Different Cultures

In the reading, one learns that there are many different cultures in the world. Some of them share the same characteristics, whereas some are the complete opposite of one another. For example, the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and the Assyrians all share common religious beliefs, literature, and architectural styles. Each detail about these cultures truly describe how unique they really are. Religion has been known to cause issues between cultures because they believe so differently. However, three out of four of these cultures have the same type of “God.” The Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians were polytheistic, meaning many God’s or Goddesses. Some of the Babylonian God’s were also known to be Sumerians or Akkadians. The cuneiform sign for the Sumerians meaning “God” was a star which meant “on high” or “in the heavens.” The Akkadians had a king named King Sargon I. He was not considered a God to the majority of the population. However, he considered himself a God to the Governors, which were his slaves. In addition, the culture that does not necessarily fall under the same category is the Assyrians. The majority were considered “Christians” that believed in one God only and that was the “heavenly God.” Literature is a basic characteristic for all cultures around the world, most being completely different. However, somehow or another, all four of these cultures are connected by their literature by the smallest thing. Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian are basically all the same. “Babylonian literature was translated from Sumerian originals that was inscribed on cuneiform tablets. Most of what is left from Babylonians was inscribed in cuneiform with a metal stylus on tablets of clay (web).” The most popular piece from the Akkadians was the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. A stele being a vertical slab of stone that serves as a marker. To one it almost resembles a gravestone marker. The Assyrian culture and literature originated from Babylonia, however there was still many differences between the two countries. Finally, architectural styles and buildings are another common thing these culture share. The Sumerians architecture seemed to have consisted of square or rectangular houses and were made of mud and brick. Also, the Assyrians buildings were built on mounds and had flights of steps leading up to the door in which one would enter. From images, it looks as if the shape of these buildings were similar to the Sumerians architectural ways. However, the Akkadian and Babylonians on the other hand, were a little different than the first two cultures mentioned. Their buildings were made of the same material, but was created into a pyramid shape. These were built in the time frame that Sargon served as King and was used for worshipping. In conclusion, these cultures all have some of the same qualities. They share some of the same religious beliefs, literature styles, and architectural styles. Many cultures in today’s world could not compare to the ones back in the time frame of those mentioned. A lot of people now days are judgmental about ones beliefs or how they may do things. Everyone should respect one another and the way they may do things differently. Their culture is just as important to them, as ours is to us.

Resources
"Babylonian Literature." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2014.