The role of religion in ancient civilizations was of paramount importance. There was no idea of ​​a separation of church and state. Rather, religious and political authorities were inseparable, with political and royal authority seen as coming directly from the gods. While various ancient civilizations had different religions and different interpretations of how those religions interacted with society, all believed that the supernatural was a part of everyday life. Sometimes, as in the case of ancient Egypt, rulers were considered gods and worshiped as such. Thus, early systems of law, such as the Hebrew laws regarding food preparation, were extensions of religious beliefs. This idea that the influence of the supernatural was present in everyday life was also shared by the Greeks. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods involved themselves in the daily lives of mortals, often appearing in the form of humans or mortal animals to interact with people. The Sumerians also believed in the daily impact of the gods in life, believing that the gods were vengeful and angry, and in the explanation of natural disasters. Ancient Rome also believed that the gods were present in daily life, with some differences, as we will see later. In this essay, I will examine how each of the religions of these civilizations played a role in their societies. Sumer, unlike the Egyptians, believed their rulers to be of divine origin but did not believe they were true gods. The Sumerians believed that the natural world was composed of several gods: Nanna suen (God of the Moon), Utu (God of the Sun) Nin-khursaga (Goddess of the Earth), Enki (God of the waters) and Enlil (God of the 'air) (Backman 2013: 16). . Natural events were attributed to the gods (Backman 2013: 16). If strong gusts occurred...... middle of paper ...... also greatly appealed to the Romans. Marcus Aurelius, who reigned for a little over twenty years, contributed to this school by writing a book addressing the secrets of Stoicism. The book titled Meditations was “intended as a sort of personal guide or reflection exercise; the meditations address morality, social care, and self-control, among other themes” (Backman and Axen 2014, 77). The Greeks and Romans considered themselves superior to other civilizations. This led them to attempt to expand to the rest of the world, this ambition and drive undoubtedly contributed to the success of these civilizations. Works Cited Backman, Clifford R. The Cultures of the West: A History. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. Print. Backman, Clifford R., Christine Axen, and Clifford R. Backman. Sources for Western Cultures. New York: Oxford UP, 2014. Print.