Transcript Four Empires of Mesopotamiam

Four Empires of
Mesopotamia
Akkadian, Babylonian,
Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian
AKKADIAN EMPIRE
AKKADIAN EMPIRE
•230 BCE conquered land of Sumer
•from Northern Mesopotamia
•led by Sargon
*1st ruler of Akkadians
*skilled general- military strategist
strong ruler
Large Army
• taught soldiers to fight in a tight
formation
• soldiers in front carried shields
• behind spears extended between shields
To keep control
• destroyed city walls- thus harder to rebel
• governors of city-states loyal to him or
replaced
• demanded sons rule after his death
•
LIFE UNDER AKKADIAN RULE
Sargon ruled 36 years
Agade is the capital city in Northern
Mesopotamia
built city with tributes
goods and money collected form
conquered people
center of culture
temples
palaces
richest and most powerful city
Kept Sumerian culture
• used Sumerian irrigation systems
• used cuneiform
• language changed
• worshipped same gods- but changed names
• art
• 3 D sculptures called stele
• Victory Stele- military victory of King Naram-Sin
• religion equals social order
• kings ruled in gods name
HAMMURABI AND BABYLONIAN
EMPIRE
collection of city –states
united by Hammurabi
King of Babylonia
small city-state in central Mesopotamia
Babylonia capital
Best known for Code of Laws- Hammurabi’s Code
• 1792 to 1750 BCE
• used to unify and preserve order in Empire
• based on his authority and word of the gods
• claimed gods told him to create and applied to everyone
• based on gods will – can not change
• written on stele and placed for all to see
• covered trade, work payment, marriage and divorce
• spelled out punishment for stealing, injury and crimes
• first laws to apply to all
•
LIFE IN BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
Hammurabi
under him Babylonia thrived
united people to work
Marduke named supreme god
built roads and created postal service
agriculture and trade flourished
irrigation systems work/ fertile land
located on banks of Euphrates
center of trade
Society is fair
• classes treated different
• slaves could own land
• had some rights
• could work elsewhere and keep wages
• could buy freedom
• women rights
• more rights than other ancient cultures
• father chose daughters husbands
• women could own property
• keep money of their own
•
LIFE UNDER ASSYRIANS
Powerful kings
Religion important to social and political order
kings obliged to obey gods
Believed kings were special beings
capital city- Nineveh
built palaces for kings
palaces had many rooms
built on mounds to be higher than surrounding buildings
huge winged human headed bull or lions stood at entrances
• Kings ruled
• people farmed
• dug canals to irrigate land
• aqueducts- brings water from a long distance
• Arts
• 2 dimensional sculptures
• BAS RELIEFS
• on palace walls showing hunting, fighting scenes
• used ivory
•
Lasted 300 years
reached from Egypt to Persian Gulf
too big to control
army spread to thin
612 BCE fell to combo of Scythians and
Medes
NEO BABYLONIAN EMPIRES
After Nineveh falls Babylonians regain power
King Nebuchadnezzar II
Ruthless military leader 605 to 562 BCE
Expanded empire
drove Egyptians out of Syria
conquered Canaan (present day Israel)
Hebrews rebel
captured and forced to Babylonia
Capital City kept safe
inner and outer walls
so wide, two chariots can pass each other on top
towers for archers
moat dug around walls
bridges used
•LIFE IN NEO BABYLONIA
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt ziggurats in Babylon
several stories
called “House of the Platform Between Heaven and
Earth”
decorated with gardens
hanging gardens
planted on roof tops, terraces
water system
Skilled at mathematics and astronomy
first sun dial
60 minutes in an hour
7 day week
Lasted 75 years
539 BCE conquered by Cyrus-Persian
Empire
Persians from present day Iran
ruled 200 years