Mesopotamia Unit 1 PDF

MAIN CHARACTERS Hammurabi: Ruler of Babylon, established first law code, emphasis of infrastructure, justice and trade, desire to improve life, overthrown by weak leadership and barbarians Gilgamesh: Oldest story ever written, Sumerian King (Uruk), lessons on kingship and mortality Sargon of Akkad...

MAIN CHARACTERS Hammurabi: Ruler of Babylon, established first law code, emphasis of infrastructure, justice and trade, desire to improve life, overthrown by weak leadership and barbarians Gilgamesh: Oldest story ever written, Sumerian King (Uruk), lessons on kingship and mortality Sargon of Akkad: Powerful king of Akkad/Summer, first king who is considered a god, creates first empire, respects Sumerian culture, militaristic, decline in rebellion Ashubanipal: Ruthless King of Assyria, massive empire, torture, focus on education, war society, deported populations for efficiency TRUE empire, loses empire due to size, overthrown and attacks by foreigners Nebuchadnezzar II: King of neo-Babylonian, captures and destroys Jerusalem, more equality for women, greater builder, intellectual and artistic focuses, decline due to no succession, Cyrus the Great conquered Mesopotamia and brings it under Persian rule Shamash: Sun god, giver of laws, god of truth and justice. Ur-Nammu: ancient legislator, wrote code in Sumerian language, used IF and THEN consequence statements, FIRST LAW CODE (NOT HAMMURABI) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ MESOPOTAMIA HIGHLIGHTS SOCIAL STRUCTURE: ​ Occupations were considered important and symbolic (Kings, Priests, Scribes, Farmers, Merchants, Craftsmen, Soldiers and Slaves) ​ Kings were treated as messengers of gods ​ Women Inequality ​ Nationalities  ○​ Summerians ○​ Akkadins ○​ Babylonians ○​ Assyrians ​ Slavery ​ Climbing Social Ladder ​ Hammurabi’s Law Code Social Theory ○​ Free Man/Full Citizen ○​ Dependent ○​ Slave GEOGRAPHY ​ Located around the Euphrates and Tigris River in modern day Iraq (parts of Syria and Iran) ​ Composed of city states that were overseen by separate gods ​ Gulf and Mediterranean were the nearest bodies of water ​ Zagros Mountain Range ​ Desert area towards modern day Saudi Arabia ​ Known as fertile crescent CUNEFORM: ​ Considered as first form of written language ​ Clay tablets and stylists called wedges ​ Used for commerce, storing information, and religious purposes ​ Becoming a Scribe took 12 years (someone who is advanced in the language) and all priests had to be Scribes ZIGGURATS: ​ Religious temples for priests and Kings to connect with gods ​ Only Kings were allowed to go to the very top to communicate with the gods ​ Ordinary people had to pray from below RELIGION & MYTH:  ​ No one religion; no religious book to follow ​ Influenced by fables and myths ​ over 3600+ gods; each city had its own god ​ Oldest religion ​ The Me was the code of conduct for Kings (semi religious book) MILITARY TACTICS: ​ Chariots, Axes, Speers ​ Barbarian Invaders ​ Torture and P.O.Ws ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ EMPIRE HIGHLIGHTS/OTHERS Babylonian Empire: Infrastructure, Trade, Justice | Established by Hammurabi (united Mesopotamia and makes Marduk the GODDDDDDDD) Assyrian Empire: Trading Center, Political Powerhouse, Amalgamation of Sumerian and Babylonian Cultures, King gets power from God Ashu and is considered the representative, and Temples built for Kings not gods. Code of Hammurabi: one nearly complete text survives, 282 laws, IF THEN statements, 8 foot tall stele, written in Cuneiform Legal System: ​ Trials in temples ​ No “lawyers” ​ Oaths on the symbol of the local god ​ Decisions in writing (scribes, priests, witnesses, judges) present ​ FINAL RESORT: Trial by river (guilty = eaten by river mons