Transcript Empires of the Fertile Crescent

Chapter 2
Section 3 & 4
Sumerian Civilization
&
Empires of the Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent
• Fertile Crescent
• b/w Mediterranean
Sea and Persian
Gulf
• b/w Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
• Map pg 28
Sumer
• Lowest part of Tigris-Euphrates Valley
• Rich soil
• Sumerians used metal as early as
3000 B.C
Sumerian City-States
• City-State= Land of city and surroundings
controlled just by its own city
• Ur, Erech, & Kish had thousands of
residents
• Seldom united
• Priests started out as rulers
• Warlords took over as kings as there was
a need for control in city-states
Sumerian Writing
• Earliest written language
• No paper & Carved into clay
• Cuneiform- Sumerian writing
consisted of over 600 symbols all
in wedge form
Sumerian Engineering
• Built with sun dried
bricks made of mud and
straw
• Sumerians biggest
contribution in
engineering= The
ARCH
• Arch= Curved structure
with an opening
Continued
• ZigguratsSumerian Temples
– Layered
buildings each
layer getting
smaller to the top
Numbering and Math
• Everything in multiples of 60
• Big numbers example 120 would be two
60’s
• Circle 360 degrees = six 60’s
• Time- hour= 60 minutes
–Minute= 60 seconds
• Had a Lunar Calendar
Education & Religion
• Polytheistic (believed in many
gods)
• Only Upper class boys went to
school to be educated
Empires Of the Fertile Crescent
• Lack of unity of the Sumerian
City-States made them vulnerable
to attack and take over
Akkadians
• Akkadians conquered Sumerians Around
2330 B.C.
• Came from Just north of Sumer in
Mesopotamia
• Sargon- most powerful Akkadian King
• Expanded Empire to Mediterranean Sea
• Akkadian Empire Lasted 100 years
Babylonians
• Took over Fertile Crescent 1792 B.C.
• Hammurabi Powerful Babylonian Leader
• Developed the Code of Hammurabi
– 282 laws
– Covered many rights such as working
conditions, wages, and fees for charges
– Judges appointed by the king enforced
these laws
– Most punishments for laws breakers
were “eye for an eye,” ruling
Babylonian Social classes/religion
• Same social class break as the Sumerians
• Marriages- were arranged from parents
• Husband of the marriage had control
– Man head of household
– Only the man could get a divorce
• Code of Hammurabi still protected women
as well as men for fair treatment
• Polytheistic- Adopted Sumerian religion
Hittites
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Very Warlike
Good Fighters
First to make & use iron weapons
Ruled in1600 B.C.
Rule short lived too far from home
Assyrians
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Great conquers
Ruled Fertile Crescent around 900 B.C.
Ruled over Syria, Babylonia, and Egypt
First to have a major cavalry (units of
soldiers on horseback)
Assyrian Government
• Emperor/King had absolute power
• Each conquered Territory had an
Appointed Governor Appointed by King
• King made inspections
• Army most important part of government
• Soldiers gained wealth from the lands they
conquered
Assyrian Greatness
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Capital Nineveh
Very fortified
Had aqueducts
Large Libraries were built in the city,
Compilation of many Clay tablets
• Great Epic (Epic of Gilgamesh)
Chaldeans
• Ruled by Nebuchadnezzar 605-562 B.C.
– Rebuilt City of Babylon
– Very Strong Leader (heart and soul of
Chaldean Empire)
– Made the Hanging Gardens (One of the
seven wonders of the world)
• After Nebuchadnezzar’s death Chaldean
Empire Fell to the Persians)
Persians
• Conquered Babylon & Chaldeans in 539
B.C.
• Early kings very powerful
• Established and Expanded the biggest
empire in history to this point.
• Kings all powerful
– Great leaders and generals
Great Persian Kings
• Cyrus- took over rule in Iran
– Conquered Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar
– Greatly expanded the empire
– Took control of all of the Fertile Crescent
• Darius- Second Persian Emperor
– Greatly expanded the empire more than just
Fertile Crescent
– Gained control of parts of Greece
Continued
• Xerxes-Third great Persian Emperor
– Expanded the empire even more
• All Persian emperors had a good sense of
justice and treated their conquered
territories better than previous empires
• Starting with Cyrus territories were allowed
to keep their own religion and laws
Persian Religion
• Persians=new form of religion from
influential profit (Zoroaster)
• Zoroastrianism- Belief that every person
on earth had a choice
– To do good in the world
– Or to do evil
– Life on earth was training for a better life
– Good will triumph over evil in the end
Fall of Persian Empire
• After Xerxes= Weaker Leadership
• Finally taken over by Alexander the Great
Quiz
• 1. What are the two major rivers in the Fertile Crescent?
• 2. What architectural advancements did the Sumerians
give us?
• 3. Define a city state
• 4. Define Polytheism
• 5. What was the First Empire to use Iron Weapons?
• 6. What Empire used the first cavalry?
• 7. Who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his
wife?
• 8. Name the three great Persian Kings.
• 9. Who takes over Persia?