Mesopotamian Empires

The Akkadian Empire

- 2300 BCE Akkadians came from the north and
conquered Sumer
- Led be King Sargon
- skilled general, assembled a large army used the
phalanx formation (wall of shields with spears)
- win territory amass an empire
- smart political strategies to keep control
- destroyed walls
- made governors of city-states his loyal men
- demanded that his son rule after he died (setting up
hereditary kings)
- died at a very old age
- legendary king who created the first empire
Life Under Akkadian Rule
- Sargon ruled for 56 years
- city of Agade made the empire capital
- built up the city with tributes
- it became a cultural center, rich and beautiful
- Sumerian culture continued like irrigation, cuneiform,
and religion
- Akkadians had cultural achievements of their own like
a language that replaced Sumerian language, art \
sculptures carved steles (3-D relief stone carvings)
- Victory Stele (his grandson Naram-Sins
achievements)
- later rulers found it difficult to rule such a large
territory
- empire began to weaken
- lasted 200 years
- invaded by people to the North


The Babylonian Empire
- Akkadian Empire fell and Sumer a collection of city-
states again
- Hammurabi, king of the city-state Babylon conquered
Mesopotamia (calling it Babylonia) and made Babylon
the capital
- Wrote Hammurabis Code of Laws (1792-1750
BCE)
- The god Marduk gave him the laws and they were
carved upon a stele and placed in a temple
- it was detailed and covered many areas (work,
marriage, trade, etc.)
- spelled out specific punishments
- Often harsh (eye for an eye)
- did not treat everyone equally
- first laws written down that applied to everyone
Life Under Babylonian Rule
- Babylonia thrived under Hammurabi
- Made the Babylonian god Marduk supreme god over
others
- Built roads and a postal service
- Agriculture and trade flourished
- Kept irrigation working properly
- important city of trade (along the Persian Gulf)
- Economy and Arts flourished
- Society was fair for its timeclasses treated
differently but even slaves had some rights (like work
elsewhere, own land, collect earned wages to possibly
purchase freedom)
- women had more rights than in other ancient
societies
(like own property, keep money of their own)

he Assyrian Empire
- War like people to the north
- ose to power around BCE
- trained army began to expand their territory
- feared for their military might and cruelty
- nown for their new weapons and war str ategies
like perfecting the use of military horses iron
weapons and siege warfare
- developed new ways to attack cities ex. Battering
ram and siege towers
- uthless would make entire populations leave a
conquered area
- they spread tales of their cruelty to create fear a
military strategy
Life nder Assyrian ule
- ruled by powerful kings
- built beautiful palaces to honor them sculptures of
winged humans and lions marked the entrances
- capital city was Nineveh
- kings ruled and ordinary people farmed the land
- irrigation and built aqueducts to bring in drinking
water to Nineveh
- craftspeople did 2-D car vings called bas-r eliefs
adorned palace walls of kings life or history
- used ivory to decorate furniture in palaces
- empire lasted about years
- stretched form Egypt to the Persian Gulf
- too big to control and they could not fight off invaders
- 62 BCE Nineveh was plundered by Babylonians
Scythians and Medes.

he Neo-Babylonian Empire
- Babylonians regained control of Mesopotamia
- most famous king Nebuchadr ezzar II a ruthless
military leader who reigned from 6 62 BCE
- he expanded his empire whenever he could
- dr ove the Egyptians out of Syr ia
- conquer ed par t of Canaan modern day Israel home
of the Hebrews
- Hebrews rebelled and he took them captive to
Babylonia many never returning to their homeland
- kept capital city of Babylon safe by building an inner
and outer wall ar ound the city
- walls so thick that 2 chariots could ride across
- tower s erected for archers
- moat dug and filled with water with bridges
Life nder Neo-Babylonian ule
- Nebuchadrezzar worked hard to give Babylon
splendor
- rebuilt the ziggurat
- decorated the palace with fabulous gardens Hanging
Gar dens of Babylon a wonder of the world with a
watering system
- Skilled mathematicians
- skilled in Astr onomy created the first sundial 6
minute hour and the day week
- Empire lasted only years
- BCE a new conqueror swept into Babylon
- Per sian king Cyr us (modern day Iran)
- ruled for about 2 years later conquered by
Alexander the Great