Ch2: 1st Civilizations

One of the sections in chapter two really stuck out to me: Hierarchies of Class. During early civilization there was no such thing as inequality and forms of hierarchy. Everyone worked together and shared a common goal for the greater good, to survive. However, that all changed as the First Civilizations began to form. The upper class were wealthy due to land or salaries and were able to avoid physical labor all together. They had the finer things in life and of course occupied the highest positions in political, military, and religious life. Sounds all too familiar. In Mesopotamia certain class' had consequences. For instance, if a free-born commoner got into a fight with someone of equal rank there was a small fine, but if the person hit someone superior to them that person would be whipped 60 times in public. It was just interesting to read how even the earliest civilizations struggled with money, power, etc. in many ways and more that humans and society today continue to struggle with.