The First Empires

1. The First Empires The Conquest of Sumer Sumerian kings struggled for power so wars between city-states was common The more they fought the weaker they became Umma & Lagash were city-states that fought to control a fertile region on their shared border. 2450 B.C. the two kings fought each other using bronze axes and long spears. Thousands of soldiers died before Lagash won They captured prisoners from Umma that were held as slaves.

2. Sargon Builds an Empire • As Sumerian city-states fought each other, a new society came to be in Mesopotamia called the Akkadians. • Akkadians lived in the northwest area of Sumer but had no relation to Sumerians. • Different language and customs • 2300 B.C. – An Akkadian named Sargon becomes king of Sumerian city-state of Kish • Changed the language to Akkadian • Conquered other Mesopotamian city-states. • Placed loyal Akkadians in government and religious positions • United much of Mesopotamia under Akkadian rule, creating the world’s first empire: Akkadian Empire

4. Akkadian Culture • Akkadians and Sumerians shared some cultural traits. • Cultural Trait – an idea or way of doing things that is common in a certain culture. • Had similar religious practices and both used cuneiform system of writing. • As Sargon’s troops moved throughout the Fertile Crescent conquering city-states, they brought their cultural traits with them. This is how their way of doing things spread throughout the region. • Sargon controlled the Akkadian empire for 50 years. • After Sargon’s death, the empire faced many rebellions and invasions by 2179 B.C., the empire had collapsed.

5. Around 1792 B.C. Hammurabi became Babylon’s king. He fought many wars and eventually brought Southern Mesopotamia together into what we now know as the Babylonia empire. During his rule, Babylon became the most important city in Mesopotamia. He is best known for his creation of Hammurabi’s Code – a set of laws that governed life in the Babylonian empire. Hammurabi’s Code was a set of 282 laws he created that dealt with almost every part of daily life. The Babylonian Empire

6. Hammurabi wrote down 282 laws which contained some ideas still found in laws today. Specific crimes brought specific penalties. Social class was taken into account. It was a greater crime to injure a rich man than a poor one. It was unique not only because of how thorough it was, but also because he wrote it down for all to see. He established rule of law- the idea that all members of society must obey the laws (rich or poor). Hammurabi’s Code