ABSTRACT
The new civilizations coincided with the rise of vigorous empires which sought to coalesce their rule by monumental buildings, notably at the seat of authority and control. The new wielders of power sought to buttress their position by wrapping themselves in the folds of transempirical authority. Temple sites and many of the distinctive patterns of traditional religious practice were adapted to the claims of the power elite. In Egypt a north-south axis was the line along which the forces of the communities of the upper or the lower Nile struck a shifting balance of power. The discussion of the internal arena leads directly to the analysis of how the environment may be affected by the pattern of power-sharing. It has long been sensed or recognized that physical distance and position are likely to be internalized as psychic space. The ruler who is remote and above modifies his self-image accordingly, and perceives himself as aloof and superior to other men.
