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Home , Babylon, Hammurabi, Sargon I

CHAPTER 2

Section 3: of the Fertile Crescent 2-3-1: The First Empire Builders: Objective: Students will trace the development of the first in , and . Introduction 1. Who fought for control of Mesopotamia from 3000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.? *Kings from different states.

a. What factor allowed for such invasions? *The land was flat and easy to invade.

b. What would one gain from controlling the region? *More land (more land means more wealth and power).

2. Despite the many efforts, how many rulers were able to control ALL of Mesopotamia? *None there were always some parts of Mesopotamia that were independent of the empire and could not be overtaken (its hard in ancient times to control large areaswe will see these struggles throughout the year). The : 3. Which ruler took control of Mesopotamia in 2371 B.C.?  *Sargon (I) of Akkad

a. What was this ruler known as?  *Creator of the world’s first empire.

How was he able to do this (Hint: think about the definition to # 4/5, the answer is not in your book)? *He conquered the many (12+) citystates of .

4. Define empire :  *group of territories and peoples brought together under one supreme ruler (in this case the Sumerians under the rule of the Akkadians).

5. Define emperor :  Person who rules empire ( of Akkad)

6. Sargon’s empire was known as the ___ Empire.  *Akkadian Empire

7. Define Fertile Crescent :  *region stretching from the through Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean Sea

a. Why did it get this name?  *Full of rich soil, silt and water great for farming (its FERTILE) 8. Is empire creation a one-time event in history?  *No, it is a pattern that will repeat itself throughout history We will see this in this unit and in future units; control of the ancient world is basically passed from civilization to civilization, sometime including new lands, other time losing some lands.

9. Why are empires (and learning about empires) important (at least 4 answers)? *Empires change the way people live. *Empires may bring peace to a region. *Empires encourage trade, making more goods available. *Empires mix cultures (sharing ideas technology and customs). The Babylonian Empire and : 10. How long did the Akkadian Empire last?  *around 200 years  (the U.S. has been an independent nation for 235 years.17762011)

a. What caused the empire fall?  *Attack by outside peoples.

b. Who eventually conquered the empire?  *People known as the .

Where did they set up their ? *The Sumerian citystate of Babylon.

What do YOU think these people will call themselves and their civilization/empire (take a guess, not in your book)? *Babylonians

11. Which king ruled the Babylonian Empire from 1792 to 1750 B.C.?  *Hammurabi

a. What is Hammurabi best remembered for (in other words, why do YOU think we study/remember him)?  *He developed a code of .

12. Define code of law :  *written rules for people to obey () 13. Why did Hammurabi establish a code of law ?  *To help him control his lands (his EMPIRE).

a. How did Hammurabi develop his code of law ?  *Hammurabi looked at all of the laws with in the empire (from each citystate) and picked the best ones to form his own law code.

 How did Hammurabi ensure that all would know the “new” laws?  *He wrote them down (cannot be changed as easily) and had them posted on a pillar (everyone can see and be held accountable).

 Do YOU think this was a smart move? Why or why not?  *What DO YOU THINK???

14. What was the goal of Hammurabi’s code of law ?  *To bring justice (and order) to everyone in the empire.

a. Define justice :  *Fair treatment

b. What were the two parts of his code of law ?  *Acts of wrongdoings and their punishments.

15. What two principles of society did Hammurabi establish as a result of his code of law ?  *Society should be run by a set of rules, LAWS (also that the rules/law should apply to ALL people).  *That people had the right to know the laws and the punishments for breaking them (why he displayed them).

• *Hammurabi’s code of law later became known as. Hammurabi’s Code.