Download Notes Mesopotamian Civilizations

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia
“Land between the Rivers”
•Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Fertile Crescent
“Garden of Eden”??
“Cradle of Civilization”
Sumerians
•Sumer
•oldest known civilization
•“History Begins at Sumer”
ANCIENT SUMER
divided into “city-states”
Theocracy
government where leaders have political
and religious power
Polytheistic
Animism
•all things had a “spirit”
Anthropomorphic
•gods were viewed as powerful, immortal w/
human emotions
ANCIENT SUMER
Polytheism cont…
humanity created to serve the gods
gods control everything
•“Good” came from the gods
•“Bad” came from human failure to please gods
Astrology was invented to please the gods
Ziggurat
burial sites suggest belief in an afterlife
Gloomy / dark
ANCIENT SUMER
Writing
Invented writing
Cuneiform
•wedge shaped “pencil”
•pictographic
•wrote on wet clay tablets
“Epic of Gilgamesh”
EPIC OF GILGAMESH
7 Steps to Maturity
1)Rid yourself of the drive for yourself
Accomplish things for others
2)There is no satisfaction in self-satisfaction
3)Life is better when shared
4)Accept the fact that you are going to die
5)Do not waste time trying to cheat death
6)Accept yourself
Know your abilities and limitations
7)Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do
ANCIENT
AKKADIANS
conquered the
Sumerians
Sargon I
1st “warlord”
1st “empire”
ANCIENT
BABYLONIANS
Hammurabi
most well-known
developed ONE law code for his empire
Hammurabi = “King of Justice”
Shamash (god of Justice) entrusted
Hammurabi to create fair law code
•282 laws
•written in stone
• gov’t controlled punishment
•punishment based on CLASS
ANCIENT
BABYLONIANS
Hammurabi’s Law Code cont…
“Parallel Punishment”
•“Eye for an Eye”
•same punishment in same class
“Innocent until proven guilty”
Results of Law Code:
1. Increase stability and order
2. Increase equality
3. Protect trade
Prologue to Hammurabi’s Law
Code
“…TO MAKE JUSTICE VISIBLE IN THE
LAND, TO DESTROY THE WICKED PERSON
AND EVIL-DOER, THAT THE STRONG MIGHT
NOT INJURE THE WEAK.”
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a
more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty
to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of America.”
How is truth determined when one man
brings an accusation against another?
Code 2
If any one bring an accusation against a
man, and the accused go to the river and
leap into the river, if he sink in the river
his accuser shall take possession of his
house. But if the river prove that the
accused is not guilty, and he escape
unhurt, then he who had brought the
accusation shall be put to death, while he
who leaped into the river shall take
possession of the house that had
belonged to his accuser.
What happens if a man is
unable to pay his debts?
Code 117
If a man in debt is unable to pay his
creditors, he shall sell his wife, son,
or daughter, or bind them over to
service. For three years they shall
work in the houses of their purchaser
or master; in the fourth year they
shall be given their freedom.
What should be done to the carpenter
who builds a house that falls and kills
the owner?
Code 229
If a builder builds a house for a man
and does not make its construction
sound, and the house collapses and
causes death of the owner of the
house, the builder shall be put to
death
What should be done about a wife
who ignores her duties and belittles
her husband?
Code 143
If the woman has not been careful but
has gadded about, neglecting her
house and belittling her husband,
they shall throw that woman into the
water.
What should happen to a
boy who slaps his father?
Code 195
If a son strike his father, his hands
shall be hewn off.
What should be done if a son is
adopted and then the birth-parents
want him back?
Code 185
If a man takes in his home a young boy
as a son and rears him, one may not
bring claim for that adopted son.
ANCIENT
HITTITES
developed Iron
fought with 3
man chariots
ANCIENT
ASSYRIANS
Sennacherib
ruled when empire was its largest
mentioned in Bible
•2 Kings 19:35
 invaded Jerusalem
 God sent “Angel of the Lord”
 185K killed
ANCIENT
ASSYRIANS
ruthless warriors
intimidation
“Iron Horse”
cut off noses / legs / tongues / hands
nailed skins to wall
skinned alive / threw salt in wounds
sent captives away
1st to use “Cavalry”
built library at Nineveh
latitude and longitude // 360 degree circle
ANCIENT
CHALDEANS
Nebuchadnezzar
mentioned in Bible
•2 Kings 25
 destroyed Jerusalem
 “Babylonian Captivity”
 brought 1000’s of Jews back as slaves
built 320’ wall around Babylon
56 miles long, 25’ thick, moat around, Euphrates ran
thru city
Hanging Gardens of Babylon “Wonders of Ancient World”
ANCIENT
PERSIANS
Cyrus defeats Chaldeans (539 BC)
“Cyrus Cylinder”
•history of Cyrus’ rule
•records the defeat of the Chaldeans and
allowing Jews to return home
•records the humane treatment of captives
•viewed as world’s 1st “Declaration of Human
Rights”
Cambyses
ruled empire at its largest
ANCIENT
PERSIANS
Darius (522 BC)
excellent organizer
Strengthened Persian Empire:
1. divided empire into “Satrapies”
2. assigned “Satraps” to oversee Satrapies
3. used “Kings Eyes and Ears” (Spies)
4. expanded the Infrastructure
“Royal Road”
o1600 miles / station every 14 miles / 1 week
Religion = Zoroastrianism
ANCIENT
PHOENICIANS
Excellent Traders
Cedar
Murex
• purple dye
• symbol of $$$$$
set up colonies throughout Mediterranean
Sea
1. re-supply ships 2. protection from pirates
spread culture through Med. Sea
22 symbol Alphabet
ANCIENT
LYDIANS
established 1st “money”
system for trade
Herodotus said the Lydians
"were the first men whom we
know who coined and used gold
and silver currency“
Expanded trade…bartering was
limited to need