Lesson 6 - Introduction

Lesson 6 - Introduction

Ancient Sumer flourished in Mesopotamia between 3500 and 2300 B.C.E. As you read on, you will discover what happened to the Sumerians and who ruled Mesopotamia after them.

The city-states of ancient Sumer were like small independent countries. They often fought over land and water rights, never uniting into one group. Their division left them open to attacks by stronger groups.

Four Empires of Mesopotamia

About 2300 B.C.E., the Akkadians (uh-KAY-dee-unz) conquered Sumer.  This group made the Sumerian city-states a part of an empire, which is a large territory where groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government.  Groups like the Akkadians first conquer and then rule other lands.

Multiple Choice

Which is the best description of an Empire ?

• a small piece of land ruled by many leaders.

• a large piece of land where the groups are ruled by one government.

• 3 states ruled by one governor.

• a huge city ruled by two mayors.

Four Empires of Mesopotamia

In this lesson, you will learn about  four empires that rose to power in Mesopotamia between 2300 and 539 B.C.E. They were the Akkadian Empire, the Babylonian (bah-buh-LOH-nyuhn) Empire, the Assyrian (uh-SIR-ee-un) Empire, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Multiple Select

Which is not one of the Empires of Mesopotamia listed on the previous slide ?

• Babylonian

• Akkadian

• Assyrian

• Californian

Four Empires of Mesopotamia

You will also learn that each of these empires faced conflict with neighboring lands, which led to many wars. Rulers focused on improving their military strategies and began training warriors in more advanced tactics. Some people even chose to rebel against their kings, creating problems within the empire.

Poll

Which of these do you think caused the most conflicts back in ancient worlds ? Pick one only.

• fights over land

• fights over religion

• fights over water

• fights over other things

Four Empires of Mesopotamia

What was life like in each of these powerful Mesopotamian empires?  Who were the ruthless rulers that commanded them?  Why did they all collapse?  Let's find out more about these empires.