Ancient Civilizations

Running from

3500B.C.E. to C.E.500

MESOPOTAMIA

• Where was it located?

• What was it known for?

• What happened to it?

“The Fertile Crescent”• A piece of land stretching from eastern

Mediterranean sea to the Persian Gulf• Located between Tigris & Euphrates Rivers• Its soil is rich, great for farming.• This area is shaped like a “crescent”.• Mesopotamia (Land between the rivers) lies

to the east• Mediterranean section les to the west

The Sumerians• 4000 BC- 1st people in Fertile Crescent

• Settled in Lower Mesopotamia

• Built “City-States”

• 1st to use wheeled vehicles in trade, farming, warfare

• 1st to use the arch in buildings

• Invented first system of writing- “Cuneiform”- wedge-shaped writing

• Decoded by Sir Henry Rawlinson-1846

• Worshipped many gods• Kings were treated as gods• Gilgamesh and the great flood• King Sargon• Skilled Builders & Artists• Army was supplied with weapons• Metals, stones, & wood were obtained by

trading• Studied math & science ( a year has 360

days)

Ziggurats

Babylonian Empire (2000 B.C.E.)

• First to build temples to honor their gods

• Hammurabi’s Code (law)

Hammurabi Law Code shows:

• 1. A stern sense of justice – The code had the principle of "an eye for an eye" and demanding severe punishment for crimes - bribery, theft, dishonest weights and measures, and damage to another's property.

• 2. A sharp division of classes – The code provided harsher punishment for an offense against a noble or priest than for the same offense against a common person - an artisan, merchant, farmer, or slave

• 3. A fair treatment of women - Permited them to own property and engage in business. However, the code strictly regulated the behavior of women. It expected a woman to remain in her husband's home and be dependent on him. A husband, however, had a legal duty to support his wife. The code also gave a father nearly unlimited authority over his children. The Babylonians believed that an orderly household headed by a strong father was necessary for a stable empire.

• 4. An advanced business society- established regulations for protecting property and business contracts, limiting interest on loans, and setting wages for workers.

Other Babylonian contributions:

• Astronomy- lunar calendar, 12 month year, 7 day week, 24 hour day.

• Arithmetic- based on number 60– 60 minute hour, 360 degree circle

Hittite Empire ( 1750 B.C.E.)• Conquered from modern day

Turkey• Among the first to use iron for

weapons & tools• Signed the first treaties with other

groups like Egyptians• System of law that required

payments of fines for crimes or wrongdoings

Phoenicia Empire(“Traders”)

( 1200 B.C.E.)• It became strong because Egyptian and Hittites were

fighting each other• Traded goods all over the Mediterranean, spreading

their goods & ideas and those of whom they trade with• Carthage- greatest city• Invented a 22 symbol alphabet that was around sounds

-later used by Greeks and later became roots of what we use today

• Developed artistic skills ( carving ivory & stained glass)

Hebrew (1200-600 B.C.)• Never had a large empire

• Monotheism

• History written in Old Testament

• Exodus

• Ten commandments

• Recorded the Bible

• High moral behaviors, set new standards

• Prophets fought for justice of the weak & poor

• Saul, David, Solomon- strong rulers

• Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem

Hebrew’s end

• Solomon’s death- kingdom splits

• Civil wars

• 63 BC becomes part of Roman Empire

• Jerusalem destroyed

• 1948 AD – Israel re-born again

Assyrian Empire (1350 B.C.E.)

• 1100-650 BC• Excellent soldiers• Calvary, iron weapons• Cruel leaders of those conquered

• Built first system of roads• Began provincial governments• Established first library

• Conquered by Chaldeans and Persians

The NEW BABYLONIAN EMPIRE

• Chaldeans of Babylonia come in• Nebuchadnezzar II (mentioned in the Bible for the first

time)- rebuilt city of Babylon• He built “Hanging Gardens” –one of the 7 wonders of the

ancient world.• Astrology, movement of planets & stars effects human life,

creation of the “zodiac”• Astrology lead to the discovery of Astronomy• 561 BC Nebuchadnezzar dies- empire declines,• 539 BC Persian Empire comes in

Persia Empire ( 550 B.C.E.)

• Modern day Iran descendents• Cyrus the Great• Conquers Asia Minor & Fertile

Crescent• Divided huge empire into provinces• “Satraps”• Built roads & canals to improve

trade• Conquered by Alexander the Great

(Greece)

Zoroasterism

• Zoroaster- started Zoroasterism-1 god “Ahura Mazda in battle with evil forces of Ahriman-Humans make decisions on which side-One day Ahura Mazda will win and judge all humans-Good go to Heaven, evil go to Hell- “Avesta” ( a religious book based on the beliefs of prophet Zoroaster)

Review for early civilizations

• See Powerpoints

• See Mesopotamia packet

• See unit outline handout

• Know your vocabulary

Egypt (3000 B.C.E.)• Only civilization to continue to today

• 2700-2100 Old Kingdom:Great Pyramids & Sphinx are built

• 2100-1800 Middle Kingdom: Irrigation & canals built; conquered by invaders

• 1600-1100 New Kingdom: conquered many lands, became a great empire, begins to decline

Egypt• Made paper from papyrus• Invented the calendar• Built Great Pyramids• Invented shaduf ( a crane-like

device)• Used a loom to weave cloth• Invented hieroglyphics

Ancient Greece(500 B.C.E.)

The Golden Age of Athens

Or

The Golden Age of Pericles

Contributions of Greece

• First democracy• Scientific approach

to medicine• First dramas• Rules of Geometry• Philosophy• Literature & Poetry• Written Histories

• City-States/voting• Hippocrates

• Euripides & Sophocles• Euclid & Elements• Socrates, Plato, Aristotle• Homer & Sappho

More Contributions of Greece

• Studied & classified plants

• Created magnificent buildings & sculpture

• Architecture uses columns (Doric, Corinthian, and Ionic)

Democracy• Democracy- a form of government in

which the people rule• Direct Democracy- citizens participate

directly in passing the laws• Representative Democracy- representatives are chosen to represent the people

Democracy • Only males 18 or older can

attend assembly & vote

• No women

• No slaves

• No males from other countries

Peloponnesian War• Between Sparta & Athens

• Fought for control of Greece

• Lasted 27 years

• Sparta won!

Sparta v Athens

• Women equal to men• Taught to be loyal to

the state & obey orders

• Mandatory military service for 60 years

• Loyalty over all else

• Subservient women• Taught to question

existence (philosophy)

• Choice of occupations

• Logic First & foremost

Defeated the Greek city-states after they were weakened by the Peloponnesian War.

He united all the city-states under one rule, along with Macedonia.

Philip II was murdered (awwwwww…)

King Philip II of Macedonia

Alexander the Great• Became king after his father was murdered• Between age 20 & 22, he defeated King

Darius and the Persian Empire• Alexander’s Empire was now largest in

the world! ( It extended from Greece to India, including Alexandria in Egypt)

• He died at age 32.

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