Mesopotamia and the Sumerians
Where do the first cities appear in Mesopotamia?
Sumer
What is the name of the capital of this empire?
Akkad
How many laws were in the law code?
There were 282 laws.
What did the Assyrians build that helped them spread culture?
They built libraries
What makes Gilgamesh a hero? List some characteristics that make him a hero.
Gilgamesh became a good king at the end of the Epic of Gilgamesh and helped mankind. He is brave, determined, focused, generous, and strong.
What does Polytheistic mean? What are the social classes of Sumerian society?(least important to most important)
It means believing in more than 1 god. slaves, Craftsmen and Peasants, Scribes, Priests, King and Nobility.
Who found the Akkadian Empire?
Sargon the Great
Who was its most famous king?
Hammurabi
What kinds of technologies did they develop that made them so successful at war?
They made superior weapons of iron and siege engines to help them at war.
What kind of story was this? What makes this story so important and what can we learn about the ancient Mesopotamians from this story? What is an epic poem?
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem about Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. It is one of the earliest surviving worlds of literature and it defines the role of a good king. And epic poem is a long poem about a hero.
When did the city-states first appear? Can you name them? What were some features of a Sumerian city-state?
first emerged around 3500 BCE. Ur, Uruk. Each city was an independent state with its own laws, king, military, and farmlands.
What did Sargon do that was so important?
He created Mesopotamia's first empire
When did the empire rise to power?
Around 350 years after the weakening of the Akkadians, around 1800 BCE
Who are the Neo-Babylonians? What other name were they called? Which empire did they take over?
The Neo-Babylonians were people living in Babylon. They were also called the Chaldeans. They first controlled Babylon for the Assyrians. Later declared independent from Assyrians and created a new empire.
What were the writers of the Epic of Gilgamesh trying to communicate to Mesopotamians when they created this story?
The Epic of Gilgamesh is trying to tell us to be kind and=never give up. They also taught us that humans should enjoy life while they are alive because they are not going to live forever. Lastly, they taught us that all humans, even bad ones, have the potential to do good things for people.
What were the three main crops grown by the Sumerians? What important technology did the Sumerians invent? What writing system did they develop?
Barley, Wheat, and lentils
the wheel, chariot, and shaduf
Cuneiform
Who is Naram Sin and how is he related to Sargon the Great?
Naram Sin is the 3rd king of the Akkadian Empire and is Sargon's grandson
what makes the law code so special? who told Hammurabi to make this law code?
It is the longest law code form the ancient world. The gods told him to make this law code.
Who was Nebuchadnezzar 2? What did he build? What makes the Assyrian empire so unique? What are the Assyrian kings known for?
Nebuchadnezzar is a Neo-Babylonian king. He built the Ishtar Gate and the Hanging Gardens. The Assyrians ruled by fear. Kings were cruel to their enemies.
Can humans become like the gods? Give two reasons why you believe this.
Sometimes because Utnapishtim and his wife got immortality when they were human. Also, only gods can make a human immortal. In the case of Gilgamesh, he does not achieve immortality.
Which modern country was Mesopotamia located? Which 2 rivers flow through Mesopotamia? What does the word "Mesopotamia" mean?
Iraq. The Tigris and the Euphrates. It means the land between the rivers
What did Naram Sin do to the enemies after he conquered them and what else is special about him?
He enslaves the remaining enemies and he is the first Mesopotamian king to have claimed to be a god.
Who is Hammurabi? When did he live and what did he do that was so important to the Babylonian Empire?
Hammurabi is a Babylonian king. He lived around 1750 BCE. He took all the laws of the cities in the empire and unified them into one code. This helped unify this region.
What is the Ishtar Gate? Where was it located? To whom was the gate dedicated? What are the Hanging Gardens? Where are they located? For whom were these gardens made? What makes them special?
The Ishtar Gate is a monumental gate. It is located in Babylon. It was dedicated to goddess Ishtar. The Hanging Gardens are terraced gardens. They are located in Babylon. The gardens were made for his foreign wife who was homesick. The Hanging Gardens are 1 of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.
Can humans achieve immortality? Explain your view using information from the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Sometimes because Utnapishtim and his wife gained immortality but Gilgamesh didn’t. But things/people can be lasted in our memories where they won't die.