...Chris Sinvil IHHIST 399-06 12-5-14 Dying gods In all ancient cultures myths were used to explain the phenomenon’s in the world before we truly knew why things happened the way they did. In this paper I will be comparing two fairly similar myths from different cultures. The first myth is the ancient Egyptian myth about Isis and Osiris. And the second myth is the Mesopotamian story of Inannas descent to the under world. First I will summarize both myths and then talk about what their purpose was. Then I will compare and contrast two too show just how similar they are. Firstly comes the myth of Isis and Osiris. As with much of the ancient Egyptian mythology, there are various versions of the story of Isis and Osiris, but basically it goes like this. Osiris was an earthly ruler, who was popular with the people who he ruled over. He was married to his sister, the beautiful Isis. His brother, Set, was very jealous of this popularity and title, so he plotted against Osiris. Osiris never realized Set’s true devious intentions but Isis had always had a sense that set was up to no good. Set's plans to be rid of his brother started when he secretly obtained his brothers measurements and had a magnificent casket made to fit. This casket was in the form of a human shaped box. Set then organized a large feast to which Osiris and a number of others were invited. At the peak of the festivities Set produced the casket and announced that it would be given to whomever it fitted. All...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...Politics: Kypseli is a small village on the Island of Thera in rural Greece. Thera was conquered by the Greeks, then the Spartans, then the Romans, then the Byzantine Empire (who introduced them to Christianity and converted the old Roman temples into churches), then the Venetians, then the Turks, and then back to the Greeks. Language: The language used by natives to communicate is fast-paced and uses the “ah” sound extensively. Aesthetics/Art: The people of Kypseli utilize the violin, the acoustic guitar and the recorder coupled with nasal singing to produce music for cultural ceremonies such as weddings. The women of Kypseli wear head coverings that are usually white and short, sleeveless dresses that usually either patterned or striped. Kypseli women will wear black if their husbands die, making them a widow. Men usually wear collared shirts and usually rolled up pants. Both men and women either are barefoot or wear sandals. Most of their dancing consists of dancing in a circle and holding hands. Society: Peasants make up the population of Kypseli. The dominant sub-category for society are gender roles. Space, objects and animals are divided by gender and/or time of day. For example, women perform activities in the courtyard during the morning until mid-day. Then the men come during the afternoon and use the courtyard to fix their tools and/or smoke. Also, men usually own the valuable items and tools while the only valuable tool a woman could hope to own is a sewing machine...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...your prespectives of what you have read to share as a team. PLEASE RESPECT THE DUE DATES FOR EACH PERSON TO REVIEW AS A TEAM Danny: (pages 79-82) Petra: (pages 83-85) Imhotep The Pyramid of Zoser, emerged in the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c.2700 B.C.) (Boorstin, 1992). Pyramid of Zoser was noticed for the use of masonry casing. Imhotep was a recognized architect and Founding Father of the great Third Dynasty pharaoh Zoser as a patron of writing between c. 2613-2686 B.C. (Boorstin, 1992). Imhotep consulted and inspired scribes prior to writing. He was also inspired by the scribes as “poured a libation to him from their writing jar” (Boorstin, 1992). Two thousand years and centuries after his death as a mythical founder of Egyptian medicine and recognition of a divine status his proverbs are echoed (Boorstin, 1992). After his death devotees prayed for revelations of cures in dreams by honoring Imhotep by building a temple in Memphis on the island of Philae in the Nile. Greeks later recognize Imhotep as their medicine god and named him Asklepios (Boorstin, 1992). Details of the Step Pyramid In Cairo at Saqqara Imhotep’s step pyramid remains the world’s oldest hewn stone (Boorstin, 1992). The rectangular structure of stone is layered on the outside of six steps. The base measures 597 yards north to south and 304 east to west, with a 200 feet height. The...
Words: 1306 - Pages: 6
...2011 Egyptian Religion Religion is defined by many people as a belief in a “greater power” as well as personal morals. Most religions usually include a system of values as well as various practices. Egyptian religion included their ancient gods, the mythology of the gods, and other parts of their religion. For example their religion explained and included creation, death and the afterlife, and the cults that worshiped the gods. In Egypt, the king or pharaoh played a very important part in their religion and what the gods expected of the people also. Egyptian religion consisted of many myths and rituals too. Religion was a very influential part of Ancient Egyptian culture and shaped their ancient civilization of the Nile greatly. Like most other cultures, the ancient Egyptians wanted to find the meaning for their existence, but there were also other influences on their religion, such as the need to justify kingship, along with many others. Egyptians have numerous Gods in there culture and they feel that the Gods walk among them, invisibly on Earth. Ra is the most central God of the Egyptian gods. Known as the sun god, Ra was the most important element of life in ancient Egypt and represented light, warmth, and growth. Ra embodies the Egyptian beliefs of order and truth, and he signifies the cycle of birth, life and death. Of all the ancient Egyptian Gods Anubis is frequently the one referred to as the gatekeeper of the underworld and god of death. The Egyptian goddess...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...Christianity and Religion of Ancient Egypt Is it possible that Christianity came from Ancient Egypt? Probably yes. There are several facts, which prove it. Although Egyptian temples were destroyed, manuscripts were burned and the statues of Gods were broken, Egyptian religion is still alive and the Gods rise repeatedly but in different forms. Regeneration There were a lot of solemn rites in Egypt due to death and resurrection of Osiris, for example: funerary ceremony where the main symbol of deceased was grain, planted in wet ground in clay jar .The appearance of plant meant revival with Osiris`s protection. The underground world in Egyptian culture was pledge of plants` regeneration through fat land containing moisture, it meant that those people whose bodies were buried into the ground, had an opportunity to regenerate, although in another form. The idea of dying and revival God was an essential discovery. Many nations took over the concept. Most historians are sure that The Bible stories about Christ`s life, death and resurrection are renewed version of Egyptian myth. Osiris, among all Gods, was more familiar and understandable for the nation: as a man and God, virtuous and suffered without any guilt and then awarded with eternity, in one time. U.Budge said:” The main reason why the Osiris cult existed was promise of timeless life for his followers.” Even after acceptance of Christianity Egyptians continued to mummify deceased people and combine attributes of their...
Words: 1479 - Pages: 6
...and monotheism. Polytheism believes in multiple deities called god and goddesses. Monotheism is the belief that only one god exists. Some believers of polytheism include Hinduism, Buddhism, ancient Egyptians, and ancient Mesopotamia. Hinduism believes that all deities are separate entities. Most people believe in different deities expanding from a single God. That one single entity is never defined and for the most part Hindus continue to hold one God above all others. They believe in Brahman he is the universal soul, and it is said that all men are considered Brahmans. Buddhism believes in “the Buddha” Siddhartha Gautama. The Buddha looks with a kind heart equally on all living beings, and they call him father. Buddha can be anything you worship because in Buddhism there is no absolute god. In the ancient Egyptian religion they saw the actions of the gods behind all the elements and forces of nature. However, they did not believe that the gods merely controlled these events that took place in their lives, but that each element of nature was a divine force in itself. The Egyptians believed in a multitude of gods, which were involved in every aspect of nature and their society. Egyptian myths about the gods were meant to help explain the origins and behavior events. In the ancient Mesopotamians religion...
Words: 1280 - Pages: 6
...Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, which means the worship of many deities, except for during the reign of Akenaton. During the reign of Akenaton, more than 3,000 years of development, Egyptian religion underwent significant changes of emphasis and practice, but in all periods religion had a clear consistency in character and style. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. Some, such as Amun, Isis, Osiris, and Horus, were worshipped throughout the whole country, while others had only a local following. There were two essential foci of public religion: the king and the gods. Both are among the most characteristic features of Egyptian civilization. The king had a unique status between humanity and the gods, partook in the world of the gods, and constructed great, religiously motivated funerary monuments for his afterlife. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains the major ideas and beliefs in the ancient Egyptian religion. Because their religion stressed an afterlife, Egyptians devoted much time and wealth to preparing for survival in the next world. Tombs were placed if possible in the desert. Vast resources were expended on creating prestigious burial places for absolute rulers or wealthy officials. Tombs contained elaborate grave goods (mostly plundered soon after deposition), representations of “daily life,” or less commonly of religious subjects, and some texts that were intended to help the deceased attain...
Words: 3472 - Pages: 14
...Egypt Dialectical Notes Text | Response | The story of Osiris, Isis, and Horus was very well known in Egypt.Numerous references to parts of the story exist in ancient Egyptian sources, the Pyramid Texts, and the Book of the DeadThoth then added the 5 days he had won from moon to the normal solar year of 360 daysWhen he began his rule, his people were nomads. They lived a simple life, wandering from place to place and gathering the fruits of the earth. Osiris united these tribes and taught them to be highly civilized people. He taught them the art of farming so they could acquire more and better foods from the earth…Osiris had hardly settled himself inside the box when the conspirators quickly picked up the cover, placed it upon the box, and nailed it down imprisoning the unsuspecting king. To make certain that Osiris would suffocate, they poured melted led over the box.Nut gave birth to 5 children.In time, Isis gave birth to Osiris’s son whom she named Horus.I shall teach you the words of power that will protect Horus from death on earth, in the world above, and in the other worldThe infant had been restored to lifeOnce Osiris was properly buried, Horus prepared to do his part to return his father to life. He led Isis and Nephthys to the world of the dead where they found Osiris.. gradually the dead god came to life.Horus then rore after Isis … when he caught her, he fought as fiercely as he had fought with set. Finally, Horus cut off her head.Thoth immediately used his...
Words: 450 - Pages: 2
...Greek Revival The Greek Revival started in Europe in the 1750’s when James Stuart and Nicolas Revett visited Greece. They published the Antiquities of Athens which was the first accurate survey of ancient Greek architecture. The most distinguishing feature of Greek Revival are the columns giving the appearance of Greek temples. In Greece, the temples were built of marble painted in primary colors. When they were discovered by Europeans in the eighteenth century, the paint was gone. Therefore, people associate the Greek Revival with white. William Strickland (1788-1854) was instrumental in the growth of the Greek Revival style in America. He was the son of a carpenter who worked constructing the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Benjamin Latrobe, the designer of the bank, took Strickland on as an assistant for three years. In 1818, William Strickland submitted a design for the Second Bank of the United States, in Philadelphia. Nicholas Biddle, the president of the bank, more than likely chose Strickland’s design because it was based on a Greek temple. William Strickland relied heavily on the information in Stuart and Revett’s Antiquities of Athens, for inspiration for his designs. After the success of the Second Bank, Strickland received a series of commissions in the 1820s and 1830s for public buildings in Philadelphia one of which was the Merchants’ Exchange. Ammi Burnham Young (1798-1874) was one of the first American-born professional architects to work...
Words: 471 - Pages: 2
...Greek Architecture Katisha Baker ART/101 Shahara Godfrey, Ph.D. March 10, 2013 Greek Architecture Greek architecture began to be revitalized during the 7th century. Initially, Greek architecture was constructed from wood and mud. The buildings we see today are made largely of limestone. The three periods expressed in these later building are Classical, Hellenistic and Roman. Limestone was quarried and cut into large blocks dressed to fit the need of the builders. Some buildings were constructed from marble. However, this material was prohibitively expensive. Marble was used for sculpture. The main styles of Greek architecture are Ionic and Doric. The Doric style dominated in most of Greece and in Italy. The Doric style is the more formal of the two, with the Ionic style being more decorative and relaxed. A shining example of Greek architecture in the Doric style is the Parthenon. Roman architecture, which is considered to be more advanced in its design and engineering, uses three types of columns. Their most common type is made in the Doric style. It is plain and was used when very heavy structures required support. The Ionic style was, again, employed when more decorative ends were being met. The third type is the Corinthian style column. It has finer details and is considered superior in many ways to the other two types. Roman architecture also employed the use of arches. These were stunning and baffling in their day. The use of arches led to the development of the...
Words: 552 - Pages: 3
...Ancient Egypt was a mesmerizing and intricate place. According to Herodotus, the father of history, Egypt is “the gift of the Nile”. The Egyptian Civilization was also one of the earliest civilizations in the history. Luckily for historians, Egyptians had made immense strides in record keeping which have made exploring their culture and society much simpler than some previous historical eras. Egyptian art and architecture has ventured all the way through the centuries as one of the most prominent occurrence in human civilization. Starting from the Greeks to the Romans to the general people of today, Egyptians and their striking depictions in art and architecture have manifested a legacy in the creations of certain landmarks, statues, and even...
Words: 1108 - Pages: 5
...Compare and contrast essay: Ancient Egypt and Greece The ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek civilizations are two of the oldest known civilizations in our history. The Egyptian civilization, based in the eastern part of North Africa, is believed to have started around 3150 BC and continued till the end of the Pharaoh rule in 31 BC. The ancient Greek civilization is believed to have been in effect from 1100 BC till about 146 BC. Many similarities and differences existed between these two civilizations, as even though they co-existed during a certain timeframe (1150 BC to 146 BC), they were located in different geographical areas. Because of these differences in geography, both these civilizations were subjected to different kinds of exposure, which included contact with other civilization and cultural inheritance. In the political sphere, we find that the Egyptian civilization had stronger emphasis on central authority, while the Greeks had a more decentralized structure, where powers were distributed over the cities and the states as well. As far as art is concerned, we find that the Egyptians were more involved in creating great monumental and gaudy structures, while the Greeks were more involved in creating smaller, more literary pieces of art. One of the biggest reasons why these two civilizations had these differences is due to their geography. The Egyptians had easy access to large stones that they could bring in to their country and use them to erect such monumental...
Words: 2939 - Pages: 12
...Taylor P Ancient Architecture Functions of Ancient Monuments Ancient monuments have been discovered to be a prominent feature of many different ancient civilizations throughout history. The most elaborate and well known ancient buildings are the pyramids and the ziggurats of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica. The construction of these massive monuments began sometime during the fourth millennium BC and to this day many can still be seen. Although believed by most to serve a particular religious function, historians are still trying to discover the exact purpose of these breathtaking feats of architecture. However, through the vast studies of archaeology, enough information has been acquired to make some valid theories. The first civilization to construct a massive architectural project was the Egyptians with their construction of the pyramids. It is believed that the Egyptian civilization began around 5500 BC and then began to flourish as a result of new innovations in agriculture and the abundance of natural resources around the Nile. Over time, Egyptians made great achievements in mathematics, writing, astronomy, medicine, engineering, and architecture. This played a huge part in the progression of Egypt into a powerful and influential civilization. In addition to these achievements, the significance of religion was another extremely important factor that allowed the Egyptian civilization to thrive. Egyptians practiced polytheism. In their religion, not only were...
Words: 1786 - Pages: 8
...Art History October 07, 2012 Art of Ancient Egypt – Chapter 03 The antiquity and continuity of Egyptian civilization were legendary, the period of roughly three thousand years during which Egyptian architecture, painting, and sculpture remained essentially the same. The main purpose of Egyptian art was to serve the needs of the royalty, especially the king and his retainers, both in this life and the next. Egyptian art reflected an idealized world, the ideal of the human figure developed early among the Egyptians, with body parts sized according to a set of standard proportions (Hartt 72). The poses of these figures are rigid, both feet planted firmly on the ground, with rigid knees, and the left leg placed slightly in front of the other. Egyptian art also incorporated certain fictions in order to express a larger truth, as an example, the beautifully shape of the pharaohs will mostly show the image of the ideal leader of Egypt, even if he/she is not exactly like that in reality, the message that the sculpture will pass is the power and magnificence. The great age of mature ancient Egyptian civilization can be divided into three periods: Old Kingdom - in this time period the Sphinx and Great Pyramid at Giza were built; the royal statues emphasize the majesty and divinity of the pharaoh. A curious detail about the colors used in sculptures is that usually to differ male from female, the artisans would utilize brown(men) and yellow(women), emphasizing that men were mostly...
Words: 509 - Pages: 3
...Spell Check-list Unlike the Greek city-states, the Roman republic embarked almost immediately on imperial expansion. Utilizing its citizen armies, the republic gained control of the entire Italian peninsula. Conquered regions were incorporated into the republic or allowed to remain as independent allies. Rome's greatest rival in the western part of the Mediterranean was the former Phoenician colony of Carthage in northern Africa. Between 264 B.C.E. and 146 B.C.E., Rome defeated Carthage in the three Punic Wars. Rome's victory created an empire that extended from Italy to the Iberian peninsula and into northern Africa. The collapse of the Hellenistic successor states of Alexander's empire drew the Romans into the eastern Mediterranean. Greece, Macedonia, the Asian littoral, and Egypt were drawn into Rome's orbit. Rome and its Empire, (1995), Pearson Education, Pearson Longman, Retrieved from; http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_wc_4/17/4390/1123999.cw/index.html The Regal Period. According to tradition, the first King laid the political foundations for the city, by creating the senate, and by dividing the people into curiae. He also extended Roman power by successful wars. Numa Pompilius is the antithesis, in many ways, of Romulus. He organized priesthoods, established religious rites, and sought to develop the religious life of the people. It was the main purpose of Tullus Hostilius, as it had been that of Romulus, to extend the material power of Rome. Ancus Marcius...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
