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Mesopotamia
Geography
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Mesopotamia = “land between the rivers”
In between Tigris and Euphrates River
Little rain, needed irrigation
Fertile Crescent - area of land where soil was fertile due to flooding
Sumerians
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Founded originally by city-states
Government: theocracy - ruled by divine authority
Invented the wheel
Social System: Nobles, Commoners (Merchants/Farmers), Slaves
Polytheistic Religion
Writing: Cuneiform “wedge-shaped”
Epic Poem: Epic of Gilgamesh
Akkadians
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World’s first empire by conquering Sumer
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Led by Sargon of Akkad
Babylonians
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Hammurabi
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Set up first system of coded laws
■ Code of Hammurabi
■ Dealt with strict equal justice (as long as you were in same social class)
Assyrians
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People covered most of Middle East
Created fast messaging system
Strong military system (societies would surrender)
Phoenicians
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Located modern-day Palestine
Focused on trade
Known for their ships, their alphabet (moves into Greek), & indigo
Israelites
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Known for religious contribution
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Judaism
■ First organized monotheistic
■ Abrahamic religion
■ Everything was God’s
■ Ten Commandments - Law system
Persians
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Military leader, Cyrus
Son, Darius, takes over - great political leader, not great military leader
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Fails at Battle of Marathon with the Greeks
Creates Royal Road - series of road systems for quick messengers and military travel
Ran a tight bureaucracy
Religion: Zoroastrianism (similar to Judaism)