Sumerians use religion to organize and centralized their society. Priests and priestesses provided the needed organization. They claimed taxes to build temples to their gods or goddesses. After Sargon invaded the Sumerians around 2350 B.C.E., Sargon made his daughter Enheduanna high priestess of both Akkadian and Sumerian goddesses Inanna (Sumerian) and Ishtar (Akkadian). Also, human sacrifices were used to satisfy the god Marduk.

Egyptians worshipped in the natural world, and animals. The most important deities were the sun god Re, the Nile spirits Isis, her husband-consort, Osiris and their son, the falcon-god Horus. The king was a deity, believed to be gods who come to earth to bring truth, justice, and order. The connection between religion and political power brought stability to the Old Kingdom.

In his Funeral Oration, how does Pericles describe the government of Athens, and how does it compare it with the government of Sparta?

Pericles described the government of Athens as a government, in which the institutions don’t conflict with each other. They do not copy from their neighbors. They are governed by the many, not controlled by a few. To serve the public is considered to be a reward for your merit, not a privilege like the Spartan view. They see themselves as an example to their neighbors.

How does Pericles describe the proper balances between Athenian citizens' rights as individuals and their responsibility to the city of Athens? What does he mean when he states that "We alone regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as harmless, but as a useless character...?"

Percicle described the Athenian citizens as having freedom but at the same time that they take care of their own