Download Mesopotamia and Hammurabi*s Code

Mesopotamia and
Hammurabi’s Code
Why was Mesopotamia so special?
• The two rivers The Tigris and the Euphrates flow southeastward
towards the Persian Gulf
• When they flooded it would fertilize the ground making optimal
ground for farming
Problems Living in Mesopotamia
• No natural barriers for defense
• Unpredictable flooding some years the rain was scarce and the region
could turn back into a desert
• Building materials were limited due to lack of natural resources
Rise of Sumerian Civilization
Sumeria Continued
• City States form around 3000 B.C
• A City State is a city that forms its own separate government and acts
as its own independent country. Sumerians shared similar culture but
had different kings in different city states.
• Kings in the different city states of Sumer would pass their power on
to their sons after they died creating long lasting dynasties.
What made Sumer Complex?
• Developed Cuneiform Writing
• One of the early civilizations to use geometry and arithmetic to
construct irrigation systems and buildings.
• Farmers thought they depended on the Gods for rain so therefore
priests gained much power. They would sacrifice animals and perform
rituals on top of their Zigarruts.
• Mud was used to make brick walls to surround cities from foreign
invaders
Rise Of Babylon
Babylon takes over
• About 2000bce. A nomadic people called the Amorites invade
Sumeria and are victorious.
• They establish their capital on the bank of the Euphrates river called
Babylon.
• At the Height of the Babylonian Empire and Emperor named
Hammurabi establishes a system of laws that were to be the same
throughout the Empire. This was called Hammurabi’s Code
Hammurabi’s Code Introduced
• https://youtu.be/oDALXORbtR4
Hammurabi’s Code Continued
• Reinforces that government has role over what happens in society
• Was a uniform or same system of laws that applied to all of Babylon
• It applied the system of Retaliation towards law breakers “ an eye for
an eye.”