Download Later Mesopotamian Empires

Later Mesopotamian Empires
Vocabulary
• Empire – a group of states under one ruler
• Culture – way of life
• Reform – Improvement
• Surplus – extra products or money
• Reign – period of power
I. Introduction
• Power of Sumer faded and other empires
began to move in
II. Sargon I
• Ruler of Akkad conquered many of the Sumerian
Cities
• He united the two cities creating the worlds first
empire
• The Akkadian language was the language of the
people
• Sumerian language was used only in religion, and
they worshiped the Sumerian Gods
II. Sargon I
• They wrote Akkadian Language in Sumerian
Cuneiform
• Sargon ruled for 50 years and when he passed
away the empire fell
III. Hammurabi of Babylon
• The Amorites entered into Mesopotamia under
the leadership of Hammurabi
• The major Amorites major city was Babylon
• Borrowed many parts of the Sumerian culture
– For example worshiped Sumerian Gods but gave them
Babylonian names
III. Hammurabi of Babylon
• Hammurabi
– Extended Babylonian Empire to the Mediterranean Sea
– Improved irrigation and canals
– Made Babylonian God the most important god in
Babylon (this united the people more closely together)
– Reorganized tax system
– Created public housing
III. Hammurabi of Babylon
• The Code of Hammurabi
– Created to unite the city-states of Babylon
– Took the best laws from all city-states and created a
united set of laws
– Appointed royal judges to oversee the code, judges
had to be fair and honest of risk harsh punishments
III. Hammurabi of Babylon
– People were innocent until proven guilty
– Laws covered everything in daily life, and punishments
ranged from fines to death
– Members of the upper class were punished more
harshly than members of the lower and middle class
III. Hammurabi of Babylon
• Under Hammurabi Babylon became a strong trade
center
• They would sell their surplus to gain gold and silver
• Hammurabi’s rule was known as the “Golden Age of
Babylon”
• After his death Babylon’s power declined and
eventually the empire broke apart
If any one bring an accusation of any crime
before the elders, and does not prove what he
has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense
charged, be put to death.
22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught,
then he shall be put to death.
23. If the robber is not caught, then shall he who was
robbed claim under oath the amount of his loss; then
shall the community, and . . . on whose ground and
territory and in whose domain it was compensate him
for the goods stolen.
53. If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper
condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break
and all the fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam
the break occurred be sold for money, and the money shall
replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.
54. If he be not able to replace the corn, then he and his
possessions shall be divided among the farmers whose corn
he has flooded.
55. If any one open his ditches to water his crop, but is
careless, and the water flood the field of his neighbor, then
he shall pay his neighbor corn for his loss.
195. If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn
off.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye
shall be put out.
197. If he break another man's bone, his bone shall
be broken.
200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his
teeth shall be knocked out.
IV. Contributions
• “Cradle of Civilization”
• Earliest known written records are Sumerian
• First Written Laws
• Invented the wheel and the plow to make
transportation and farming easier
• The sailboat replaced rowing power
IV. Contributions
• Developed a 12 month calendar based on the
moon, used for planting and holidays
• Number system based on 60, still used today in
measuring time and circles
• Developed a clock that used water droplets