Download Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders Section 2 Key Terms

Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders
Section 2
Key Terms, People, and Places
Sargon
Hammurabi
Codify
Civil law
Criminal law
Nebuchadnezzar
Barter economy
Money economy
Zoroaster
Colony
Alphabet
LEQ:
How did various strong rulers unite the lands of the Fertile Crescent into well-organized empires?
 First Empire Arise in Mesopotamia (pages 36-37)
 Looking at the map on page 37 compare the extent of Sumer to the extents of the later Akkadian
and Babylonian Empire
o Which was the largest?
 The Babylonian Empire
o Where did it lie in relation to the rivers?
 It lay between the rivers and beyond them
o Sargon Builds the First Empire (2300 BC)
 Invaded the neighboring city-states of Ancient Sumer
 His empire did not last long after his death
o Hammurabi Brings Babylon to Power (1790 BC)
 Hammurabi’s most ambitious and lasting contribution was a set of laws known as
Hammurabi’s Code
 First attempt to codify all the laws that would govern a state
o Discussion…
 How do you think the establishment of a codified law helped Hammurabi control
such a large territory?
o Establishing Civil Law
 This branch deals with private rights and matters, such as business contracts,
property inheritance, taxes, marriage, and divorce
 Babylonian civil law gave a husband legal authority over his wife and a legal
duty to support her
o Defining Crime and Punishment (Criminal Law)
 Deals with offenses against others, such as robbery, assault, or murder
 Limited personal vengeance and encouraged social order
o Discussion…
 Do you think there were advantages to dividing Babylonian law into two categories,
civil and criminal?