In what ways did these cultures combine religion and politics, and to what end? What problems, if any, did this combination present? And how did societies respond to any potential problems? Why?

1. Creation myths. Every early society that we have studied has provided an explanation of where they come from and why. But what, exactly, are creation myths? How were they preserved and what can they tell us about the people who passed them down to us? Why?

2. Religion and politics. We have seen several societies in which religious and political power were closely connected. In what ways did these cultures combine religion and politics, and to what end? What problems, if any, did this combination present? And how did societies respond to any potential problems? Why?

3. War and imperialism. Many empires rose and fell in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Greece, and elsewhere. How were empires built and for what purpose? Who benefited? And how did empires collapse? Why?