Question

The Greek historian Herodotus affirmed.. that Egypt is a gift of the Nile!
How would you explain from this Idea the Existence of the Egyptian state? Do you agree with this vision? Justify

Answer 1

Dear,
Ancient historians recognized that the very existence of Egyptian civilization was only possible thanks to the Nile River, because everything around it is desert, as the figure shows (this is where green plants are, for all else is dunes).

Thus, the phrase "Egypt is a gift of the Nile" is attributed to the historian of Ancient Greece Herodotus, who lived around the 5th century BC. The explanation for this is that, since that time, the landscape of Egypt was dominated by Sahara Desert, where human life is quite difficult due to lack of water and food, so that it would be almost impossible to maintain a civilization with large towns and cities in this environment without the Nile River. Diodorus, another Greek author, also agreed with this, claiming that the Nile surpassed all other rivers in the world because of the benefits that this waterway brought to Egypt.

In this sense, amidst the desolate desert landscape there is a long, narrow river, the Nile River, with approximately 6,655 kilometers, the second largest in the world - losing to the Amazon River. Thus, the river was essential to the population of Ancient Egypt as a source of supply for human consumption, for livestock, and for irrigation of land for planting

In addition, the Nile had periodic floods, which flooded the banks, enriching the soils with minerals and sediments important for agricultural production, when the banks dried up. In these places they were planted with wheat and barley, as well as onions, leeks, melons, chickpeas, apples, pomegranates, dates, among others. The river also provided hunting and fishing.

Therefore, the phrase "Egypt is a gift from the Nile" recognizes that this water body was essential for the emergence and development of villages, cities, and the Egyptian civilization itself, by enabling water and food for the maintenance of large numbers of people.

In this way, I agree that the existence of the Egyptian state served to organize access to land after the flooding of the river, allowing no one to have more or less land than before. In addition, the state collected part of the crop, aiding in survival in times of drought or other adversities, as well as security through armies.

Good studies!