Topic 2 Lesson 2: The First Empires

For hundreds of years, the city-states fought among themselves. In time, strong rulers conquered the whole region creating the world's first (a)   . An empire is a state containing several countries or territories.

(pg. 60)

While the Sumerian city-states struggled for power, a new society arose in Mesopotamia. The (a)   people lived to the northwest of Sumer, but they were not related to Sumerians. Akkadians spoke a different language and had different customs.

(pg. 61)

Akkadians and Sumerians shared some cultural (a)   . A cultural trait is an idea or way of doing things that is common to a certain culture. For example, the Akkadians and Sumerians has similar religious practices, and both societies used the cuneiform system of writing.

(pg. 61)

After Sargon's death in 2279 BCE, the Akkadian empire faced a growing number of rebellions and invasions. Within 100 years, the empire had (a)   . Warriors from the Zagros Mountains, east of the Tigris River, eventually took control of the region.

Around 1792 BCE, Hammurabi became king of Babylon. For 30 years, he solidified his power and built up his army. Then he launched a series of attacks against other Mesopotamian city-states. Within a few years he had united southern Mesopotamia into what we now call the Old Babylonian empire, which is also called (a)   .

(pg. 62)

Today, Hammurabi is best remembered for his creation of Hammurabi's Code, a set of laws that governed in the Babylonian empire. Many of these laws had existed since Sumerian times, but (a)   wanted to make sure everyone in Babylonia knew the laws they were expected to live by.

(pg. 62)

The idea that all members of a society must obey the law.

(pg. 63)

• rule of law

• rule of four

• rule of finance

• rule of code

Hammurabi's code consisted of how many laws in total?

(Diagram on pg.63)

• 2

• 282

• 41

• 241

Which of the following was not one of the purposes of Hammurabi's Code?

(Diagram on page 63)

• Strengthened social heirarchies

• Created unity in the babylonian empire

• Created crimes so that people could spend more time in jail

• Reinforced the power of the king, who claimed the laws were handed down to him by the gods.

Hammurabi's Code and other Babylonian writings give historians a great deal of (a)   about life in Babylonia. People's lives changed when states and empires took over.

(pg. 64)