1. The Ancient Middle East and Egypt (3200 B.C-500 B.C)
Lesson 2 Empires in Mesopotamia

2. The Ancient Middle East and Egypt (3200 B.C-500 B.C)
Lesson 2 Empires in Mesopotamia
Learning Objectives
Outline the achievements of the first empires that arose in Mesopotamia
Understand how conquests brought new empires and ideas into the Middle East.
Describe the major political, religious, and cultural influences of Persia.
Summarize the contributions the Phoenicians made to the ancient Middle East.

3. The Ancient Middle East and Egypt (3200 B.C-500 B.C)
Lesson 2 Empires in Mesopotamia
Key Terms
Sargon,
Hammurabi
codify,
criminal laws,
civil laws,
Nebuchadnezzar
bureaucracy,
barter economy,
money economy.
Zoroaster
colony
alphabet

4. Empires Emerge in Mesopotamia
Invasion and conquest were prominent features in the history of the ancient Middle East. Again and again, nomadic peoples or ambitious warriors descended on the rich cities of the Fertile Crescent. While many invaders simply looted and burned, some stayed to rule. Powerful leaders created large, well-organized empires, bringing peace and prosperity for a time to the region. Over several thousand years, these empires made advances in government, technology, and learning that influenced later civilizations from Greece and Rome to India and beyond.

5. Empires Emerge in Mesopotamia
The First Empire
The Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi’s Code
Civil Law and Woman
Criminal Law
Hammurabi’s Other Accomplishments

6. Empires Emerge in Mesopotamia
King Sargon created the first known empire, Akkad. He conquered Sumerian city-states one by one and expanded his empire from present-day Lebanon to the Taurus Mountains of Turkey.

7. Empires Emerge in Mesopotamia
Analyze Information The purpose of Hammurabi’s Code was to create common bonds among the diverse people of the society. Why was it important that Hammurabi’s Code was a written legal code?

8. New Empires and Ideas
Later empires shaped the Middle East in different ways. Some conquerors, such as the Hittites, brought new skills to the region. Others uprooted the peoples they defeated. By forcing people to move elsewhere, these upheavals led to the spread of ideas. Even as warfare disrupted lives, trade continued, further helping the exchange of products and ideas.

9. New Empires and Ideas Hittites and the Secret of Ironworking
Assyrian Warriors Build a Warrior Empire
Assyrian Society
The New Babylonian Empire
Babylonian Astronomy

10. New Empires and Ideas
The Hittites, known for their ironwork, adapted and improved the horse-drawn chariot. Hittite charioteers used lances, bows and arrows, and axes like the ones shown in the photo.

11. New Empires and Ideas
Analyze Maps The Assyrian empire controlled much of the land in the ancient Middle East. What earlier empires did the Assyrians conquer in order to build their large empire?

12. Rise of the Persian Empire
The thick walls built by Nebuchadnezzar failed to hold back new conquerors. In 539 b.c., Babylon fell to the Persian armies of Cyrus the Great. The Persians eventually controlled a wide sweep of territory that stretched from Asia Minor to India, including present-day Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

13. Rise of the Persian Empire
Darius Unites Many Peoples
Persia’s Economy
Birth of a New Religion
Persia’s Legacy

14. Rise of the Persian Empire
Analyze Maps Study the locations of the Persian capitals. Were they well placed for rule over the entire empire?

15. Rise of the Persian Empire
Darius I was king of Persia for 35 years starting in 522 B.C. He was known for his many accomplishments, including expansion, centralization of the empire’s administration, and legal reforms.

16. Rise of the Persian Empire
Analyze Information Money economies developed as a result of the benefits they offered to the exchange process. What advantages did a money economy offer?

17. Phoenician Contributions
While powerful rulers subdued large empires, many small states of the ancient Middle East made their own contributions to the civilizations of the ancient Middle East. The Phoenicians (fuh NISH unz), for example, gained fame as sailors and traders. They occupied a string of cities along the eastern Mediterranean coast, in the area that today is Lebanon and Syria.

18. Phoenician Contributions
Manufacturing and Trade Expands
The Phoenician Alphabet

19. Phoenician Contributions
Analyze Information How was the alphabet used today in English influenced by the Phoenicians?

20. Quiz: Empires Emerge in Mesopotamia
What was the most important and lasting legacy of Hammurabi’s Code?
A. the idea that individuals should seek their own justice
B. the belief that civil law outweighed criminal law
C. the belief that the ruler must be able to break laws in order to preserve social stability
D. the principle that government had a responsibility for what occurred in society

21. Quiz: New Empires and Ideas
Which of the following statements best describes life in Assyrian society?
A. Life under Assyrians was chaotic, with very few rules and regulations.
B. Life in Assyrian society was peaceful and calm.
C. Life in Assyrian society was poor due to a lack of trade.
D. Life in Assyrian society was well-ordered despite the brutality of its military.

22. Quiz: Rise of the Persian Empire
How did the Persian religion stress the importance of each individual person?
A. It believed in one powerful god rather than many gods.
B. It accepted the existence of both good and evil.
C. It stated that people had to choose between good and evil.
D. It rejected the existence of a final judgement day.

23. Quiz: Phoenician Contributions
Why are Phoenicians often referred to as the “carriers of civilization”?
A. because they introduced Islam and Christianity to Central Asia
B. because they established colonies throughout northern Europe
C. because they developed the first carts and wheels
D. because they traded goods and spread ideas throughout Mesopotamia