Babylonia and Assyria Two Empires of Mesopotamia Lesson 2-2 TN SPI 6.1.3, 6.4.1, 6.4.3,

Key Terms Empire – many territories and peoples controlled by one government Babylon – the capital of Babylonia; a city of great wealth and luxury Caravan – a group of travelers journeying together Bazaar – a market selling different kinds of goods

The Two Empires of Mesopotamia After the Sumerians were defeated, Mesopotamia had two main empires: Babylonia and Assyria. An empire is an area of many territories and people that are controlled by one government. (Collection of Civilizations) The Babylonian empire lasted from c1800 BC to c1600 BC. The Assyrian empire lasted from c665 BC to c612 BC.

Babylon and King Hammurabi The Babylonian people created a monarchy supported by a system of taxation to pay for running the government. Tax collectors traveled throughout the empire collecting tax money from citizens. The king of Babylon was Hammurabi. Hammurabi united the cities of Sumer and then expanded his empire.

Babylon Empire – 1787 B.C.

A Crossroads of Trade Babylon became rich due to trade. Caravans, traveled back and forth from the Sumerian cities in the south to the city of Akkad in the north. Along the way, they always stopped in Babylon to trade. Roads were built throughout the empire which made travel easier and encouraged trade. Babylon had special markets, called bazaars, that people could go to and buy cotton cloth from India. They could also buy spices from Egypt there.

Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi was the king who united most of Mesopotamia and conquered the Sumerians. Hammurabi developed a written set of laws for his people to follow in 1790 BC. A total of 282 laws form the Hammurabi’s Code. Law number 196 states: If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. Some people summarize Hammurabi’s code by saying “an eye for an eye.” A statue of Hammurabi

Hammurabi’s Code provided that the punishment should be similar to the crime. Under this principle, breaking another person’s arm in anger is punished by having your own arm broken. For certain crimes people could be put to death. Many laws warned lawbreakers of what to expect. A person who accidentally broke the law was just as guilty as someone who meant to break the law. The code was carved into stone and placed in public places for all to see. The laws were meant to serve as a lasting way to keep order and prevent troubles in the future. Hammurabi’s Code

If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. If any one open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor for his loss. If a surgeon causes the death of his patient, his hand shall be cut off. If a son strike his father, his hand shall be cut off.

Babylonia is Conquered Hammurabi conquered many neighboring cities, and he kept expanding his empire. Hammurabi would often go to war against his allies (friends) as well. When the city of Elam attacked Larsa, Hammurabi helped Larsa defend themselves. Once Elam was conquered, Hammurabi turned right around and conquered Larsa!

Each time that Babylon would conquer another city, Hammurabi would take the city’s chariots, weapons, tools, and all their riches. Trading helped Babylon get rich, and so did conquest. Though Hammurabi formed a large and rich empire, the people that ruled after him could not keep it together. The empire kept getting smaller and smaller until eventually it was destroyed. Babylonia is Conquered

The Assyrians Rise to Power Assyria was a small kingdom of walled cities that was located north of Babylon. Their city was located in open land that was easily attacked, and they had to constantly defend themselves against invaders. They became skilled warriors. At around 1365 B.C., the Assyrians decided that the best defense they had was to attack other countries first, before they could attack them. By 650 B.C., Assyria had conquered a large empire. King Sargon II was a successful and ruthless Assyrian ruler.

Assyrian Empire – 650 B.C.

The Assyrian War Machine The Assyrians were geniuses at waging war. They invented the battering ram, which they used to pound down city walls. They used catapults to throw rocks at enemies, and they protected their archers with helmets and armor. Chariots were used to slash their way through enemy troops.

Assyrian Learning The capital of the Assyrian Empire was a city called Nineveh. Nineveh became a great city of learning. It had a famous library that held thousands of clay tablets with writings from Sumer and Babylon. These records tell us a lot about life in Mesopotamia.

Assyria Overthrown The people that the Assyrians conquered were constantly rebelling against Assyrian rule. Most of the time, the Assyrians crushed the people who tried to fight them. However, in 612 B.C., the Medes and Chaldeans joined together to smash the Assyrian empire.

The New Babylonian Empire The Chaldeans created a new empire, centered at Babylon after they defeated the Assyrians in 612 BC. The greatest king of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar II. He rebuilt Babylon and put massive walls around the city to protect it. He also built a great palace with hanging gardens.

A New Center for Learning Under the Chaldeans, the New Babylonian empire became a center of learning and science. Chaldean astronomers charted stars and measured the correct length of the year. Chaldean farmers raised bees for their honey. Many people came to Babylon to share ideas and discoveries. This clay tablet shows the world that was known to the Babylonians

The Fall of the Second Babylonian Empire The second Babylonian empire came under attack and was defeated by the Persians, who were led by Cyrus the Great, in 539 BC. The Persians built the largest empire the Fertile Crescent has ever known.

Babylon Empire – 1787 B.C.

Assyrian Empire – 650 B.C.

Persian Empire – 490 B.C.