Egypt Vs. Sumer

The Sumerians and the Egyptians are similar yet different people. They both are in similar situations like being along a river and have multiple gods. Although they are in an overall similar situation; their feelings about the lands and gods are almost exactly opposite.

Being next to a river is an essential part of forming a civilization. "Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt" (Hymn to the Nile) (Oliver J. Thatcher). The Nile, in Egypt, is seen as a blessing to the Egyptians. "One moment he sings a joyful song, a moment later he wails like a professional mourner" (Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature). Things in Sumer can change in the blink on an eye. The Euphrates is seen as an enemy you can not live without. Both of the rivers overflow destroying what is on the shores, and placing silt in the ground. The Nile overflows annually around the same time. The Euphrates on the other hand overflows at random and unpredictable times. The Nile is a source of all the things the people need, and its predictability makes for a "happy" Egypt. The Euphrates also provides for the Sumerians, but its lack of predictability is one source for their pessimistic mind set.

The Egyptians and Sumerians have two distinctly different feelings about their world. "If he shines, the earth is joyous..." (Hymn to the Nile) (Oliver J. Thatcher). Egyptians are happy being surrounded by desert. It would be very costly for another group to invade Egypt. The Egyptian Empire to its south and west are covered with deserts. Being surrounded by deserts makes them less susceptible to a strong invasion. "Who can know the will of the gods in heaven" (Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature). The Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature is a sad and dreary story about a man who has lost the favor of the gods and dies. This is a sad story because this is typically how the Mesopotamians feel. This pessimistic mind set is brought forth by multiple reasons. One is the aforementioned rivers overflowing; another is the area around the cities. The areas around Sumer are open for invasion from other civilizations. What makes it worse is that Sumer is close to other civilizations that may want to take over it. The ever present fear of invasion coinciding with the unpredictable river adds to the Sumerians pessimistic feelings.

The feelings towards the gods are also very different. "Come and prosper! O Nile, come and prosper" (Hymn to the Nile) (Oliver J. Thatcher). This is what someone who is happy may say. "My god has not come to rescue nor taken me by the hand" (Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature). This is what a sad person may say. The first is written by an Egyptian and, the second is by a Sumerian. The Egyptians are happy people who are surrounded by loving gods. The gods provide much for them. The Egyptians have a positive attitude towards their gods. They also do more good than harm. However the Sumerians are people who just follow the tide. The gods do provide for them, but at times they ignore the Sumerians. The Sumerians have a negative relationship with their gods. This is another reason for there pessimistic mentality.

The Egyptian and Sumerians are people who are alike but different. The Egyptians have The Nile which only overflows at a set time annually. Also the regions around the Egyptian Empire are mainly deserts that provide protection from strong invasion attempts. Overall the Egyptians are a positive people who see that they are in the favor of the gods. The Sumerians however are not so fortunate. The Euphrates overflows at random intervals. The regions around them provide little to no protection from invasion. Largely the Sumerians are negative people who feel as if they have lost the favor of the gods.

All factual information including an excerpt form Oliver J. Thatcher's "Hymn to the Nile" and from "Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature" were derived from:

The Western Experience, McGraw-Hills, 2006.