Mesopotamia Vocabulary Terms Ms. Smith World History

Chapter Objectives  Describe how religion, family life, and government influenced Sumerian civilizations.

Chapter 3 Mesopotamia Vocabulary  City-state: a Sumerian city and the farmland around it. Each one had its own god and government.  Ziggurat: the temple at the center of each Sumerian city.  Artisans: skilled workers. Members of the Sumerian middle class.

Chapter 3 Mesopotamia Vocabulary  Cuneiform: Sumerian writings on clay tablets. Made up of hundreds of markings shaped like wedges.  Priest-kings: Sumerian priests who were also kings.  Scribe: Sumerian writer  Hereditary: passed down from parent to child.

The Rise of Sumer  Sumerians grew wheat, barley, sesame, flax, fruit trees, and vegetables.  The Sumerians set up a government and laws.  As the population grew, they built cities.  Important great city was Ur.

City-states  Surrounded by a wall  Wall kept out lions and bandits  Went to war with each other

Religious and Family Life  Ziggurat was at the center of each city- state.  Only priests could enter.  Ziggurat:  Farmers, artisans, traders stored goods.  Poor were fed  Children went to school  Events were celebrated.

 Sumerians believed they were on earth to please the gods.  3000 gods  Sons of rich went to school  Sons of poor worked in fields or learned a trade.  Writing developed to keep track of trade.

 Women could buy and sell property, run businesses, own and sell enslaved person.

Priests and Kings  Epic of Gilgamesh – story of a great flood that covered the earth.

Section 1 Review  The Sumerians gained control of the twin rivers by building levees.  The center of Sumerian life was the ziggurat the courts.  The lives of Sumerian women compared with today’s women would be described as having the ability to sell property and own businesses.

Sumerian accomplishments  Cuneiform  Levees  City of Ur  Government  Irrigation  Epic of Gilgamesh

Section 2: Later Empires  Empire- groups of states under one ruler.  Culture – the way of life of a group of people.  Reform – improvement  reign – period of power

Sargon I  Created the world’s first empire.  Reign lasted 50 years.  Strong ruler  United the cities of Mesopotamia and Akkad.

Hammurabi of Babylon  Conquered Akkad and Sumer and became ruler in 1800 B.C.  The Babylonians took many parts of the culture of the people they conquered. (language, Gods)  Brought about changes in: religion, irrigation, and the tax system.

Hammurabi of Babylon  Best known for Hammurabi’s Code.  Each city-state had it’s own code.  Believed in FAIR LAWS.  Innocent until proven guilty.  Punishment ranged from fines to death.  During his reign, Babylon became an important center for trade.