T H E F E RT I L E C R E S C E N T

MESOPOTAMIA

MESOPOTAMIA ASSIGNMENT

• Read through 30-43 and at the beginning of each section answer the “Read to Discover” Questions. This will be a total of 9 questions. You may work with one additional partner but both students should turn in the assignment and they should be in each students own words.

• While you work on this for the next 50 minutes I will be meeting individually with students to discuss their essays

LAND AND ITS IMPACT

• The Tigris and Euphrates rivers surround Mesopotamia

• These rivers flood randomly which led people in Sumer to believe that their gods were vengeful gods.

• Since there were not natural boundaries to protect people in Sumer they were frequently attacked and new civilizations would rise up

SUMERIANS

• The Sumerians developed a symbol based written system known as Cuneiform

• Developed the Arch which allowed for rounded roofs (stronger)

• Built great temples (pyramid like) called Ziggurats

• Cut the circle into 360 degrees and divided by 60 minutes like we use

SUMERIAN GOVT.

• Religious rulers were important since most people believed each city-state belonged to a god

• Military rulers became more important because of such frequent attacks

• Sumerians never really controlled all of Mesopotamia• Some major cities included Ur, Kish

SUMERIAN LIFE

• Much of what we know from the Sumerians comes from one of the oldest stories: The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Sumerians believed education was important so wealthy men could go to school. (no girls)

• They believed in many gods (polytheistic) but thought the afterlife was not a happy or bad place just another step

AKKADIANS

• Around 2330 BC an Akkadian known as Sargon conquered all of Sumer

• Sargon tried to combine the cultures of all his subjects but was not successful (emperor)

• Many stories were made up about his ascension and battles to create an image of strength

BABYLONIANS

• South East of Sumer and Akkad the Babylonians rose to power around 1800 BC

• Their first ruler was Hammurabi who produced a great law code known as the Code of Hammurabi• The law code is the foundation for

law today. Claimed an “eye for an eye tooth for a tooth”

• Punishment depended on status in society

• Even the king was subject to law

BABYLONIANS

• In Babylon women had limited rights but still a male dominated society

• Adopted many of the Sumerian gods

• Overall this society was well run with the use of their law code

ASSYRIANS

• The first “terrorists” the Assyrians were known for brutal treatment in war.

• First to use cavalry in war and chariots

• Would use fear tactics to get people to quit before the fight began

• Destroyed the Babylonians

ASSYRIANS

• Used a king who was subject only to the chief God Ashur

• Capital in Nineveh- had a library that contained many written works

like the Epic of Gilgamesh- Kept a history of their people

CHALDEANS

• Under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar they conquered the Assyrians

• Rebuilt the city of Babylon and developed the Hanging Gardens for one of his many wives

• Very skilled astronomers who could predict an eclipse, and various planetary alignments• Helps develop a calendar

PERSIANS

• Around 540 BC the Persians overran the Chaldeans

• Their first mighty ruler was Cyrus who conquered the Chaldeans and Medes to gain control of the Fertile Crescent

• Cyrus and his followers (Darius and Xerxes) were seen as god figures to their people (adopted from the Egyptians)

PERSIAN LIFE

• With such a large empire they allowed city-states to control their own government so long as they were loyal to Cyrus

• Their religion was based around the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster• Claimed that in the previous life forces of

Good and Evil fought• This life is a time to choose between who we

will follow• Claimed that in the future these forces would

fight again and good would pronounce a final judgment on the “righteous”

• Possibly influenced Judaism-Christianity-Islam

PHOENICIANS

• Modern Israel and Lebanon

• Unlike many Mesopotamians they were not warlike

• Great traders: Lumber, Dyes, Glass, olive oil etc.

• Great with boats to travel all around

• Intellectuals: Developed the first alphabet

• Main cities included Tyre and Sidon

TRAVEL BROCHURE ASSIGNMENT

• In groups of four do the following:• You should write down an argument for why you would

want to live in a Mesopotamian civilization compared to the others• Give specific examples for why you would want to be here

and why not in a different civilization (at least 2)

• You will need to create a travel brochure for one of the Mesopotamia groups that we discussed in class• Explain what accomplishments they made• Gives a brief history of the civilization• Gives specific reasons for why you would want to live there• Include pictures related to the topic

LYDIANS

• From modern day Turkey

• Became tired of the Barter system so developed coined money

• Although not a very powerful group their money economy spread to Greece and Persia to facilitate trade in those empires