Geography
What are the names of the two main rivers that run through Mesopotamia?
Tigris River and Euphrates River
Who was the powerful leader who took control of both northern and southern Mesopotamia in 2350 B.C.?
Sargon of Akkad
Who was the king that took control of Mesopotamia from 1792 to 1750 B.C.?
Hammurabi took control of Mesopotamia under the Babylonian Empire during this time.
Define a "code of law".
A code of law is a set of written rules for people to obey.
What types of things can be shared by different peoples who belong in one empire?
ways of life, customs, ideas, technology, goods
What about the land made it so easy to invade the Sumerian city-states?
Flat lands with few natural barriers made it easy to conquer the city-states in Sumer.
Define empire and emperor.
An empire is a collection of many peoples, lands, or kingdoms under the control of one ruler. This ruler is called an emperor.
What is Hammurabi of Babylon most known for in history?
He is known for creating one of the first codes of law that ruled society and applied to all people, not just a few.
How was Hammurabi's code displayed?
It was written in cuneiform on huge pillars near a temple.
What areas of life and society did Hammurabi's code cover? Name at least 2.
business, property, and behavior of people toward each other
What about the Fertile Crescent made it an ideal location for city-states to develop?
Unlike the dry region around it, the Fertile Crescent had rich soil and water sources that made the area good for farming.
What is Sargon of Akkad himself known for in history?
He is known as the creator of the first ever empire in world history.
Before they chose the city of Babylon as their capital, what were the Babylonian people called?
They were called the Amorites.
What were the two main goals of Hammurabi's code of law?
The code's goal was 1) to bring justice (fair treatment) to the people, and 2) help to control the people of the empire.
Hammurabi's code established the idea that the government should do what for its people?
The government should provide protection and justice for the people.
Why were the city-states always at war with each other?
City-states rules themselves, so they each fought with each other for control over more land, which would give more wealth and power to the king.
What did Sargon's conquests help spread throughout the Akkadian empire?
Sargon's conquests helped to spread Akkadian ways of life and ideas, such as the Akkadian system of writing.
Besides government and law, what areas of society did Hammurabi specifically watch over and manage? Name 2.
1) agriculture, 2) irrigation, 3) trade, 4) construction of buildings
What was Hammurabi's process for the creation of his code of law?
Hammurabi first sent out people to collect the rules that already existed throughout the empire. Then, he studied these rules carefully, before putting them together in a single code of law.
How does the development of empires affect trade?
The development of empires encourages trade because of more/better availability of goods.
What and where is the Fertile Crescent?
The Fertile Crescent refers to the curved region that stretches from the Mediterranean Sea through Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf.
How long did the Akkadian empire last?
The empire of Akkad lasted for about 200 years.
How did Hammurabi control his huge empire? Name 3 ways.
Hammurabi 1) used governors to help him control the lands, 2) sent out people to collect tax money, and 3) appointed judges to help keep order. He also, 4) established a code of law for people to follow.
What was unique about Hammurabi's code that was not the case in many other ancient cultures?
Not only did the code give rights to people living in the land, it also gave them to women and children.
According to Hammurabi's code of law, punishments were different for each social class, with slaves receiving the harshest consequences. What does this tell you about justice at the time?
The fact that people of lower rank received the harshest punishments meant that justice at the time was still unequal, despite the code of law. Because people were considered unequal in Babylonian society, the law was still unfair.