Final answer:
The purpose of an essay is to inform, entertain, or persuade the reader, which influences its structure and content. Topics on ancient civilizations can fit any of these purposes, focusing on their contributions, discoveries, or conflicts, while including historical, artistic, and societal aspects.
Step-by-step explanation:
When determining the purpose of an essay, one should consider whether the author's intention is to inform, entertain, persuade, or a combination of these. Each purpose guides the essay's structure and approach. For example, an informative essay would present facts and explanations, an entertaining one would captivate the reader's attention, and a persuasive essay would argue in favor of a particular position or viewpoint.
The topics provided, such as 'The last contributions of the ancient civilizations', 'The scientific discoveries of the ancient Greeks', or 'The conflicts between the ancient civilizations', can be approached with any of these purposes in mind. The choice of topic will influence the research required, the evidence presented, and the argumentation style. In addressing such topics, one should consider historical context, artistic achievements, and societal developments of the ancient civilizations, as well as rhetorical strategies and sources of evidence for presenting persuasive arguments.