Chapter 6: Exploring The Empires Of Mesopotamia

Chapter 6: Exploring the Empires ofMesopotamiaLearning Target: I can describe the most important achievementsof the Mesopotamian empires.IntroductionAncient Sumer flourished in Mesopotamia between3500 and 2300 B.C.E. As you read on, you willdiscover what happened to the Sumerians and whoruled Mesopotamia after them.The city-states of ancient Sumer were like smallindependent countries. They often fought over landand water rights, never uniting into one group. Theirdivision left them open to attacks by stronger groups.About 2300 B.C.E., the Akkadians (uh-KAY-dee-unz)conquered Sumer. This group made the Sumeriancity-states a part of an empire, which is a largeterritory where groups of people are ruled by a singleleader or government. Groups like the Akkadians firstconquer and then rule other lands.In this lesson, you will learn about four empires thatrose to power in Mesopotamia between 2300 and 539B.C.E. They were the Akkadian Empire, theBabylonian (bah-buh-LOH-nyuhn) Empire, theAssyrian (uh-SIR-ee-un) Empire, and theNeo-Babylonian Empire.You will also learn that each of these empires faced conflict with neighboring lands, which led to manywars. Rulers focused on improving their military strategies and began training warriors in more advancedtactics. Some people even chose to rebel against their kings, creating problems within the empire.What was life like in each of these powerful Mesopotamian empires? Who were the ruthless rulers thatcommanded them? Why did they all collapse? Let's find out more about these empires.Section 1 - The Akkadian EmpireFor over a thousand years, Sumer was a land of independent city-states. Later, around 2300 B.C.E.,the Akkadians from northern Mesopotamia conquered the land. According to legends, King Sargon led theAkkadians and went on to become the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire.Chapter 6: Exploring the Empire of Mesopotamia Textbook1

Sargon was both a strong kingand a skilled general who built hisempire through effective militarystrategies . After assembling a largearmy, he taught his soldiers to fight intight formations. Soldiers carryingshields stood at the front of theformation, while those carryingspears stood in the line behind. Thespear-carriers would extend theirweapons between the shields.Sargon used his military tactics toadd territory to his empire. After defeating the king of the city-state of Uruk, Sargon had gained control ofall of Mesopotamia, including Sumer.To maintain control of his empire, Sargon used very clever political strategies. He destroyed the wallsof many city-states, leaving them completely defenseless. Sargon believed that without the protection ofthe walls, people were less likely to rebel. He also demanded the loyalty of the governors of city-states,replacing any disloyal ones with his own men.Sargon lived to be a very great age and decreed that his sons would rule after his death. His namesoon passed into legend because he and the Akkadians had created the world's first empire—theirgreatest achievement.Section 2 - Life Under Akkadian RuleSargon ruled his empire for more than 50 years, during whichhe formed the city of Agade (uh-GAH-duh) in northernMesopotamia, the empire's capital . He constructed the citywith the help of tributes collected from the people heconquered. One of the richest and most powerful cities in theworld, Agade became a cultural center with many beautifultemples and palaces.The Akkadians may have ruled Sumer, but the Sumerianculture continued to thrive. The Akkadians farmed using theSumerians' irrigation techniques . To record information, theyused Sumer's system of cuneiform writing. They evenworshipped the same gods and goddesses, despite referring tothem by different names. Religion stayed central to the socialorder, and kings continued to rule in the name of the gods.Although men typically held power, priestesses andnoblewomen had some access to power. For example, Sargonplaced his daughter in the powerful position of high priestess ofthe moon god, a tradition that later kings adopted as well.The Akkadians had their own cultural achievements. Overtime, their language replaced that of the Sumerians. In art, theyChapter 6: Exploring the Empire of Mesopotamia Textbook2

became especially well known for their skillful three-dimensional sculptures.Artisans also carved reliefsculptures, called steles, on stones. A famous example is the Victory Stele, which was created tocelebrate a military victory by Sargon's grandson, King Naram-Sin. The stele shows Naram-Sin leadinghis victorious army up a mountain slope.Some of his enemies are crushed underfoot, while others die,flee, or beg for mercy.Sargon had hoped that his empire would last for a thousand years, but future kings found it difficult torule such a large territory, causing the empire to grow weak. Afterabout 200 years, the Akkadian Empire fell to new invaders from thenorth and east.Section 3 - Hammurabi and the Babylonian EmpireFor a while after the fall of the Akkadians, Sumer was onceagain a group of city-states. The next ruler to unite all ofMesopotamia was a king named Hammurabi (hah-muh-RAH-bee).Hammurabi ruled Babylon (BAH-buh-luhn), a small city-state incentral Mesopotamia. After conquering the rest of Mesopotamia, henamed Babylon the capital of his empire, so the region becameknown as the Babylonian Empire, or Babylonia.Hammurabi is best known for his code of laws , which he wroteduring his reign from 1792 to 1750 B.C.E. He used the code of lawsto unify his empire and to preserve order, basing the laws notmerely on his own authority, but on the word of the gods. Hedeclared the Babylonian god, Marduk (MAHR-dook), supreme over other gods.Hammurabi claimedthat the gods hadinstructed him to createlaws that applied to theentire empire. Since thelaws were based on thegods' will, they couldnever be changed. Thecode of laws was writtenon a stele and put onpublic display in atemple.Hammurabi's code wasdetailed, covering manysituations, such as trade,payment for work,marriage, and divorce.The code spelled outpunishments for crimes,such as stealing orcausing injury. Forexample, if a poorlyChapter 6: Exploring the Empire of Mesopotamia Textbook3

assembled house were to collapse and kill its owner, then the builder could be put to death. However,if the owner's son rather than the owner were killed in the collapse, the builder's son could besentenced to death.Laws like this one seem harsh to us now, but Hammurabi's code was a notable achievement.Although the laws and punishments did not treat all people equally, the code did apply to everyoneliving in the empire.Section 4 - Life in theBabylonian EmpireBabylonia thrived underHammurabi. He worked to unite thepeople of his empire. The roads hebuilt and the postal service hecreated helped connect Babyloniansof all social statuses.Agriculture and trade flourished.Hammurabi was careful to properlymaintain irrigation systems so thatland remained fertile and providedenough food. Because the city ofBabylon was on the banks of theEuphrates River, it became animportant center of trade.Babylonians traded grain and woven cloth for wood, gold, silver, precious gems,and livestock (animals) with people throughout the Persian Gulf.Trade helped the empire's economy . Many types of artisans used materials brought from distant landslike Egypt. The arts also flourished. Writers wrote historical poems, some of which survive today.Most significantly, Babylonian society was unusually fair for its time. The laws treated the variousclasses differently, but even slaves had some rights. Slaves could work elsewhere and keep their wages,own property, and even buy their freedom if they saved enough money.Babylonian women also had more rights than in most other ancient societies. Even though their fatherschose their husbands, women could own property and keep money of their own.Hammurabi was proud of his achievements, once writing:I rooted out the enemy above and below.I made an end of war. I promoted the welfare of the land . . .I have governed them [the people] in peace.I have sheltered them in my strength.Section 5 - The Assyrian EmpireThe line of royalty Hammurabi initiated did not continue to rule Babylonia for long. Over the nextseveral hundred years, a number of groups governed sections of what had previously been theChapter 6: Exploring the Empire of Mesopotamia Textbook4

Babylonian Empire. However, a warlikepeople called the Assyrians created the nextgreat empire in Mesopotamia.Assyria lay to the north of Babylon. TheAssyrians had lived in Mesopotamia for along time, briefly establishing their ownempire before Hammurabi conquered them.They rose to power again toward 900B.C.E., when a series of Assyrian rulersbegan training an army for war in hopes ofexpanding their territory.The Assyrians were feared for their militarymight and their cruelty.Their greatestachievements were their new weapons andwar strategies. They perfected the use ofhorses and iron weapons in battle. Theyalso became greatly skilled at siegewarfare, a strategy in which army soldierscamp outside a city and repeatedly attack it until the city falls. The Assyrians developed new ways ofattacking cities.For instance, they developednew types of battering rams. These long,heavy, wheeled beams were used forbreaking down walls. The Assyrians also builtmoveable towers that were rolled up to acity's walls so that soldiers could climb overthe walls.The Assyrians were often ruthless. Theymight force entire populations to leave areasthey had recently conquered. The Assyriansspread tales of their cruelty far and wide, andcreating fear among their enemies becamepart of the Assyrian military strategy.Section 6 - Life Under AssyrianRulePowerful kings ruled the Assyrian Empire.Religion, however, remained extremely crucial to social and political order. Even kings were obliged toobey the gods.The Assyrians believed that their kings were special beings, so they built beautiful, elaborate palacesto honor their rulers. The great palace in the capital city of Nineveh (NIH-nuh-vuh) had many rooms. Somepalaces were built on tall mounds, to raise them above the surrounding buildings. Huge sculptures ofwinged bulls or lions, with human faces, stood at the entrances.Chapter 6: Exploring the Empire of Mesopotamia Textbook5