Transcript middle east: ancient empires

MIDDLE EAST:
ANCIENT
EMPIRES
• Mesopotamia means “land between rivers”
• It is the area between Tigris River and Euphrates
River.
• It sometimes refers to the area that stretches from
Persian Gulf through Iraq.
• THIS IS WHERE CIVILIZATION BEGAN.
• Mesopotamia is included in a region called The
Fertile Crescent.
• Named because the land was very fertile. Wow.
Amazing. Creative Name….
• People settled there because the land was good
(fertile- silt) and there was a water supply.
• The earliest civilizations began in SUMER which
was governed by 12 independent city-states—
– made up of a city and surrounding farmland.
• Each city-state had its own laws and leaders.
• They were ruled by a King.
– A famous example is GILGAMESH around 2500 BC.
It was an AGRICULTURAL society.
• GREATEST ADVANCEMENT: WHEEL.
• Which led to the invention of a wheeled cart.
• Which was good because animals could pull
heavy loads, making it easier for people.
• Developed a writing system called CUNEIFORM
around 3000 BC.
• CUNEIFORM is a system of wedge shaped
symbols.
• They were polytheistic
– belief in MANY gods.
• The gods were believed to control many things
like weather.
• Most cities would have a ZIGGURAT which was
a shrine to the special god of the city.
• BABYLON was created when Hammurabi.
created the city that united Sumer.
• He then conquered all the way to Turkey
• Their location made them perfect for trade.
• They became very rich through conquests.
• This kingdom united most of Mesopotamia between
1792BC and 1750BC.
• Hammurabi was most famous for his laws, called
Hammurabi’s Code.
• Made up of 282 laws
• Based on “eye for an eye”
• Examples:
– If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be
put to death.
– If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed
man, his ear shall be cut off.
• It favored men over women and free over slaves.
• At the time, it was the very best in lawmaking.
• The Phoenicians lived along important trade
routes.
• In present day Libya and Syria.
• MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION:
ALPHABET
• 22 letters based on sounds
• all consonants, no vowels
• Excellent sea travelers.
– Able to spread their alphabet through the
world
• It was used by the Greeks and Romans
• Invented purple dye
• Developed the art of glassmaking
• Babylonian empire came to an end when the
Hittites destroyed it
• They were excellent horsemen.
• First to discover how to heat iron to make tools
and weapons
• Another important group of people were the
Assyrians.
• They developed a strong military
• Used iron weapons and chariots.
• Most powerful king was Sennacherib
• Wanted power- so he destroyed many cities
– Babylon was destroyed in 689 BC
•Assyrian empire was destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar in 612 BC
Turks
Assyrians
Persians
Babylonians