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CHAPTER 4 – LESSON 2: Mesopotamian Empires
Essential Question: Why does conflict develop?
Academic Vocabulary – Define the following term using your “6th grade SS glossary”.
conflict - a serious disagreement or argument
THE FIRST EMPIRES p.1
CAUSE:
EFFECT:
Powerful kingdoms were formed in northern
Mesopotamia & Syria.
Sumerian city-states were weakened by
conflict.
empire – a large territory or group of many territories governed by one ruler
WHO WAS SARGON? p.1
What did he form?
Sargon
King of the Akkadians
Formed the world’s first empire
How?
Conquered Sumerian cities one by one with his welltrained army
WHO WAS HAMMURABI? p.1
Babylon
A grand city located on
the eastern bank of the
Euphrates River
What did he form?
Hammurabi
King of the
Babylonians
The Babylonian
Empire
How?
He conquered the
Amorites
HAMMURABI’S LAW CODE p.2
What is Hammurabi best known for?
code
a set of official laws
Creating a set of laws for his empire
How did the code make clear what actions were crimes?
1. They were posted for all to read
2. It was made clear what actions were crimes & the consequences for crimes
What was the guiding principle (concept, basis, or idea) for the laws in Hammurabi’s code?
ELABORATE on your answer.
The guiding principle for Hammurabi’s Code was “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. In the
text it states, “…the punishment for a crime should match the seriousness of the crime”.
Hammurabi’s Code was meant to limit punishment and fueds.
THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE p.2
Assyria
a large empire that
expanded into current
day Turkey, Syria, Iran,
& Iraq
military
having to do with
soldiers, weapons, or
war
THE ASSYRIAN ARMY p.2
tribute – a payment made to a ruler or state as a sign of surrender
What factors made the Assyrian army so successful?
1. well-trained & disciplined
2. had 50,000 soldiers
3. had infantry, cavalry, & charioteers
4. fought with slingshots, bows & arrows, swords, spears
5. brutal toward enemies (robbed people, destroyed owns)
6. used iron weapons
KINGS & GOVERNMENT p.3
Nineveh
capital of Assyria
provinces
a territory governed as a
political district of a
country or empire
How was the empire divided?
How were they connected?
Into provinces
By roads
How was each governed?
What were stations used for?
Kings chose officials who collected taxes
& carried out the laws
For messengers to rest and change
chariot horses
G.R.A.P.E.S. stands for geography, religion, achievements, politics, economics, and
social structures. It is an acronym that helps us understand civilization characteristics.
Fill out GRAPES chart based on pages 2-3. (Assyrians)
Geography
•
Settled into the fertile valleys of Mesopotamia
•
How did the land shape the
development of this civilization?
Why did they settle here? Describe
the land/climate.
Religion
What did they believe? How did
their beliefs affect their civilization?
•
Their lives were built on what they learned from
other Mesopotamian people
Worshipped the same gods
Achievements
•
•
Built temples & palaces
Built the world’s first library
•
•
•
•
Leaders were kings
Had an empire
Empire was divided into provinces
Had a strong army
•
They brought in wood/metal to use for building &
making tools/weapons
•
Some jobs in Assyria were: kings, government
officials, farmers, soldier
What did this culture
invent/develop/ accomplish?
Technology? Writing? Art?
Politics
Who made decisions for this
civilization? Describe their
government.
Economics
How did this culture trade? What
did they produce? What jobs did
they have?
Social Structure
How was this civilization divided
into classes? How did social classes
affect the daily life?
MAP: Assyrian Empire p.3 – Use the map on p.3 to answer the following questions.
1. What geographic feature lay to the south of the Assyrian Empire? Arabian Desert
2. Name a geographic feature that bordered the Assyrian Empire? Persian Gulf
THE CHALDEAN EMPIRE p.4
CAUSE:
EFFECT:
Fighting over who would be the next
Assyrian ruler broke out.
A group of people called the
Chaldeans took over
A NEW EMPIRE p.4
region – a geographic area
Nabopolassar
Chaldean king
Nebuchadnezzar
Babylonian King & son of
Nabopolassar
How did he defeat the Assyrians?
Joined forces with the Medes & captured
Nineveh in 612 B.C.
Babylon – capital of the Chaldean Empire
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think the Chaldeans burned Nineveh to the ground?
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2. Why is the Chaldean Empire sometimes called the New Babylonian Empire?
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THE GREATNESS OF BABYLON p.5
What text evidence supports the following statement: “Babylon was the largest & richest city in the
world.”
1. Huge brick walls surrounded the city
2. Soldiers kept watch in towers
3. Grand palaces & temples
4. 300 foot ziggurat
5. Gold roof of ziggurat could be seen for miles
6. King’s palace had Hanging Gardens
complex - having many parts, details, or ideas
Describe the
Hanging Gardens…
One of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient
World / filled with
vines, trees, flowers
What is tax? (6th grade
glossary)
Why did Nebuchadnezzar collect such high taxes &
tributes?
a payment a government
collects from people to pay for
government expenses
To pay for building projects and maintain an army
Discussion Questions:
1. What are some positive/negative feelings society has about paying taxes?
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2. How do Americans feel about high taxes to pay for such expenses?
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caravans
a group of merchants who
travel together for safety
with camels
What was the purpose of caravans?
They bought Babylonian goods – pottery, cloth,
baskets, jewelry
Scientific advancements:
astronomers
a person who studies
planets & stars
1. Invented the first sun dial to measure time
2. First to follow a 7 day week
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE p.6
Factors that weakened the empire:
1. Nebuchadnezzar died
2. Weak kings ruled
3. Poor harvest & slow trade
Discussion Question:
1. In 539 B.C. the Persians captured Babylon. Why were they wise not to destroy the empire?
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