Mesopotamia The Seeds of Creativity

The Rivers and the Land

Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Sumerian Period3500-2350 BC

Note: Few natural barriers to invasion

Sumerian Period3500-2350 BC

• Polytheistic religion– Religion was directed toward ensuring a good

crop and good trading – No ethics from religion

• Priests subservient to kings – Invasion-prone area so armies were important

• First wheeled vehicles• Ziggurats

– Temples– Tombs– Governmental sites

Ziggurat

Sumerian Period3500-2350 BC

Creative Contribution: Writing (cuneiform)

• Written on clay tablets with reed or sharpened stick

• Recorded business and laws• 1200 known characters

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

Creative Contributions:• Standing army• System of royal servants and landholders• Poetry/epic• Written law• Governmental bureaucracy • Mathematics

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

• Standing army– Led by Sargon I the King of Akkad– Conquered the Sumerians– Expanded the empire greatly (paid the army

from the spoils of war)– New lands and territories that had to be

controlled• Royal servants given new lands

– Very loyal– Created economic vigor in trade – Created intelligent division of labor

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

• Poetry– Epic of Gilgamesh

• About 2000 B.C.• Oldest known literary document• Account of King Gilgamesh• Includes a flood story (similar to Bible)

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

• Written Law: The Code of Hammurabi– Developed by King Hammurabi (~1700 B.C.)

• Great leader, ruled during the cultural pinnacle of the early Babylonian Period

• Personally supervised navigation, construction of temples, agriculture, and tax collection.

– First set of laws (predates Moses by 200 years)

– Brought uniformity to society– Reduced resentment and possibilities for

revolt– Engraved on 8-foot stella (pillar)

Code of Hammurabi – Trial by ordeal

The Code established:-tax system-rights for women-strong system of punishment

The main principle of the “Code” was that the strong should not injure the weak.

Hammurabi Code vs The Bible• Source: God• Religious: Strong• Capital crimes:

– Murder (unless God delivered him)

– Smite or curse parents– Steal man and sell him– Adultery

• Justice: Eye for eye or compensation

• Equality: No differences

• Source: Existing laws• Religious: Little• Capital crimes:

– False accusation or witness– Stolen temple goods– Stolen child– Assisted fleeing slave– Adultery

• Justice: Eye for eye or compensation

• Equality: Changes by rank

• Governmental Bureaucracy – Established by King Hammurabi– Administrators paid by the government

(local taxes), unlike Sargon I’s. – Could keep an eye on empire without

expensive and continuous military entanglements.

Akkadian/ Early Babylonian Period (2350-1650 BC)

Hittites (1450-1200 B.C.)• From Anatolia (present day Turkey)• Creative Contribution:

– Iron

Hittites (1450-1200 B.C.)

• Iron– Much harder and stronger than all

former metals– Conquered Mesopotamia because of

weapon strength (1650 B.C)– Agricultural productivity higher when

farming tools were made of iron– Started the move from the Bronze Age

to the Iron Age (1500 B.C.)

Phoenicians/Philistines/Sea Peoples (1200 B.C.)

• Conquered Hittites and learned the secrets of iron-working

• Dominated Israelites until time of David

• Controlled the coastal regions of Mesopotamia (then called Canaan)

Phoenicians/Philistines/Sea Peoples (1200 B.C.)

The Phoenicians-The traders of the ancient world.

-traded: wool, papyrus, ivory, and glass for goods that they lacked. (They has little land to farm).

-traveled the Mediterranean

Assyrians (900-626 B.C.)

• Creative contribution:– Torture

• Creativity can be good or bad• Extremely vicious • Entire cities surrendered because of fear

• Conquered Mesopotamia from within the territory of old Babylonian empire

• Captured the 10 tribes of Israel and carried them northward (721 BC)

Babylonians, Medes, Persians626-333 BC

Babylonians, Medes, Persians626-333 BC

• Powerful rulers– Nebuchadnezzar– Cyrus the Great – Darius- Xerxes

• Empire very large• During this time period:

– Established king worship

Babylonians, Medes, Persians626-333 BC

Creative Contibutions:• Art/technology

– Hanging Gardens (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world)

• Government• City planning• Ethical Monotheism• Mathematics

Babylonians, Medes, Persians626-333 BC

• Ethical monotheism– Zoroastrianism

• Arose from Persia in 7th Century B.C.• Founded by the prophet Zoroaster who used

fire as part of worship• Communication with God• Very controversial group• Driven from Persia in 700 A.D. to India where

they are known as the Parsi

Mesopotamia

• Conquered by Alexander the Great (333 BC)– This was the end of what is considered

Mesopotamian history– We will discuss him later

• kept creativity fresh