AKKADIAN EMPIRE
2330 B.C.E the Akkadians (Northern part of fertile crescent; Mesopotamia) attacked and conquered Sumerians. Remember, fertile crescent commonly attacked. Akkadians spoke a Semitic language that is related to modern day Arabic and Hebrew (Muslim, Jewish??)
Empire lasted 150 years. Sumerian city states prospered after end of Akkadians, (UR being chief city-state). Soon, another Semitic-speaking people rose to power.
BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
1792 B.C.E, city of Babylon (narrow portion of land between Euphrates and Tigris rivers) was ruled by Hammurabi. Hammurabi conquered most of the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
Contributions of Hammurabi:
-Outstanding military, political, social leader.
-Lawmaker; established Code of Hammurabi
-Code contained 282 Laws concerning commerce, industry, wages, working conditions, property rights. (Eye for an eye type of punishment system)
*Have students research Code of Hammurabi online?? Compare it to law systems seen today
Babylonian Culture
Similar to Sumerian Culture. Dependent on agriculture, farming, domesticated animals. Extremely active traders; merchants exchanged goods with Egypt, India, other regions of fertile crescent.
Women- legal and economic rights; Property. Women could be merchants, traders, or even scribes.
Religion- Babylonians adopted Sumerian religious beliefs by and large. Sacrifices to gods for favors like good harvests, success in business.Believed in shadowy afterlife after death (Sumerian).Priests could foretell the future; very powerful and wealthy. ( I think I could be a priest. I can foretell that some of you aren’t taking good enough notes and are going to fail this first test? Ya think?)
HITTITES
Warlike people who invaded from Asia Minor (Turkey).First people to smelt iron. Most important achievements focused on laws and government. Spoke Indo-European language.
-Only major crimes received death penalty (Code of Hammurabi said otherwise)
-Fines were imposed, not ‘eye for an eye’ policy
Hittites remained an empire until 1200 B.C.E in western part of fertile crescent. Invaded by sea peoples.
ASSYRIAN EMPIRE
Semitic speaking people from Mesopotamia.Settled city of Assur on upper Tigris River in early 2000s B.C.E. After centuries of fighting off invasion and barely getting by, they rose to power and dominated S/W Asia. 900-650 B.C.E Assyrians expanded into Egypt, across Fertile Crescent. At height of power, contained all of crescent, Syria, Palestine, and Nile River Valley.
Military Accomplishments: fierce, effective warriors. Chariots were used in battle, as well as soldiers on horseback known as cavalry. They used terror to control their enemies; killing captured enemy soldiers. Deported entire populations to other regions. 700 B.C.E they sacked and looted Babylon, destroying it completely.
Government: Assyrian King was an absolute ruler, having total power over large empire. Priests and government officials took orders from the king. Governors ruled conquered lands.
Nineveh- Capital city of Assyrian empire located on northern Tigris River. Huge double wall was constructed around Nineveh to fortify it. 70 feet high by 7.5 miles around.
-Great library kept in Ninevah containing clay tablets filled with literature and other works.
-Epic of Gilgamesh contained in library; story of Sumerian king. One of oldest works of literature known to man. (Researchers and historians learned ample amounts about Sumerian beliefs by studying this text)
Nineveh and the Assyrians fell after Civil War broke out in 635 B.C.E, weakening it severely. Around 612 B.C.E the Chaldeans captured and destroyed Nineveh.
CHALDEANS
Reclaimed territory from the Assyrians. Led by Nebuchadnezzar, Chaldeans conquered most of the Fertile Crescent. Including all land West of Tigris River, all of Euphrates River west to coast of Mediterranean sea (Included Jerusalem)
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt city of Babylon, ruling there from 605 B.C.E to 562 B.C.E.
-Babylon flourished during this time.
-Massive buildings, canal systems.
-Nubuchadnezzar’s palace included “Hanging Gardens,” (show picture)- regarded as one of the Greeks 7 wonders of the world.
Chaldeans struggled after King Neb’s death, fell to the Persian Empire in 539 B.C.E.
PERSIAN EMPIRE
Conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.E. Persians spoke Indo-European language similar to Hittites. By 850 B.C.E Persians had migrated into present-day Iran along with peoples known as the Medes. By 550, Persians, led by Cyrus the Great rebelled against the Medes.
Cyrus, and later Darius I and his son Xerxes (southpark video of Xerxes?) expanded Persian rule across Fertile Crescent, including Babylon, Asia Minor (Turkey, Syria).
-Empire included all of Asia Minor, Egypt, present-day Iraq, Iran, Pakistan (many other ikistan countries. Running past the Indus River in western India. North to Caspian and Aral Seas. Empire extended west as far as the black and Aegean sea
-Never conquered Greece (I don’t need to tell you that, you’ve seen 300), yet at the time still the mightiest empire up to this point in history.
Government: Persian kings were rulers and generals. Although all-powerful, early leaders were lawful, collecting taxes and administering law fairly.
-More gracious to conquered people than previous empires before them
-Allowed conquered peoples to keep their own religions and laws.
-Secret agents known as “the King’s Eyes and Ears” kept the king informed, preventing regional rulers in check….2 questions. 1.) how do we know that’s what they were called? B.) Is this the first form of the C.I.A? or KGB, or Secret Police? Now I’m scared.
Infrastructure- Roads connected cities within empire (Royal Road ran 1250 miles). It took the Great Depression before F.D.R would conceive of the idea, which Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower authorized in 1956. Historians will argue that Roman road systems were stolen ideas from the Persians.
Religion: At first, Persians were Polytheistic. However, 600 B.C.E brought about the teachings of prophet Zoroaster, or Zarathushtra.
-Zoroaster taught that on earth people receive training for a future life
-In the world good and evil battle each other
-Good = eternal blessing. Evil = damnation…..SOUND FAMILIAR???
-Zoroaster’s theories influenced Judaism and later Christianity
Decline of Persian Empire
Leaders after Darius and Xerxes lacked leadership abilities. 331, Persians suffered defeat at the hands of Greeks and Alexander the Great.