Reply To: Egypt and Mesopotamia

[Gabe]

In the proto-dynastic artwork, Gods were shown around the depictions of ruler-ship sharing with them divine authority. Of course chimeric figures like the Sphinx served as protectors. If you dive into Egyptian mythology, you can see there is a God for just about every aspect of nature and life, and depictions of these Gods show up on wall-carvings, pots, etc. This shows the way that the Egyptians viewed the forces of the world around them as animated and alive and controlled by spiritual forces. This in shaped the way that Egyptians behaved, leading to elaborate ritual and especially grandiose tombs.