Mesopotamia. The Nile flooded very predictably, unlike the rivers of Mesopotamia. Each September the Nile flooded causing it to turn the land into a lagoon or marsh. By the end of November the water recedes leaving behind a thin covering of fertile mud. The Nile gave easy access to travel up and down the river, making communication easy which resulted in unification, much different from Mesopotamia.
