![Ben Nelson<br />Period 1<br />March 4, 2011<br />Compare/Contrast Essay<br />Imagine a few rolling hills with rows of wheat, buffeted by gusts of wind. Through a cloudy sky there is a glint of sunlight. It is Anglo-Saxon England, very different from the many different city-states on the Peloponnesian Peninsula that formed the Greek empire. However, if studied closely, many similarities can be found. The similarities between these two cultures are the division of the people, the cultural achievements, and the warlike behavior of both civilizations.<br />The division of the people of both civilizations is an important similarity. It is important because this quality was the main reason for the end of both civilizations, and it caused both of them to develop differently than a civilization controlled by one ruler. Although both civilizations were divided up, ancient Greece and Anglo-Saxon England were split up in different ways. Ancient Greece was divided into different city-states while Anglo-Saxon England was split into different kingdoms. Both civilizations were internally divided, with Greece made of separate city-states that varied in governments such as monarchies, aristocracies, and democracies while Anglo-Saxon England was made of a few separate kingdoms ruled by monarchies.<br />Even though both civilizations were split up they both had quite a lot of cultural achievements. Some common cultural achievements that ancient Greece and Anglo-Saxon England had were written epics, such as the Greek epic The Iliad and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. These two epics are similar to each other because both valued heroic traits. Both civilizations also made pottery and jewelry. Greek and Anglo-Saxon cultural achievements were different as well. Anglo-Saxon crafts were more war-oriented than Greek crafts. Many Anglo-Saxon crafts included swords and shields while the majority of Greek crafts were pottery, paintings and sculptures. Also, Anglo-Saxon pottery had plain outsides while most Greek pottery had various designs on their outsides.<br />In the times that the ancient Greeks and Anglo-Saxons existed, it was a harsh world. This required both civilizations to develop warlike behaviors. The Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons would conquer and raid foreigners in order to gain territory and to survive, and both would take prisoners-of-war as slaves. Because Greeks were on a mountainous peninsula and the Anglo-Saxons were on a generally flat island different types of warfare emerged. The Greeks and Anglo-Saxons had basically the same weapons although the Greeks favored spears and javelins while the Anglo-Saxons favored shorter swords and axes. Greek warfare was more efficient with formations such as the phalanx and warriors like the hoplites. Service in the military worked differently in each civilization. In the Greek system, service was mandatory and generally started around the age of 19. With the Anglo-Saxons, free men were automatically warriors and were taken into their chieftain’s household during the early teenage years to train. Free men in Anglo-Saxon England were rewarded with land for their service. For the Greeks, service was expected.<br />The Anglo-Saxon and Greek civilizations were different in many ways. However, if looked at carefully, the similarities of Anglo-Saxon England and ancient Greece stand out. The major similarities of these two civilizations are the separateness of their people, their cultural achievements, and their warlike behavior. These traits not only made these two civilizations similar, but also made both of their cultures successful and stand out in the ancient and modern-day world.<br />Works Cited<br />,[object Object]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ttcomparecontrast-110526034644-phpapp02/85/comparecontrast-1-320.jpg)
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- 2. Docherty, Frank. "The Anglo Saxon Broken Back Seax." myArmoury.com. myArmoury.com, n.d. Web. 6 Mar 2011. <http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_seax.html>.
- 3. Sommerville, J. "Anglo Saxon England II." History Department, University of Wisconsin. History Department, University of Wisconsin, n.d. Web. 6 Mar 2011. <http://history.wisc.edu/sommerville/123/123%2051%20anglo%20saxons%20ii.htm>.