Transcript Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2
Objectives: 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14
Mesopotamian Empires
Objectives
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6.8 On a historical map, locate and describe the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Zagros and
Caucuses Mountains, Persian Gulf, Caspian and Black Sea, Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee and
explain why the region is referred to as the Fertile Crescent. (G)
6.9 Summarize Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria as successive civilizations and empires and explain
the development of city-states, identify Kish, Akkad, Ur, and Nineveh, and the significance of
Sargon and Hammurabi. (G, H)
6.10 Trace the development of agricultural techniques that permitted economic surplus and the
emergence of cities as centers of culture and power. (C, E, H)
6.11 Explain the significance of polytheism (the belief that there are many gods) as the religious
belief of the people in Mesopotamian civilizations. (C, H)
6.12 Explain the effects of how irrigation, metal-smithing, slavery, the domestication of animals,
and inventions such as the wheel, the sail, and the plow on the growth of Mesopotamian
civilizations. (C, E, H)
6.13 Analyze the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization, including its system of
writing (and its importance in record keeping and tax collection), literature (Epic of Gilgamesh),
monumental architecture (the ziggurat), and art (large relief sculpture, mosaics, and cylinder
seals). (C, E, G, H)
6.14 Write an informative piece explaining the significant contributions of Mesopotamian leaders,
including Hammurabi and Sargon, and explain the basic principle of justice in Hammurabi’s Code
(“an eye for an eye”). (C, E, H, P) Primary Documents and Supporting Texts to Read: excerpts
from the Epic of Gilgamesh; digital collections of the ancient Mesopotamian plow, wheel, sailboat,
cuneiform tablets, and the stylus Ancient Egypt: c.
The First Empire
• As Sumer’s city-states decline-Empires
arose
• Empire is a group of many different lands
under one ruler
Rise of Babylon
• Babylon had once been a Sumerian citystate but eventually developed its own
powerful government.
• Babylon is located where present day
Baghdad, Iraq is.
• Babylonians were ruled by monarchs
(ruled by one).
Who was Sargon?
• Sargon was the leader of
Akkad-called Akkadians
• Conquered Sumerian citystates
• Became king of Akkad and
Sumer
• Created the world’s first
empire
• Empire lasted for 200 years
Who was Hammurabi?
• Amorites conquered
Mesopotamia
• Built their own cities
Babylon was the
grandest – located on
eastern bank of
Euphrates in Iraq
• Hammurabi was the
Babylonian King
• Created the
Babylonian Empire
• Stretched north from
Persian Gulf to the
Mediterranean Sea
Hammurabi and his Code of Laws
• Hammurabi was Babylon’s greatest king.
• In addition to being a brilliant war leader,
he was also an excellent governor.
• He oversaw many building projects,
improved irrigation, created a tax system,
and increased trade throughout the region.
• However, he is most famous for his set of
laws, known as Hammurabi’s Code.
Hammurabi’s Code
• Hammurabi was a just ruler
• Created the world’s first set of
written laws
• The Code of Hammurabi was
strict laws that demanded an
“eye for an eye”-means that
the punishment should match
the crime
• Contained 282 laws
Hammurabi’s Code
• Hammurabi’s Code was a set of 282 laws
that dealt with every aspect of daily life.
• Some of the laws were viewed as
extremely harsh.
• His set of laws were the 1st set of
governing laws to be written for all to see.
• Go to “Hammurabi’s Code: You be the
Judge” ppt
• Complete Hammurabi’s Code WS
Fall of the Babylonians
• Hammurabi ruled for 42 years.
• While under his rule, Babylon was the
most powerful and most important city in
Mesopotamia.
• However, after his death the kings that
followed faced many challenges and
eventually the empire collapsed…once
again without great leadership, nothing
can be sustained.
And Others
• Several minor civilizations
developed around the
Fertile Crescent.
• The Hittites from Asia
Minor ruled Mesopotamia
• The Hittites introduced
iron weapons and war
chariots to the region.
• The Hittites conquered
Babylon in 1595 BC. but
it didn’t last long as their
king was assassinated.
• The Kassites were
people who lived
north of Babylon.
They captured the city
and ruled for nearly
400 years before the
Assyrians entered the
region.
The Assyrians
• Assyrian was a large empire extending
into four present-day countries: Turkey,
Syria, Iran, and Iraq
• Built a large and powerful military to
defend their hill and then around 900 BC
they began taking over Mesopotamia
The Assyrians…
Lead, follow,.…or get out of the way
• Around 1200BC the Assyrians, who were
from northern Mesopotamia, began their
initial conquest of Mesopotamia.
• However, it wasn’t until around 900BC that
business picked up for them.
The Assyrian Army
• Army of Assyrian
– Well trained and disciplined
– 50,000 soldiers
– Infantry or foot soldiers
– Charioteers
– Fought with slingshots, bows, and arrow,
swords, and spears
The Conquest of the Fertile Crescent
• Like the Hittites the Assyrians used iron
weapons, war chariots, and had a very well
organized army where every individual knew his
role.
• The Assyrians were fierce in battle. They burned
crop fields, stole from villages, and anybody who
dared to resist them was killed.
• By 650BC the Assyrians had established an
empire that included: Mesopotamia, the entire
Fertile Crescent, and Egypt.
Kings and Government
• Assyria extended from Persian Gulf to the
Nile River in the west and the capital was
Nineveh along the Tigris River
• Divided the empire into provinces
• Government built roads to connect the
provinces
• Kings chose officials to govern, collect
taxes and carry out laws.
• Soldiers stood guard to protect traders
Life in Assyria
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Assyrians had laws, but they were harsher
Based their writing on Babylonian writing
Worshipped Babylonian gods
Built world’s first library in Nineveh
– It held 25,000 tablets of stories
– Historians have learned much about ancient
civilizations from this library
Library of Nineveh
It’s not all bad
• The Assyrians ruled the empire from Nineveh,
which was located on the Tigris River.
• They collected taxes and anybody who resisted
was punished…okay, so it is kinda bad.
• Assyrian kings assigned governors to each
region of the empire to collect taxes, enforce
laws, enlist soldiers, and built roads to link the
empire together.
Civil War!
• Around 650BC the Assyrians were fighting
each other over who should rule the
empire. (Civil War, fighting among each
other)
• These wars greatly weakened their
armies.
To the Rescue
• About 50 years earlier around 700BC a group of
people known as the Chaldeans and Medes
came into the region and took advantage of an
opportunity.
• Sensing the weakness in the Assyrians, they
took full advantage of the situation and joined
forces and destroyed Nineveh in 612BC, the
heart of the Assyrian Empire.
• This marks the end of Assyrian rule.
If you live by the sword, chances are you will die by the sword.
The Chaldean Empire- A New
Empire
• Chaldeans hated the harsh rule of the
Assyrians
• When Assyrians were fighting each other,
the Chaldean king, Nabopolassar
reclaimed his kingdom
• Nabopolassar and his son,
Nebuchadnezzar created a new empire
The Chaldeans/Neo-Babylonians
• After the defeat of the Assyrians, the Chaldeans
setup a new empire of their own….and its capitol
city was Babylon.
• They controlled the Mesopotamian region from
their newly rebuilt capitol city of Babylon.
• The Chaldean civilization adopted many of the
cultural traits of the Babylonians, which is why
they are also known as the Neo-Babylonians.
The Greatness of Babylon
• Babylon was larges and richest city in the
world
• Huge brick walls surrounded the city
Ishtar Gate
The Ishtar Gate was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II circa
575 BCE. It was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and
was the main entrance into the city.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
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One of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens were a huge collection of
plants that 'hung' from a balcony in a large palace in Babylon, the capital of many Mesopotamian
empires. The Gardens were built at the direction of the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar, who was
said to have order them built to remind his wife of her homeland. The great mystery of the
Hanging Gardens was how enough water to support the plants was transported so high in the air.
King Nebuchadnezzar
• The most famous Chaldean ruler was King
Nebuchadnezzar.
• According to legend his grand palace featured the
famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which he built for
his wife.
• The Chaldeans admired Sumerian culture, studied their
language, and worshipped their gods.
• At the same time Babylon became a center for
astronomy, created the calendar, and used a form of
geometry to solve problems.
• Collected high taxes to pay for building projects and
army
The Fall of the Empire
• After Nebuchadnezzar died a series of
weak kings ruled the Chaldean empire
• Poor harvest and slow trade further
weakened the empire
• Persians took advantage of weaknesses
and captured Babylon
Not to be forgotten….
The Phoenicians
• At the western end of the Fertile Crescent,
along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
was the land of Phoenicia.
• The Phoenicians did not possess great
military power and had very few resources
in their land.
• However, they created a very wealthy
trading society.
Overcoming the obstacles
Problem
• The Phoenicians had
very few resources
and overland trade
was difficult because
of the mountainous
region.
Solution
• One resource they
had plenty of was
cedar and everybody
wanted it.
• To solve the problem
of travel they looked
to the waters and
became great
seafarers.