Empires of Mesopotamia
3500 BCE to 530 BCE
Geography
The land between two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates
Modern day Iraq South was a flat flood plain with
unpredictable floods. The upside was rich fertile land.
North was more mountainous with resources of Iron, wood, gold and silver
Southern Iraq - Kish
Sumer 3500 - 1900
Migrated from the northeast (Iran) Established independent city-states (Define) Ur would be the largest city-state at 24 000
people The city-states of Sumer would unite under
Etana of Kish. Their success made them attractive to outsiders.
Enter Sargon the Great.
Sumerian Ziggurat
Sargon The Great
Sargon 2340-2305
Came from Semetic tribes in the mountains
He would rule over all of Sumerian and would conquer from the Persian Gulf to Egypt.
Sumerian Empire
Technology
Cuneiform- first written language using wedges and symbols.
The wheel – used chariots for warfare Math based on the number 60 The oldest piece of literature – The Epic
of Gilgamesh The shoulder yoke for using animals to
plough fields
Babylonia With the death of Sargon, Sumer would fight for
power. This made them weak and open to invasion. The Amorites were a Tribe from the west (Syria) The First great king was Hammurabi (1792-1750).
He created the first codified system of law. The Babylonians were seen as great traders,
trading as far away as India and Egypt. After Hammurabi there came a series of invasions.
The Hittites from Turkey, Indo Europeans from Russia and the Kassites from the east.
King Hammurabi
Assyria 1300-609
Capital is Ashur Sargon II attacks Israel (722) Esarhaddon captures Egypt Ashurbanipal is their greatest ruler A violent war like people who ruled through
fear Built the Palace of Nineveh, a library with
22000 clay tablets, sewage system, and a postal service.
Palace of Nineveh
Ashurbanipal
Neo-Babylonia- Chaldea
Combined forces with the Medes to defeat Assyria. Great ruler was King Nebuchadnezzar. It is said
that he built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Turned Babylon into a great walled city. Nebuchadnezzar would crush Jerusalem, destroy
the Temple and force the Hebrews into slavery. Belshazzar would be the last King of the
Mesopotamians. Cyrus the Great would establish the mighty Persian Empire.
Hanging Gardens
Ishstar Gate