invaders, traders, and empire builders. sargon – 2300 b.c. ruler of akkad – invaded and...
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Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders
Sargon – 2300 B.C.Ruler of Akkad – invaded and
conquered Sumer and surrounding lands
Continued to expand and created the first Empire
When he died other nations invaded and took over
Hammurabi – 1790 B.C.King of BabylonGained control of MesopotamiaHammurabi Code – set of lawsWhy? Wanted to ensure that everyone
knew the law – no exceptions
Hammurabi had artisans ? Carve 300 laws into a stone pillar and display it for everyone to see
First attempt by a ruler to codify lawCodify – arrange and set down in
writing
Private rights and matters – such as: Business, property, inheritance,
marriage and divorce Code was designed to protect the
powerless – slaves and women Allowed women to own property and pass
it to her children A man was both the legal authority over
his and the provider for her Fathers had almost unlimited authority
over children Kept a house running orderly. Was this necessary?
Criminal law – offenses against other Robbery, assault, murder
Set out specific punishments – limited vengeance and created social order
Could be cruel – an eye for an eye If someone built a house and it
collapsed on someone, the person who built it could be put to death
1. Improved Irrigation2. Organized a well trained army3. Ordered repairs for temples4. Encouraged religious unity by
promoting Marduk – the patron god of Babylon, which replaced older Sumerian gods
Hittites – came from Asia Minor around 1400 B.C.
Advancements – Three man chariot Ability to extract Iron from ore Could create better tools and weapons
They were harder and sharper Tried to keep this a secret – but when
their Empire collapsed in 1700 B.C. – iron smiths when elsewhere for work and spread knowledge
Also learned of Iron forgingEstablished an Empire by 1350 B.C. They started expanding across
MesopotamiaEarned the reputation as most
feared warriorsKept order and rule in their citiesNineveh – had one of the first
libraries of cuneiform tablets
Nebuchadnezzar – 612 B.C. Babylonian King
Took control of Assyrian Empire and brought it under Babylonian control
Empire stretched from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea
Rebuilt canals, temples, walls and palaces Surrounded Babylon with a wall (85 ft.
thick) and moat Hanging Gardens – one of the Seven
Wonders Of the World Built for his wife – gardens in dessert –
difficult, expensive
Conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.Cyrus the Great – Persian King, and
his successors built the largest Empire ever seen up until that point
Persians had a policy of tolerance for conquered people
Respectful of others customs
Darius I – created a single law code for Empire which unified it
Built and repaired roads in the Empire Set up model government
Divided Empire into Provinces called a Satrapy
Satrapy was ruled by a governor called a Satrap
Each Satrapy had to pay taxes according to the wealth that was in the province
Darius I – moved from city to city to see people and lead festivals
Darius set up a common weight and measurement scale
Encouraged the use of coinsBarter Economy – trading of goodsMoney Economy – coins used to
purchase itemsCoinage – money with an agreed
upon value
Zoroaster – Persian “thinker” Rejected old Persian gods and taught
there was only one God – Ahura Mazda who was in constant battle with Ahriman – the prince of evil and lies
Eventually Ahura Mazda wins and there would be a final judgment day
Does this sound familiar? Heaven, Hell, Jug dement?
Famous for sailing and trading Occupied area of Eastern Mediterranean
coast Became known for manufacturing and trade Made glass from sand, and a purple dye
from snails Set up colonies around the Mediterranean
Sea to promote trade Colony – territory settled and ruled by a
people from another land Made it as far as Britain and brought back tin
Established an Alphabet – writing system in which each symbol represents a single basic sound, i.e. consonants and vowels
22 symbols – all consonantsLater Greeks added vowelsBecame the alphabet we know today