Ancient Eastern Mediterranean

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Ancient Eastern Mediterranean

• Mr. Stikes

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• SSWH1 The student will analyze the origins,
  structures, and interactions of complex societies
  in the ancient Eastern Mediterranean from 3500
  BCE to 500 BCE.
• Describe the development of Mesopotamian
  societies include the religious, cultural,
  economic, and political facets of society, with
  attention to Hammurabis law code.
• b. Describe the relationship of religion and
  political authority in Ancient Egypt.
• c. Explain the development of monotheism include
  the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews,
  and Zoroastrianism.
• d. Describe early trading networks in the Eastern
  Mediterranean include the impact Phoenicians had
  on the Mediterranean World.
• e. Explain the development and importance of
  writing include cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and
  the Phoenician alphabet.

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Goal

• To analyze the origins, structures, and
  interactions of complex societies in the ancient
  Eastern Mediterranean from 3500 BCE to 500 BCE

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WHO?
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Who?

• Egyptians
• Babylonians
• Sumerians
• Akkadians
• Hebrews
• Persians
• Phoenicians

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WHERE?
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The Mediterranean
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The Eastern Mediterranean
Greece
IRAQ
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WHEN?
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3500 BCE 500 BCE

• BCE
• Stands for Before Common Era
• Equivalent to B.C.

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Development of Mesopotamian Societies

• PURPOSE OF SECTION
• Describe the development of Mesopotamian
  societies include the religious, cultural,
  economic, and political facets of society, with
  attention to Hammurabis law code.

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Development of Mesopotamian Societies

• How did Mesopotamian societies begin develop?
• Immigration into the
• region
• Nomads moved south
• from the Anatolia
• Settled in Mesopotamia
• land between the rivers

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Where is Mesopotamia?

• Eastern Mediterranean
• Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

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Why Mesopotamia?

• Fertile land for agriculture
• Easy access to natural resources

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Fertile Crescent

• Mesopotamia is sometimes called the Fertile
  Crescent
• The Fertile Crescent extends to the Mediterranean

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Sumerian Civilization

• Settled in lower portion of Tigris-Euphrates
  river valley
• Sometimes called
• birthplace of cities
• cradle of civilization

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Sumer

• By 3000 B.C., at least twelve city-states had
  been founded by the Sumerians.
• Cities were walled
• Each worshipped an individual deity
• Each had a ziggurat in the center of the city

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ZIGGURATS
A ziggurat was a temple made of sun-dried bricks
and probably decorated with colored tiles. Each
was dedicated to a particular deity.
Only a priest was allowed at the top of a
ziggurat.
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Sumerian Religion

• Polytheistic
• Viewed deities as unpredictable
• Religious ceremonies and rituals as a way to keep
  gods/goddesses happy
• Believed in afterlife with no light/air
• Important Deities (and area of responsibility)
• An Seasons, sky
• Enlil Winds and agriculture

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Sumerian Government

• Sumerian cities were self-governing.
• Originally, a council of nobles or an assembly of
  citizens ran the government.
• Eventually, military leaders were selected as
  kings.
• Kingship became hereditary.
• A Sumerian king was also the high priest

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Unification of Sumer

• The Sumerian city-states were first unified by
  Etana, the king of the city-state of Kish, c.
  2800 B.C.
• In the aftermath, four major city-states (Kish,
  Erech, Ur and Lagash) would fight for control of
  all the Sumerian city-states, causing internal
  weaknesses.

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Sumerian Accomplishments

• Technological Advances
• Bronze
• Wagon wheel
• Arch
• Metal Plow
• Potters wheel
• Sundial
• Number system based on 60
• 12 month calendar based on cycles of moon

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Sumerian Accomplishments

• In society
• First codes of law
• First city-states
• Epic Poetry (Epic of Gilgamesh)
• Written Language (cuneiform)

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Epic of Gilgamesh

• Epic Poem
• Oldest story in the world
• c.1850 B.C.
• Gilgamesh was a young king of Uruk
• Epic follows his search for immortality
• Contains a flood story reminiscent of the Noah in
  the Bible

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Writing

• Cuneiform dates to c.3100 B.C.
• Wedge-shaped markings on wet clay, which was then
  dried or baked until hard
• Began with pictograms, but eventually developed
  complex symbols

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Akkadian Empire

• Around 2300 B.C.E., Sargon I assumed power in
  Akkad, a city north of Sumer
• According to legend, Sargons mother set him
  afloat in a reed basket shortly after his birth.
  He was found and raised by a farmer downstream.

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Akkadian Empire
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Akkadian Empire

• Akkadians were ethnically different from
  Sumerians.
• Akkad Semitic
• The Akkadians adopted the Sumerian religion, but
  kept their own language
• Sargon I built the first empire in the world

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Babylon

• The next great empire was that of the Babylonians
• Hammurabi, the most famous King of Babylon, ruled
  from c. 1728-1686 B.C.

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Hammurabis Law Code

• Hammurabi is most famous for his law code
• Hammurabi created a law code of 282 laws written
  on 12 tablets
• The laws were written in Akkadian, the language
  of the people

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Hammurabis Law Code

• For each offense, there was a specified
  punishment
• Hammurabis laws were rather harsh
• Generally were eye for an eye
• Notable Features
• Innocent until proven guilty
• Able to introduce evidence to support you
• Divided society into 3 social classes
• Rich/Patrician
• Landless Freemen
• Slaves

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Hammurabis Law Code

• Written on a stele (large monument of stone) and
  placed in the center of the city
• Had picture of a god giving laws to Hammurabi,
  perhaps signifying that no king is above the law

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Conclusion

• Religion in Mesopotamia
• Economics in Mesopotamia
• Culture in Mesopotamia
• Politics in Mesopotamia

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Conclusion Religion

• Sumerian religion dominated the region
• Polytheistic
• Sense of hopelessness based on unpredictability

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Conclusion Economics

• Sumer was the first civilization to develop
  widespread, permanent agriculture
• Sumer developed the first cities
• In Mesopotamia, the economy depended on
  agriculture.

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Conclusion Economics

• Excess food supplies were traded to nearby
  peoples for metals and other natural resources
• The development of cities and empires encouraged
  trade

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Conclusion Culture

• Mesopotamian society was divided
• Top nobles
• Middle merchants, landless citizens
• Bottom slaves
• Writing developed

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Conclusion Politics

• Sumer
• Developed city-states
• Akkadian Empire
• Sargon I is first to establish an empire
• Code of Hammurabi
• Influenced modern law codes
• Eye for an eye
• Concept of innocent until proven guilty
• Evidence must be presented to prove guilt

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Religion and Politics in Ancient Egypt

• PURPOSE OF SECTION
• Describe the relationship of religion and
  political authority in Ancient Egypt

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Where is Egypt?
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Egypt Basics

• Unified first by Narmer (or Menes)
• Capital at Memphis
• Dynasty a line of rulers from one family
• Theocracy government headed by religious
  leaders
• Pharaoh Egyptian king

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Egypt Basics

• Organized into three periods called kingdoms
• Old Kingdom
• Pyramids
• Middle Kingdom
• Moved capital to Thebes
• Defeated by Hyksos
• New Kingdom
• Ramses the Great
• Akhenaton and Tutankhamen

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Pyramids

• Pyramids were tombs for Pharaohs

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Egypt Basics

• Writing
• Hieroglyphics for official works (usually carved
  on stone)
• Hieratic for daily religious use
• Demotic for daily government use
• Rosetta Stone
• Found by French under Napoleon
• Allows us to read hieroglyphics

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Egyptian Politics

• Pharaoh as sole ruler
• Developed bureaucracy to support the central
  government

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Egyptian Religion

• Polytheistic
• Often represented as part human and part animal
• Important deities
• Ra sun god
• Osiris god of the Nile and of all living things
• Isis wife of Osiris

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Egyptian Religion

• Stresses the importance of the afterlife
• Nile flooding was consistent, leading Egyptians
  to believe that the gods and goddesses were fair
  and could be persuaded through worship

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Relationship Between Religion and Politics

• Pharaoh is both king and god
• Religion and Politics are intertwined
• Disobeying a law from Pharaoh meant disobeying a
  god

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Early Trading Civilizations of the Eastern
Mediterranean

• PURPOSE OF SECTION
• Describe early trading networks in the Eastern
  Mediterranean include the impact Phoenicians had
  on the Mediterranean World.
• Describe other early civilizations of the Eastern
  Mediterranean

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Early Trading Civilizations of the Eastern
Mediterranean

• This section will cover the following trading
  civilizations
• Hittite
• Aramaean
• Lydian
• Phoenician
• Assyrian
• Chaldean
• Persian
• Israelite (Hebrew)

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Hittites (1650 B.C. 1200 B.C.)

• First army to use iron weapons
• Used chariots
• Had a legal system that was less harsh than the
  Code of Hammurabi

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Arameans (1200 B.C. to 800 B.C.)

• Original capital at Damascus
• Decentralization followed, with provincial
  leaders becoming powerful
• Spread their language, Aramaic, throughout the
  Eastern Mediterranean
• Aramaic became the lingua franca (language used
  to communicate between people who speak different
  native languages) of the Eastern Mediterranean

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Spread of Aramaic
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Lydians (1200 B.C. 546 B.C.)

• Capital at Sardis
• Built Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the
  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

• Developed the concept of money
• First coins were an alloy of gold and silver

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Phoenicians (1200 B.C. 539 B.C.)

• Developed loose confederation of city-states
• Capital at Tyre
• Traded throughout the Mediterranean
• How did physical geography encourage trade?
• Founded Carthage and Cadiz

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Phoenicians (1200 B.C. 539 B.C.)

• Developed the first modern alphabet
• This alphabet is what most modern alphabets are
  based on

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Phoenician AlphabetA Comparison
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Phoenicians (1200 B.C. 539 B.C.)

• Sailed as far as Ireland to the north and
  Cameroon to the south
• Established colonies as far away as Kerne, at the
  mouth of the Senegal River in Africa

Probable extent of Phoenician knowledge
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Phoenicians (1200 B.C. 539 B.C.)

• The Phoenician city-states near Mesopotamia were
  conquered by Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C.
• The Phoenician colonies continued to operate
  until much later, the greatest being Carthage

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Assyrians (911 B.C. 612 B.C.)

• Known for strong military
• Improved upon Hittite iron weapons, used
  battering rams
• Treated captured peoples cruelly
• Depopulated areas
• Enforced large indemnities

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Assyrians (911 B.C. 612 B.C.)

• Best known
• developing a road system connecting their empire

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Chaldeans (731 B.C. to 539 B.C.)

• 11th dynasty of Babylonian kings
• Most famous king Nebuchadnezzar
• Conquered land as far as Jerusalem
• Babylonian Captivity was forced march of Jewish
  persons from Jerusalem to Babylon under the
  Chaldeans
• Famous for Hanging Gardens of Babylon and their
  work in astronomy

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Hanging Gardens of Babylon

• An elaborate park built for Nebuchadnezzar's wife
• One of the original Seven Wonders of the World

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Persians (550 B.C. 330 B.C.)

• Under Cyrus the Great, the Persians conquered
  land
• As far west as Egypt, the Anatolia Peninsula and
  Macedonia
• As far east as the Indus River
• As far north as the Caucuses Mountains and into
  present day Afghanistan
• The empire stretched over 3,000 miles and
  contained 50 million people

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Persians (550 B.C. 330 B.C.)

• Persia was divided into smaller administrative
  units, with each ruled by a satrap
• Satraps were monitored by officials from the king
  called the eyes and ears of the king
• The empire had a complex road system, improving
  on that of the Assyrians one could travel to
  any corner in just 15 days

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Persians (550 B.C. 330 B.C.)

• The Persians allowed conquered peoples to keep
  their language and religion
• Persians followed a religion called Zoroastrianism

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Persians (550 B.C. 330 B.C.)

• Persia was the main adversary of the Greek
  city-states during the Greco-Persian Wars

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Persian Empire at its Height
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Israelites (Hebrews) (1900 B.C. 586 B.C.)

• Traditionally descended from Abraham, from Ur
• Made covenant with monotheistic Yahweh to move
  his family to Canaan to become new nation

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Israelites (Hebrews) (1900 B.C. 586 B.C.)

• Moved into Egypt, eventually as slaves
• Exodus of Moses allows the Israelites to leave
  Egyptian captivity

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Israelites (Hebrews) (1900 B.C. 586 B.C.)

• Entered the period of the Judges
• Judicial and military leaders not kings
• Around 1020 B.C., a monarchy led by Saul arose
• David assumed the throne in 1012 B.C. set up
  capital at Jerusalem
• After the death of King Solomon in 922 B.C., the
  kingdom split into northern and southern parts

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Israelites (Hebrews) (1900 B.C. 586 B.C.)

• 586 B.C. Chaldeans
• gain control of Jerusalem
• and take Israelites
• to Babylon
• The Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed
• Known as the Babylonian Captivity

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Israelites (Hebrews) (1900 B.C. 586 B.C.)

• 539 B.C. The Persians under Cyrus II conquer
  Babylon and allow the Israelites to return to
  Israel
• This became known as the Diaspora (scattered in
  Greek), because many of the Hebrew people did not
  return

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Conclusion

• We discussed the eight major civilizations of the
  Eastern Mediterranean that follow the Sumerians
  and Egyptians. On the next slide, each
  civilization is listed with their most important
  contribution to contemporary life.

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Conclusion

• Hittite used iron weapons
• Aramaean Aramaic language, lingua franca of the
  region for generations
• Lydian Concept of money
• Phoenician Trading networks throughout the
  Mediterranean First alphabet
• Assyrian Complex road system
• Chaldean Astronomy, Hanging Gardens of Babylon,
  Babylonian Captivity
• Persian large empire with religious freedom
  division into smaller units
• Israelite (Hebrew) Judaism

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Development of Writing

• PURPOSE OF SECTION
• Explain the development and importance of
  writing include cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and
  the Phoenician alphabet.

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Development of Writing
Picture writing Pictograms

Word writing
h
A b c d A b d g
Sound-based writing Syllables
Japanese Katakana
Alphabet
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Sumerian Cuneiform

• Pictograms
• Use dates from 3000 B.C. to 500 B.C.
• Use predates Egyptian Hieroglyphics

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Egyptian Hieroglyphics

• Pictograms
• Use dates from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 394
• Deciphered by Jean-Francois Champollion in 1822

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Cuneiform v. Hieroglyphics

• Not related
• Similar in that they are both originally
  pictographical
• Both develop symbols for non-tangible words

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Phoenician Alphabet

• Developed between 1700 B.C. and 1500 B.C.
• Influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphics

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Question to Think About

• Why is writing important?

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Monotheism

• PURPOSE OF SECTION
• Explain the development of monotheism include
  the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews,
  and Zoroastrianism.

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Monotheism

• Monotheism
• Belief in one god

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Origin of Monotheism

• Zoroaster
• Priest, worshipped a god named Ahura Mazda
• Ahura Mazda is worshipped as the only god
• Ahriman is opposite of Ahura Mazda
• Followers have a moral choice
• To do right or wrong
• Right Supportive of Ahura Mazda
• Wrong Against the wishes of Ahura Mazda
• Good deeds are rewarded, bad deeds are punished
• People have only themselves to blame for their
  position in life
• Holy book is called the Avesta

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Hebrew Monotheism

• Judaism
• One God (Yahweh, YHWH, Adonai)
• Israelites as unique chosen people
• Presence of covenants between Yahweh and man
• Adam Given life on earth with certain
  boundaries
• Noah Yahweh to never destroy the human race
  again
• Abraham Israelites will inherit a promised
  land
• Moses Given the laws as written by Yahweh
• David Royal dynasty to rule forever

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Comparison

• Zoroastrianism
• Monotheistic
• Concept of dark v. light
• Free will of man
• Judgment Day
• Heaven and hell
• Savior to redeem world

• Judaism
• Monotheistic
• Concept of good v. evil
• Free will of man
• Judgment Day
• Heaven, no hell
• Savior to redeem world