1. The Rise of Sumer & The Akkadians

3. City-States Most of the people in Sumer were farmers. They lived mainly in rural, or countryside areas. The centers of society though were urban, or city areas. The basic political unit of Sumer was the city- state. A city-state is a city and all of the countryside around it.

4. More on city-states The amount of countryside controlled by each city-state depended on its military strength, more strength=more land! City-states fought each other to gain more farmland. Because of these conflicts, city-states built up strong armies. Sumerians also built strong, thick walls around their cities for protection.

5. The Akkadians

6. Lived just north of Sumer. Were not Sumerians. Spoke their own language. Lived in peace with the Sumerians until…. Sargon!

7. Sargon Sargon wanted to expand his territory. He built a new capital called, Akkad, near what is today the city of Baghdad. He was the first ruler to have a permanent army. With his army he defeated all of the city- states of Sumer.

8. Sargon (continued) Sargon also conquered northern Mesopotamia.

9. Sargon (again) After conquering all of these areas, Sargon created the world’s first empire. An empire is a land with different territories and people under a single ruler. Sargon’s huge empire stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. Sargon ruled for 50 years but after his death the empire crumbled. The Sumerian city-state of Ur rebuilt its strength and conquered the rest of Mesopotamia. Once again the Sumerians became the most powerful civilization in the region.

10. To Review Ur

11. Religion Religion played a role, or part, in nearly every part of public and private life in Sumer. The Sumerians practiced polytheism, or the worship of many gods.

12. Beliefs Each city-state considered one god to be its special protector. The Sumerians believed their gods had enormous powers.

13. Beliefs (continued) The Sumerians believed the gods could bring floods wealth a good harvest good health illness Every Sumerian had a duty to serve and worship the gods.

14. Religion (continued) Priests, people who performed religious ceremonies had great status in Sumer. People relied on priests to gain favor with the gods. The priests interpreted the wishes of the gods and made offerings to them. These offerings were made in temples, special buildings where priests performed their religious ceremonies.

15. Social Order Sumer had a social hierarchy, a division of society by rank or class. Because they were so important, priests occupied a high level in their social order. In fact they were just below kings. After the kings and priests came skilled craftspeople, merchants and traders.

16. Social Order (continued) Below traders on the social hierarchy were farmers and laborers who made up the large working class. Slaves were at the bottom of the social order.

17. king priests craftspeople, merchants, traders farmers and laborers were the working class last and definitely considered least, were slaves Social Hierarchy

18. Men & Women in Sumer took care of home raised children sometimes went to school some educated women were priestesses in Sumer’s temples held political power made laws went to school Sumerian men and women had different roles. MenWomen

19. The End