Download Chapter 6 Exploring Ancient Mesopotamia

Chapter 6
Exploring Four Empires
of Mesopotamia
What were the most important achievements
of the Mesopotamian empires?
The Akkadian Empire
Life Under Akkadian Rule
• King Sargon created the world’s first
empire.
• Soldiers were taught to fight in tight
formations.
• King Sargon became the first king to decree
that his sons rule after his death.
• The Akkadians developed their own
language.
• Artists carved beautiful relief sculptures on
stones.
The Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi and the Babylonian Empire
• King Hammurabi created a code of laws
that applied to everyone in the empire.
• Code of laws were written on steles and
placed in temples for everyone to see.
• The laws and punishments did not treat all
people equally and seem harsh compared
to modern laws and punishments.
• Babylonian society was unusually fair for its
time. Slaves could buy their freedom and
own property. Women could keep their
own money and own property.
Life in the Babylonian Empire
The Assyrian Empire
The Assyrian Empire
Life Under Assyrian Rule
• The Assyrians perfected the use of horses
and iron weapons in battle. They also
became greatly skilled at siege warfare.
They used battering rams to break down
walls. They used moveable towers to climb
over walls.
• The Assyrians honored their powerful kings
with beautiful palaces, huge sculptures, and
2-dimensional sculptures called bas-reliefs.
• The Assyrians built some of the earliest
aqueducts.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire
Life in the Neo-Babylonian Empire
• King Nebuchadrezzar restored the splendor of King
Hammurabi’s time.
• King Nebuchadrezzar had inner and outer walls
built around Babylon and towers, for archers to
stand on, built, and moats dug.
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the
great wonders of the ancient world. The sight of so
many trees and bushes rising above the desert
landscape was astonishing.
• Neo-Babylonians created the first sundial and
made discoveries that led to our present-day
system of a 60-minute hour and 7-day week.
Summary