City-States in Mesopotamia

1. City-States in Mesopotamia Chapter 2 section 1

2. Today’s Objective • Students will summarize how geography affected cultural development in the Fertile Crescent • Describe city-states and how other cultures learned about them

3. What is a “Crescent” ?

4. Fertile Crescent • Desert climate dominates landscape • Within this region lies an arc of land that provides some of the best farming in SW Asia • Curved shape, and richness of land led scholars to call it the Fertile Crescent

5. In the Eastern part of the Fertile Crescent, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow southeastward to the Persian Gulf Between them is a plain known as Mesopotamia, which means “land of the rivers” in Greek The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooded Mesopotamia at least once a year leaving behind a thick bed of mud called silt Fertile Plains

6. Silt • In this rich new soil, farmers could plant and harvest large amounts of wheat and barley • Surpluses from harvest allowed villages to grow

7. Environmental Changes • Around 3500 B.C., people called Sumerians arrived- no one is really sure where they were from • Good soil attracted the settlers to flat, swampy land of Sumer • There were 3 disadvantages to their new environment

8. Flooding of the rivers was unpredictable Sumer was a small region (size of Massachusetts) with no natural barriers- almost defenseless Natural resources of Sumer were extremely limited To provide water, they dug irrigation ditches that carried water to the fields Built city walls for protection with mud bricks Sumerians traded with peoples of the mountains for things they lacked Problems Solutions

9. Irrigation Ditches City walls Trading

10. Sumerians traded grain, cloth and tools for stone, wood and metal they needed to make tools and buildings.

11. Leaders • Leaders were needed to plan and supervise projects • These leaders and laws were the beginning of organized government

12. Sumerians create City-States • By 3000 B.C. Sumerians built many cities surrounded by fields of barley and wheat • Each city developed own governments with own rulers • Each city and surrounding land it controlled formed a city-state and functioned like an independent country does today

13. Power of Priests • Sumer’s earliest government were controlled by temple priests • Farmers believed the success of their crops depended on blessings of the gods • Priests acted as go-betweens with the gods • The Ziggurat acted as a place of worship and a city hall, priests managed irrigation systems and demanded a portion of every farmer’s crop as taxes

14. Monarchs take control • In time of war, priests did not lead the city • Men of the city chose a tough fighter to command city soldiers • Wars became more frequent, and priests gave commanders permanent control of armies

15. Military leaders became full time rulers, or monarchs • They would pass on their power to their sons, who passed it on to their heirs, creating a dynasty, a series of rulers from a single family

16. Spread of cities • City-states grew prosperous from surplus food produced on farms • As population and trade expanded, Sumerians came into contact with other peoples and their ideas. • The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another is called cultural diffusion

17. Sumerian Culture • Sumerians, and others in Fertile Crescent believed that many gods control the force of nature • Belief in many gods is called polytheism • Sumerians had roughly 3000 gods, and they were immortal, humans were their servants • Believed that gods may strike at any moment sending a fire, flood, or enemy to destroy a city • To keep gods happy, Sumerians built ziggurats and offered sacrifices of food, animals and wine

19. Life in Sumerian Society • Social classes emerged Priests and kings wealthy merchants Sumerian people who worked with hands slaves

20. Sumerian Women • Women could become a farmer, merchant, or artisan • Could hold property in their own name, and even join the priesthood • Girls were not allowed to attend schools with upper class boys

21. Science and Technology • Sumerians invented the wheel, the sail, the plow • Were the first to use bronze and developed the first system of writing, cuneiform • Some tablets found contain investigations into astronomy, chemical substance and symptoms of disease

25. The First Empire Builders • Weakened city-states of Sumar constantly at war with each other and being attacked by people from surrounding areas • 2350 B.C. conqueror named Sargon from Akkad defeated city-states of Sumer • Sargon adopted Sumerian culture and spread it during his other conquests

26. Sargon • Created the world’s first empire by taking control of northern and southern Mesopotamia- lasted 200 years due to internal fighting and famine • An empire brings together several peoples, nations, or previously independent states under control of one ruler

27. Sargon’s Empire

28. Babylonian Empire • 2000 B.C. nomadic warriors known as Amorites invaded Mesopotamia • Establish their capital at Babylon, on the Euphrates river

29. Hammurabi • Reigned Babylonia from 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C. • Legacy is his code of laws • Had code engraved in stone and copies placed throughout his empire • Code applied to everyone, but different punishments for rich and poor, men and women • Applied principle of retaliation (eye for an eye)

30. Example of Laws • If a man has stolen an ox, sheep, pig or boat that belonged to a temple or palace, he shall repay thirty times its cost. If it belonged to a private citizen, he shall repay ten times. If the thief cannot pay, he shall be put to death.

31. Another Example • If a woman hates her husband and says to him “You cannot be with me,” the authorities in her district will investigate the case. If she has been chaste and without fault, even though her husband has neglected or belittled her, she will be found innocent and may return to her fathers house…if the woman is at fault, she shall be thrown into the river

33. Reinforced the principle that government had a responsibility for what occurred in society For example, if a man was robbed, and the thief wasn’t caught, the gov’t had to reimburse the victim for his loss 200 years after Hammurabi’s reign, the Babylonian Empire fell to nomadic warriors Over the years, new groups dominate the Fertile Crescent Hammurabi’s Code

34. Assignment: • Discuss with a partner: If Hammurabi’s Code were put into law today, what would be suitable punishment for crimes such as: • Graffiti • Cheating • Theft • Murder • Forgery • Any other crimes you can think of