BabylonianEmpireGuide

Table of Contents

Introduction Element: LawsElement: Irrigation System

5

Element: ReligionElement: Military Strategies Element

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8 9 10

Our presentation will be about the many aspects of what elements make up and empire. For example: We are going to be talking about irrigation systems, laws, religion, armies, and allies. For Example, we will talk about how life was with all of the laws from Hammurabi, all of the military strategies from Sargon and how the religion was with the priests and priestesses. We will talk about why these things helped the Babylonians. We also talk about how it would be without laws, religion, armies, military strategies, and allies.In addition, we also are going to be talking about how communities were in ancient Mesopotamian times. After reading through the presentation you will notice that a lot has changed since the past. We have developed in better forms, but keeping in mind, that the past does repeat itself if we do not learn from it.In conclusion, we have put together this presentation to show you how the Babylonian empire was. Enjoy!

Intr

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Irrig

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sIrrigation systems helped provide people of the empire with a steady

food supply. An irrigation system consists of canals that connect a river to the farmer’s fields, providing water for their crops. The irrigation system is an important example of a public works project. Irrigation systems provide water during droughts. Mesopotamia was effected by the floods and droughts because the crops got ruined. During droughts and floods, the crops either got dried up or drowned. Farmers couldn’t keep producing enough crops for the empire, when the crops kept getting damaged. There wasn't a steady food supply. So, in order to have a steady food supply, they made an irrigation system. The people of early empires also built dikes, dams, and levees in addition to the irrigation system. Those dikes, dams, and levees provided protection to the crops. When there were floods the crops never got washed away, because the dikes, dams, and levees kept water from covering the crops with water. There was a lot of damage done to the crops from all drowning them. In conclusion, irrigation systems not only provide a steady food supply, they also help to decrease damage on the crops caused by droughts and floods.

Name: Mary Ralston

Law

s

Name: Ana Karen

Laws are important because,they bring a more disciplined city-state. It brings a more disciplined city-state because without laws people could do anything they wanted to. For example, they could kill someone and they would not have to go to be a slave. He wouldn't even have to be killed back, he could just say I never saw a law that said I couldn't kill someone. Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylonia.He was also the man who wrote the first formal laws. He had a code that contained rules like: trade, payment for work, marriage, and divorce. His code also contained punishments, like if a poorly built house were to collapse and kill its owner, then the builder could be put to death. Laws like these might seem harsh to us now. Although laws and punishments did not treat all of the people equally, the code was still the first set of laws that applied to everyone in Mesopotamia. Hammurabi's laws were more of punishment or warning for people, but they were also kind of fair because if a doctor took one eye out of the patient then they would take an eye out from him. One of Hammurabi's laws were that if someone did something wrong they would have to cut their hands. Laws were also important because people are more aware of what they do after they do it. For example, people might think better what kind of job they do.They might think better on what kind of job they get because, if they are not prepared for that kind of job, and they do something wrong, then they will have to pay for it. So people are more aware on the type of job they want to do before they get it. For example, people might start to study on their job because if they get it and don't know what to do then they can get killed as the law says. I also think that laws bring peace. Laws bring peace because without laws people would just start hitting each other whenever they want to. If you did something bad there was a punishment in return. Therefore, laws are important because it brought disciplined city-states.

Rel

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Religion was important for people of the empire to believe and have faith in their gods. Likewise, pleasing the gods was important because the citizens believed the gods were the reason for droughts, floods, storms, and catastrophes. Besides, the people of Mesopotamia were polytheistic, that means everybody believed in many gods. In addition, the citizens thought that gods were the reason for everything. For example, everyone believed that they needed to please their gods in order to have good crops, good wealth, and victory against unfriendly neighbors and wars. Next, ziggurats were used as a way to perform correct prayers, rituals, dances and songs. Also, ziggurats were built as a way to please their gods. In fact, when things were not working out for the empire or city state, the Mesopotamians would sometimes perform sacrifices so the gods would be happy, and help the empire rise once more. In conclusion, religion was a big part of the lives of the people of Mesopotamia in order to have victory in everything.

Name: Julia Jacob

Arm

iesArmies were important for maintaining an empire because they keep the empire safe, they help get resources, and they expand the empire’s territories. For example, one way an army keeps the empire safe is if the empire is under attack, then the armies can fight. If the empire was under attack and they did not have armies, then they would die and not be an empire anymore. An empire’s armies also helps it get resources. Empires need resources to live. Resources like wheat, olives and cattle were important because they provided food. Other resources like timber and iron could be used for making tools. Depending upon where an empire was located, some resources were easy to acquire. Farmers might be able to grow wheat on their land if they lived in a fertile region.. Some resources might be harder to get. For example, maybe an empire needed camels. They could either trade with other groups or battle for the resource. By taking items of conquered territories, empires were able to get the resources they needed.Another example that armies are important to maintaining an empire is that they expand the empire’s territories. In the simulation game, we had to move armies to different squares. This also helped get resources also. We moved our armies to different empires to fight or to concor. We got civilization points for each square. Each square had a 50 on it or a 100 on it or a 150 on it. We also moved our armies to squares that we got coins on and the person with more coins means that that empire can buy more armies.

Name: Ben Ward

Alli

es

Name:Jonathan

Allies are important to maintain an empire because they can provide resources and protection. For example, if you are a city-state and are in need of protection because an enemy is attacking, you could ask your allies to protect you and in return you would give them money or resources that they need this occurred in our simulation when an enemy had a resource that you needed they would would most likely not give it to you. But if an ally had it then they will give the resource to you in return for something . Otherwise, if you had no allies you would have to attack the land that is occupied and lose armies. The main reason resources they traded were, not easily perishable food so that it could last for a long time The last reason allies are important are because they can help you gain land. For example, they may lend you their armies so that you can invade an area that someone else is currently in which can be crucial to maintaining a powerful empire because without protection or armies you empire will fall for certain.

Page 3: Hammurabi and Mesopotamian ArtPage 4:Page 5: Page 6: Irrigation systems in MesopotamiaPage 7: Scroll of LawsPage 8: Religion in Mesopotamia Page 9: Mesoptamian armyPage 10:

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