Babylonia and
Assyria
Coach Parrish
Chapter 2, Section 2
OMS
The Two Empires of Mesopotamia
“You go and carry off the enemy’s land; the
enemy comes and carries off your land”

This quote was the theme of ancient
Mesopotamia. It was a period in which
one ruler after the next came to power
only to be conquered.
The Two Empires of Mesopotamia
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1.
2.
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The largest and most important Mesopotamian
civilizations were:
Babylonia
Assyria
Empire – area of many territories and peoples
that is controlled by one government.
Babylon – capital city of Babylonia.
Babylonian and Assyrian
Similarities

1.
2.
Two things that Babylonia and Assyria
had in common were:
They were both vicious warrior empires.
Once they conquered an area, they used
the riches they gained to build grand
cities where learning was valued.
Map of Ancient Mesopotamia:
Babylonia and Assyria
Babylonian Empire

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1.
2.
Babylonian king named Hammurabi created
Babylonia by uniting the city-states of
Sumer.
Trade was increased by a network of roads
that were built throughout the empire.
Caravans – groups of travelers. They
stopped in Babylon on their way between
Assyria and Sumer.
Bazaars – markets where trade occurred.
A bazaar today!
Wealth Through Conquest
When a king conquered a land, he gained
all of the wealth associated with that land.
 Hammurabi conquered the city of Mari in
1760 BC and seized their chariots,
weapons, and tools.

Hammurabi
Assyrian Empire
Assyria was located in northern
Mesopotamia along the Tigris River. It
was located in open land which was an
easy target for enemies.
 Since the Assyrians were always
defending themselves, they became
excellent warriors.

Assyria’s Contributions
1.
2.
3.
Battering Ram – powerful weapon having a
wooden beam mounted on wheels.
Battering ram, sling shots, and archers were
used by the Assyrians to conquer their
enemies.
Capital of Assyria, Nineveh, was a city of great
learning. Nineveh library contained thousands
of clay tablets from Babylon and Sumer.
Battering Ram
Assyria Overthrown
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The Assyrians were eventually overthrown
by the combined efforts of the Medes and
the Chaldeans in the year 612 BC.
Babylonia Rises Again
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Under the Chaldeans, Babylon rose again to
even greater splendor. It became the New
Babylonian Empire.
King Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt the city of
Babylon, putting up huge walls for protection.
Neb II also built a royal palace that was 350
feet tall. On top of the palace hung huge
gardens. The “Hanging Gardens of Babylon
became one of the ancient wonders of the
world.
King Nebuchadnezzar II
Advances in Learning
Under the rule of the Chaldeans, the New
Babylonian Empire (NBE) became a
center for learning and science.
 Chaldean astronomers charted the paths
of stars and measured the length of a
year.
 In 539 BC, the NBE was conquered by the
Persians but the capital city of Babylon
was spared.
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