The Fertile Crescent
Section 2: Fertile Crescent Empires
The Babylonian Empire
In 1787 B.C., Hammurabi conquered cities in Sumer and lands to the north to create the
Babylonian Empire. Babylon was its capital. New roads promoted trade that made the empire
rich. This wealth, however, made it more attractive to invaders, who destroyed the empire by the
early 1500s B.C.
MapMaster: Fertile Crescent Empires
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The Fertile Crescent
Section 2: Fertile Crescent Empires
The Empire of the Assyrians
By 650 B.C., Assyria had conquered many neighboring lands. The Assyrians used battering rams to
tear down city walls, while armored warriors on horseback and in chariots cut down their enemies.
They built a great capital at Nineveh, where tablets and carvings recorded their victories and defeats.
They were defeated by the Medes and Chaldeans in 612 B.C.
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The Fertile Crescent
Section 2: Fertile Crescent Empires
Babylonia Rises Again
The Chaldeans rebuilt Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar II. Under the Chaldeans, learning and
science flourished. In 539 B.C., however, the Persians conquered the New Babylonian Empire.
The Persian Empire
The Persians built an empire stretching from Greece to India. Persian Zoroastrians worshipped one
god, but tolerated the religions of others and freed the Jews held captive. Through trade, they
spread their culture and system of bureaucracy to neighboring peoples.
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The Fertile Crescent: Section 2
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