• Bullae
Akkadian Empire
Akkadian Empire:
Rise of Sargon of Agade 2350-2160 BC
Spoke Semitic Akkadian
Migrated from the west, north, and east
Rise of Sargon the Great
Many legendary stories
Probably a cupbearer to the King of Kish and usurped his
throne
Consolidated power and unified Mesopotamia
Tore down walls
Replaced Sumerian kings with his governors
Trade influence to Africa, India, and Egypt with ethical weights
Culture stayed the same-only language changed
Fall of Akkad
After Sargon’s grandson failed to unifiy the area,
invaders came.
Gutians and Syrian Semites
Elam and Sumer revolted
The Third Dynasty of Ur:
The Sumerians Rule Once Again
2100-2000
Reign of Ur-Nammu
Governor of Ur
Usurped the throne of Uruk
Last Sumerian Revival
Cultural Flowering
Great Ziggurat of Ur
Better government and record keeping
Communication system in Sumerian
Official calendar and weights
The Code of Ur-Nammu
Fall of Ur:
Chaos 2000-1800 BC
The Semitic Amorites had gained influence during the
Akkadian Empire and the 3rd Dynasty of Ur
Came from Northern Syria
Ruled Northern Mesopotamia
Elamites: Major enemies of the Sumerian people
from the east
Came from Susa to the east of Ur
Ruled Mesopotamia in the South
Assyria makes an appearance
Amorites take them over and rule from Assyria and make
Babylon a vassal
Early Assyria
2300-911 BC
City of Assur existed by 2,300 BC
(2350 BC-2000 BC) Ruled by Akkad and 3rd Dynasty of Ur
By 2,000 Assyria fairly independent
Established major trade posts in Asia Minor.
(1760-1365 BC) Taken over by the Amorites and then by the
Old Babylonians, Kassites, and Mitanni Empires
(1365-1200)King Assur-uballit I: freed Assyria from Kassites for a
few years and
Collapsed with Mesopotamia in 1200
OLD BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
Old Babylonian Empire
◦ 1792-1595 BC
◦ Amorites: began ruling in Assyrian cities
◦ Vassal king of Babylon, Hammurabi, takes control. FIRST king of Old Babylonian Empire◦ 1792-1750 BC
◦ Reunification of Mesopotamia◦ Extended his control from the Persian Gulf to the
southern border of Assyria
◦ Sumerian fairly dead. Akkadian only used.
The Code of Hammurabi◦ Collection of legal decisions
◦ Most comprehensive collection
◦ Not comprehensive; covers only personal exceptions
◦ Divine Sanction
◦ The code was “authorized” by the gods
◦ see picture
◦ The Text
◦ Three hundred “laws”
◦ Prologue: celebrates the great justice of the king
◦ Epilogue: which gives blessing and curses
The Code of Hammurabi
◦ The subjects of the Code and the use of the death penalty
◦ Crimes arranged by subject
◦ Most guilty crimes were punished by death if the crime was against the state
◦ Judged or suffered an ordeal
◦ Punishment: hanging, burning, drowning, impalement
◦ Penalties of bodily injuries differed.
◦ Nobles harming a noble:
◦ Lex Talionis: Eye for an eye
◦ Nobles harming a slave/dependent
◦ Noble paid money to the slave
◦ Slave harming a noble:
◦ Body harm to the slave
◦ Slave harming another slave:
◦ Pay the other slave money
The End of Babylonian Rule
◦ After Hammurabi, the Empire weakened and lost control over its territories.
◦ Hittites:
◦ Indo-European speaking people
◦ swept down from Anatolia and destroyed Babylon around 1595
◦ Babylon was too weak to defend itself and fell to the Kassites next
◦ Kassites
◦ People from the Zagros mountains
◦ Ruled from 1595-1160
Who were the Hittites?
Indo-Europeans who settle in
the Anatolia region possibly
during 2200 BC (end of Akkad
and Old Kingdom).
Nesites who conquered Hatti
Early Beginnings of Anatolian History
Old Hittite Empire 1800- 1600 BCOld Babylonia and Second Intermediate Period
Pithana and Anitta: kings who began Hittite expansion
Hattusili and Mursili: first major kings
Attacked Old Babylon and brought it to an end around 1595 BCAttempt to put the Kassites in power to weaken the
Hurrians and Babylon
Hittites weaken and Babylon falls. Kassites rule in Mesopotamia 1600-1200 BC
1595-1500 BC internal strife and Mittaniinvasions
Kassites
Pages 112-114
Rule in Mesopotamia from 1600-1200 BC after the Hittites ally with them to weaken the Mitanni and
Babylonian powers
Assume Babylonian custom and unify the lower half of Babylon. Mesopotamia is unified for the fist time.
Assyria in the north and Babylon in the south.
Literature:
Enuma Elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh are created into their final forms
Years were counted
Innovations in architecture: molded bricks used for façade enhancement
Light War Chariot: development and enhancement
Food
Overhunting certain animalsSheep, goats, pigsPastoralism (Milk products)Method:Domestication of animals and plantsUse animals to hunt
• Nobles:• Priests, Kings, and royal family.• Clients farmed for them
• Commoners: • Government officials, wealthy merchants,
farmers, and artisans• Farmed for themselves; about 50% of the
population• Clients:
• (Serfs) Those who farmed for the wealthy.