Transcript 10/17/06 BR- List the 5 Mesopotamian Gods that we mentioned

5/21/09
BR- List the 5 Mesopotamian Gods.
Today: Learning about the Lives of Royalty in
Mesopotamia
-We
will prepare 2 column notes for Chapter 6. Then
we will use the notes to complete a homework
assignment.
-Assignment:
Write a letter (or draw a picture)
describing the daily life of a member of the
Mesopotamian Royal Class
Shamash
Ishtar
Adad
Ea
Lives of Mesopotamian Royalty

Mesopotamian royalty
were rich

Had devoted servants


They had gold and silver
jewelry and other
household items such as
lamps, cups and bowls.
Gold and silver was rare.
These items would be
buried with them to
show how important the
person was.
Servants of royalty had
jewelry and fine clothes
as well and would often
be buried with their
masters
Lives of Mesopotamian Royalty

Women had positions of
power

Kings or rulers got their
power from the gods


Women who were wives
or mothers of kings were
often priestesses and
were in charge of
important religious
functions.
Being sent by the gods to
rule made the people
very devoted to the
rulers and followed them
almost without question.
Lives of Mesopotamian Royalty

Cities in Mesopotamia
were independent.

Royalty would use local
people for projects


Each city and the
surrounding land was
ruled by a different king.
Some important cities
were Sumer, Kish, Ur,
Lagash
Cuneiform tablets show
that rulers of different
cities used their local
people to build walls,
temples, and canals
Lives of Mesopotamian Royalty

The ruler’s success was
linked to religion

If the city prospered, the
people felt that the king
was favored by the gods
and would continue to
follow them.