The First Empire
He conquered several Mesopotamian city-states.
What small city-state on the Euphrates River was the home of Hammurabi?
Babylon
Assyria was known as what kind of state because of its strong army?
A military state
He divided the empire into provinces and appointed a leader for each province that answered to him.
What were the curved stones that Persians used to show ownership of objects?
Seals
Who was the ruler of the Akkadian Empire for over 50 years?
Sargon
What was the system of laws that governed life in the Babylonian Empire?
Hammurabi's Code
How did Assyrian rulers keep control over the empire?
The rulers divided up the empire into 70 provinces. Each province had governor who answered directly to the Assyrian king.
Who were The Immortals?
An elite, specially-trained group of Persian soldiers that numbered 10,000
What is a permanent army of professional soldiers such as the one in Assyria?
A standing army
What is a state containing several countries or territories?
An empire
What was the main purpose of Hammurabi's Code?
The Code made sure everyone in the Empire knew the laws.
Cavalry
What three things did the new Persian religion of Zoroastrianism emphasize?
There was only one god, life was a struggle between good and evil, and there was life after death.
What unusual knowledge did Cyrus the Great use to defeat an enemy army?
He used camels in his army because horses are frightened by the smell of camels.
What two things did the Akkadian and Sumerian cultures have in common?
Religion and the cuneiform style of writing
Slaves, farmers, and artisans
What type of weapons did Assyrians use and why?
They used iron weapons because they were stronger than stone or bronze weapons.
What was the payment Darius required to make his subjects prove they were loyal to him?
Tribute
How long did the Persian Empire exist?
Over 1000 years
Three items the Akkadian Empire traded for from other counties included what?
Wood, silver, and precious stones
What is the idea that laws must be obeyed by all members of a society?
The rule of law
What was the greatest accomplishment of the Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal, in the capital city of Nineveh?
He built a large library and filled it with thousands of cuneiform tablets on topics such as math, science, and literature.
What did Darius introduce that made doing business easier in the empire?
Common currency
On what stone sculpture did Hammurabi have his Code engraved?
A stele