Vocabulary
What is a capital?
A city that is the center of government
The first king and first person to create an empire in the world was?
Sargon of the Akkadians
Ruler of the first Babylonian Empire was _____.
Hammurabi
Where did the Assyrians come from and what year did they rise to power?
North Mesopotamia - they were always there, but didn't rise to power until after Babylon.
They came to power around 900 BCE by training an army for war in hopes of expanding their territory.
The Neo-Babylonians are known for a wonder of the ancient world. What is it?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
What is a Code of Laws?
A collection of written laws and rules
An example of a military strategy used by the Akkadians is?
Possible Answers:
Large armies in tight formations with shields in front and spear carriers behind
Destroying Sumerian city-state walls
Provide at least 1 example.
His Code of Laws written down and posted around the empire.
Eye for an Eye
A builder builds a house that collapses on the person. The builder should be put to death.
Why were the Assyrians feared? What military tactics did they use as a part of their tool for fear?
Feared for their military superiority and cruelty.
New weapons and strategies:
Perfected use of horses and iron weapons in battle
Use of siege warfare
Battering Rams
Movable Towers
Forcing entire populations to leave areas they conquered
Who was the famous king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire? What was he known for?
Nebuchadnezzar II
Ruthless Military Leader
Expanding empire whenever possible
Keeping capital city Babylon safe
Hanging Gardens
What is a siege?
A military blockade and attack on a city to force it to surrender
An example of political strategy used by Sargon is _____?
Destroying Sumerian city-state walls making them rely on his military
Loyalty of governors of city-states (replacing any disloyal ones with his own men)
What did Hammurabi build that connected the empire and people of all social statuses?
Roads and a postal system - these are cultural achievements
What controlled politics and social order in the Assyrian empire? Why?
Religion
Because even kings were obliged to obey the gods.
Assyrians believe their kings to be special and built them elaborate and beautiful palaces.
What were the Neo-Babylonians defenses militarily that they used for protecting cities like Babylon?
Possible Answers:
2 Walls: Inner and Outer
Thick Walls: ability to walk on top and defend from above
Thick Walls Towers: For archers
Moats: sometimes filled with crocodiles to deter people from swimming across
Destroying bridges in war time to gates to the city
What is meant by the term "Economy"?
The way a region or country uses resources to produce and sell or trade goods and services to meet people’s needs and wants
The capital city of the Akkadian Empire was?
What did he demand from each section of his empire?
Agade
Tributes
Why was the city Babylon a strategically good location for trade (which helped promote and build that Babylonian empire)? What did they trade for?
It was on the Euphrates river which meant it had access to the Tigris at the north and up river and the Arabian Gulf at the south. Allowing for more trade over a wider distance.
Traded grain and woven cloth for wood, gold, silver, precious gems, and livestock.
(This is also a cultural achievement)
Name 2 inventions the Assyrians had that were for helping them and also beautification of their cities.
1. Aqueducts: pipes that carry fresh water from up to 30 miles away
2. Bas-Reliefs: sculptures used to depict scenes from every day life or battle. Found around the city but especially on palace walls.
What were they good at? Name 2 inventions the Neo-Babylonians created.
Mathematics & Astronomy
Possible Answers:
Watering Systems for the Hanging Gardens
Sundial
60 minute Hour
7-Day Week
What is an empire and how is a tribute related to it?
Empire: a large territory in which several groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government.
Tribute: wealth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior
What was a cultural achievement of the Akkadians?
What was unique about the Akkadian-Sumerian relationship?
Creation of steles - a carving in stone that represented great achievements of the king or empire.
Unlike other empires in history, Akkadians did not put their ideas and values on the Sumerians, instead they adopted the Sumerian way of life. Akkadians only changed the language, but took everything else Sumerians had.
Why was Babylon and the Babylonian Empire unusually fair for its time? Be specific.
Laws treated various classes 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 had more rights than other societies of the time. They could own property and keep money of their own.
(This is also a cultural achievement)
How long did the Assyrian Empire last and why did it fall?
Lasted about 300 years
Fell because of vast size and inability to maintain control. This led to armies of Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes attacking and destroying the empire around 612 BCE.
How and why did the Neo-Babylonian Empire fall? How long did it last?
Lasted 75 years
Invasion of Cyrus I of Persia who took control of Mesopotamia and claimed it for the Persian Empire.