The First Empires

1. The First Empires Chapter 1 Section 3

2. The Assyrian Empire • 1,000 years after Hammurabi, the Assyrian Empire rose to power • The Assyrians built a strong army • The Assyrians began taking over the rest of Mesopotamia

3. The Assyrian Army • The Assyrians had the strongest army of the time: • They were well organized • They had iron weapons (stronger than copper and tin) • They were ferocious warriors

4. Assyrian Government • The capital of Assyria was Ninevah • The government was well-organized • The empire was divided into provinces (political districts) • Each province collected taxes

5. Life in Assyria • Assyrians also worshipped many Gods • Wrote many books and made one of the world’s first libraries • Assyrians did not treat their people well • This lead to fighting • The Chaldeans seized an opportunity to rebel. An Assyrian tablet, which tells a story

6. The Chaldeans • The Chaldeans broke away from the Assyrian Empire • The Chaldeans controlled all of Mesopotamia from 605 B.C. – 562 B.C (only 43 years) • The Chaldeans were led by King Nebuchadnezzar

7. The Chaldeans’ Babylon • Most Chaldeans were descendants of Babylon (1,200 years earlier), so they rebuilt the city of Babylon • Babylon became the richest city in Mesopotamia • Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens for his wife.

8. Did you know? • The Chaldeans’ Babylon was a center of science • They had astronomers who mapped the stars in the sky • The Chaldeans were the first people to have a seven-day week • They made one of the first sundials!

9. The Fall of the Chaldean Empire • As time passed, the Chaldeans began to lose power • It was hard for them to control the peoples they had conquered • In 539 B.C. Persians from the mountains captured Babylon • Mesopotamia became part of the new Persian Empire  SAD FACE 