These two quotes are from The Mammoth Book of Eye-Witness Histories, edited by Jon E. Lewis. They are both translations from the original texts:
A Schoolboy’s Day, Sumer, c. 2000 BC
Anonymous
[The Sumerians of Mesopotamia (now Iraq), built the first cities, the first state. They invented writing and the formal education of children.]
Arriving at school in the morning I recited my tablet, ate my lunch, prepared my new tablet, wrote it, finished it, then they assigned me my oral work…When school was dismissed, I went home, entered the house, and found my father sitting there. I told my father of my written work, then recited my tablet to him, and my father was delighted.
p.6
Hunting Crocodiles, Egypt, c. 450 BC
Herodotus
Some of the Egyptians hold the crocodile as sacred, but others do not, and hunt it as an enemy. Those that live in the neighborhourhood of Thebes and the lake of Moeris consider it to be extremely sacred. Each community rears one crocodile which is trained to come to hand; they put glass and gold ornaments on its ears and bracelets on its front feet, giving it special food and divine offerings, and treating it extremely well as long as it lives. On its death it is embalmed and placed in sacred coffins. But the inhabitants of the city of Elephantine do not think of them as sacred, and even eat them…
p. 7
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gt40 lover
on Sep 30th, 2010
@ 2:45 pm:
Amazing post thanks!