Mesopotamia



3000 B.C. - 1792 B.C. By: Austen Tyryfter, Nathan Kapaun **__Terms__ **

__ **Overview ** __
 * __Theocracy:__ Government by divine authority, many of the civilizations in Ancient Mesopotamia followed under theocracy.
 * __Empire:__ A large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples of territories.
 * __Principle of Retaliation:__ Fundemental part of the justice system. This was a law developed by Hammurabi that stated an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
 * __Assyrians:__ Semitic speaking people who exploited the use of iron weapons to establish and empire by 700 B.C., they destroyed Babylon.
 * __Zoroastrianism:__ Persian culture, Zoroaster prophet of true religion was a Monotheistic culture which meant they believed in many gods.

Mesopotamia is known as one of the birth places of human civilization. One of the earliest cities in western history were in the area known as the “Fertile Crescent.” Its fertility was a big component to its agriculture and its products. This opened areas to trade with neighbors. Not only was Mesopotamia's agriculture good, so was there culture, such as poetry, music, art, and philosophy. Part of the culture in Mesopotamia is its geography. Mesopotamia had land through which all trade routes from Europe to Asia to Africa cross. The natural boundaries of Mesopotamia led them to a more accessibility to other influences. Sometimes these influences were ok and sometimes they weren't and if they weren't then they were usually forced on the Mesopotamian's. This led to its position in the history of society. It was seen as a social society with is vast different ruling groups ,Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian. Its culture also influenced its neighbors the Egyptians, the Ancient Hebrews, and India. media type="custom" key="11596684" width="48" height="48" align="right"


 * __Important People __ **

__** Historical Quote: **__  Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head. // Euripides //
 * 1) Hammurabi: He wrote the code of Hammurabi which was the 1st code of laws and supposedly had two hundred eighty two laws, an example of a law was the law of Retaliation which state and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
 * 2) Nebuchadnezzar: He was the leader of the Chaldeans, he rebuilt Babylon and he defeated the Assyrians which gave him the nickname "Mad Ox"
 * 3) King Assurbanipal: He set up the world's first library called the Library of Nineveh it was said to have a total of twenty two thousand clay tablets.
 * 4) Cyrus the Great: He set up the persian empire which was one of the greatest empires in Mesopotamian history, the capitol of his empire was Persepolis.
 * 5) King Croesus: He is the first king that used coin as currency, also the first to have his face on money. A saying was "As rich as Croesus" because he was the one who 1st used coins.

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** __Time Line__ **


 * 6,000 BC - ** Birth of Civilization in Mesopotamia.
 * 5,000 BC ****- ** Sumerian civilization develops, first civilization in Mesopotamia.
 * 3,100 BC ****- ** Sumerians invent writing called Cuneiform.
 * 2 **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">, **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">340-2,284 ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">BC ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">- **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Sargon of Akkad or king of battles founded the 1st empire in history.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">2,000 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Babylon or “Gate of God” the largest city-state in the ancient world that had up to 200,000 people was formed.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1,800 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Sumerian epic poem Gilgamesh exploits of king Gilgamesh, said to be the oldest story in the world.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1,792 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Hammurabi writes code of Hammurabi. Code of Hammurabi was the 1st code of laws.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1,550 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Hittites, warriors from Asia Minor conquer Babylon.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1,200 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> King Assurbanipal built the Library of Nineveh, the world’s 1st library.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">700 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> The Assyrians destroy Babylon.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">605 BC - **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Nebuchadnezzar or “Mad Ox” the leader of the Chaldeans defeats the Assyrians and rebuilds Babylon.

__** Links: **__ Videos-A website created by a college in chicago, this website is helpful to learn about Mesopotamia, watch videos about it by archeologists. It also has materials for teachers to use. Student-Teacher Site-Lists information for both students and teachers to help them understand Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia for kids-A good site for kids to learn about ancient Mesopotamia. Provides information in a simple format. Mesopotamia Museum Info-A website about Mesopotamia, but its made by our friends in the UK. The Collapse-We all wonder how civilizations collapse, well this website will show you how Mesopotamia collapsed its very detailed and organized.