To sum it up in Sumeria.. See what I did there?! Remember SargoN? Leader of the First Empire In the Sumerian region… Capital city at _____

2340 BCE- Sargon Seizes power Conquered southern and northern Mesopotamia and moved into Syria and Anatolia- he ruled for 55 years Grandson named Naram-sin (muahhahahahaaa!) Pushed reached of the empire to Mediterranean

Victory Stela of Naram-Sin Sus, Iran 2300-2200 BCE Sandstone 78” high Louvre Mus.- Paris Why are some figures larger than others? How do you know that a holy mountain is depicted here? Compare the organization of figures here to the Royal Standard of Ur.

Naram-sin’s predecessors were not skilled leaders and a period of confusion and decay of the Akkadian empire followed his reign By 1800 BCE- there was a new sheriff in town and the Babylonians had taken over… POP QUIZ: Akad: Akkadian Empire= ________: Babylonian Empire

Hammur-Time- A Superdope homie from Bab-town

Hammurabi 1st leader of the Babylonian Empire 2 legit 2 Quit Thousands of records from his rule verify that Babylon was a center for international trade– Persian Gulf, India and Egypt Most well known for the codification of Babylonian Laws- Hammurabi Code 1772 BCE

The code of Laws 282 laws with scaled punishments Fair but harsh laws that governed the land Why is Hammurabi’s Code so important?

The detail at the top of the stela Hammurabi receives the laws from the God Shamash Look at Ham’s face? Remind you of anyone?

The Hittites just keep coming In 1600 BCE the Hittites from Syria invade Babylon and rule for 500 years THEN- the Assyrians from northern Mesopotamia begin to gain power and with its center at Ninevah the Assyrian Empire emerges The use of iron weapons and the horse around 2000 BCE allow the creation of cavalry Assyrians are ruthless They set out to conquer the world Deport “unwanted” Hittites and Syrians and Jews (called what in 2000 BCE?!)

Assyrians take to palace building Huge empires- Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, parts of Anatolia, all of Syria, Palestine and parts of Egypt- need huge palaces

Ashurnasiripal Killing Lions 883-859 BC

Bas-Relief Sculptures from the Assyrians The sculpture protrudes and the background is undercut Shift in Mesopotamian art The relief  here on the palace walls is depicting a real time ceremonial act. Documents a moment in history Shows power over nature- Empire Building

What’s new here? How has our artistic language shifted? Dying Lioness Ninevah 668-627BCE 131/4” high

Every Assyrian must fall… Power, terror and armed force go only so far Each Assyrian ruler spent time and resources squelching rebellions and securing borders 612 BCE- Ninevah razed and defeated… Old Testament prophet Ezekiel rejoices at the fall of the Israelites’ oppressors, “all of them slain, fallen by the sword which caused terror in the land of the living.” The region is conquered by Cyrus of Persia in 550 BCE