MESOPOTAMIAAKA “The Fertile Crescent”

Sumer

In about 5000 BC, was the first civilization to develop in Mesopotamia.

Often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization.”

Epic of Gilgamesh

• Recorded by a Babylonian scribe in 2000 BC.

• An epic poem about a great flood.

• Oldest piece of literature.

Must control the water!

• Location between Tigris and Euphrates rivers was ideal for farming.

• Regular flooding distributed silt

• In an effort to protect crops, the following were developed:

• Irrigation canals

• Dams

• Dikes

Mesopotamian City-States

• The kingdoms and empires of Mesopotamia were made up of individual city-states.

• A city-state includes a city with the countryside that surrounds it.

• Often the city was walled to provide protection from invasion.

Ziggurats, Trade, Social Hierarchy

• Ziggurats were step-pyramids used as temples

• The Mesopotamian region was a crossroads of trade between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

• Social Hierarchy shows the divisions and statuses in society.

Religion & Writing

• The people of Ancient Mesopotamia were polytheistic, believing in several gods and goddesses.

• Each city-state had a patron god or goddess.

• Cuneiform is recognized as the world’s oldest system of writing & includes wedge-like shapes made on clay tablets.

Sargon and the Akkadians

• Around 2300 BC Sargon invaded and conquered Sumer

• After his death, the Akkadian Empire fell to ruin.

Babylonian Empire

• In 1790 BC, Hammurabi united much of the region and formed the Babylonian Empire.

• Best known for Hammurabi’s Code of Laws

Hittites and the Assyrians

• Hittites were known for their ironworking and advanced weaponry.

• They conquered Mesopotamia in about 1400 BC but their empire collapsed in about 1200 BC.

• The Assyrians expanded their empire into the region in 1100 BC.

• They were known for brutality and amassing wealth.

Nebuchadnezzar

• The Babylonian Empire returned to power under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar in 612 BC.

• He made efforts to return Babylon to its former glory.

• He is known for the legendary Hanging Gardens.

The Persian Empire

• Cyrus the Great overthrows the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC

• Persian kings allowed conquered people to maintain their culture and belief system

• Darius I efficiently ruled and expanded the Persian Empire between 522-486 BC, building vast roads and a government mail system.

Zoroastrianism

• Taught that one wise god ruled the world, but was in a constant battle against the prince of evil.

• Emphasized the need to choose between good and evil in order to attain a positive afterlife.

• Significant development toward monotheism

Phoenicians

• Known for their skills at sailing and trade

• Developed the first alphabet with symbols that represented sounds

• Is the ancestor to our modern alphabet