Final answer:
In ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Aztec, sacrifices were made to please and appease the gods. These sacrifices were believed to ensure divine favor and prevent negative consequences. They were closely tied to religious beliefs, cosmology, and maintaining political power.
Step-by-step explanation:
In ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Aztec, people believed that human beings were created to serve the gods. They believed that sacrifices were necessary to please the gods and ensure their favor. The sacrifices were offered to supply the gods with food, honor them, and seek their divine support. Failure to properly worship the gods could anger them and lead to devastating consequences like floods and pestilence.
The sacrificial rituals were closely tied to the cosmology and understanding of the universe in these societies. They believed that sacrifices ensured the continuity of important aspects of life, such as the sun staying in the sky, bountiful harvests, disease prevention, and military power. Sacrifices were also considered political acts, meant to instill fear in enemies and establish dominance.
In the Aztec empire, each god represented an aspect of the natural world, and daily human sacrifices were performed to sustain the sun, appease the gods, and stimulate agricultural production. The sacrificial ceremony involved cutting open the chest of a criminal or captured warrior to remove the still-beating heart. The goal of warfare was often to capture enemies alive for sacrificial purposes.