The Four Empires of Mesopotamia What were their most important achievements?

Akkadian Empire Conquered Sumer in 2300 B.C.E Led by Sargon- First ruler of the Akkadian Empire Sumer independent for about 1200 years

Sargon’s Rule Effective military strategies Large armies Fought in tight formation Shields in the front, spears behind them Won territory Destroyed walls, demanded loyalty

Akkadian Achievements World’s first empire Art: Skillful 3-D sculptures, steles

How the empire fell: Kings found it difficult to rule a large territory Empire grew weak After about 200 years, the Akkadian empire fell to new invaders from the north.

Babylon Sumer was once again a group of city states United by Hammurabi

Important people King Hammurabi Written code law- unified people & kept order Also: built roads, made postal service. ` Laws based on word of the gods- claimed gods told him to create laws that applied to everyone in the empire

Trade Location on the banks of the Euphrates made it an important center for trade. Gin and woven cloth for wood, gold, silver, precious gems, and animals Arts flourished

Assyrians: Background Warlike people Located- North of Babylon Briefly in power before Hammurabi Rose to power around 900 B.C.E

Important people Feared for their military might and cruelty The kings and army were important because the Assyrians believed that their kings were special beings

Achievements New weapons and war strategies Dug canals to irrigate Horses, iron weapons & siege warfare Battering rams Movable towers Dug canals to irrigate Built the first aqueducts Artisans known for two-dimensional sculptures called Bas-reliefs Used ivory to decorate thrones, beds, chairs and doors

How it fell Too big of a territory for the army to control Army stretched too thin- could not fight off neighbors

Neo-Babylonia After the fall of the city of Nineveh – Babylonians took over again “Neo” means New

Nebuchadnezzar Ruthless military leader Expanded his empire by taking over other lands Built walls around Babylon, his capital

Achievements: Hanging Gardens of Babylon Skilled in Math and astronomy Gardens planted on the rooftops of Nebuchadnezzar's Palace Skilled in Math and astronomy First sundial 60 minute hour, 7 day week

How it fell The Persian Empire, under Cyrus conquered the area