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Ancient Civ > Chapter 3: Mesopotamia > Flashcards

Chapter 3: Mesopotamia Flashcards

0
Q

What two rivers is Mesopotamia located between?

A

The Tigris and Euphrates

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1
Q

What is Mesopotamia also known as?

A

The Fertile Crescent because of its fertile soil

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2
Q

What is the present-day location of Mesopotamia?

A

Iraq

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3
Q

Who were the first people to inhabit Mesopotamia?

A

The Sumerians

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4
Q

Why is this area called “the Crossroads of Civilization?”

A

crossroad location of Africa, Asia, and Europe

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5
Q

What is cultural diffusion?

A

The exchange of ideas

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6
Q

What occurred frequently in this land?

A

Wars and cultural diffusion

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7
Q

Which river was bigger?

A

The Tigris

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8
Q

Why was irrigation difficult in these rivers?

A

Because of the depth

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9
Q

What were some problems with the river?

A

1) too much silt
2) constant unpredictable flooding
3) hard to make an irrigation system

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10
Q

What was the climate of this land?

A

hot summers/dry winds

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11
Q

Were the Sumerians an empire?

A

No, they were a civilization of people divided into city-states

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12
Q

What is a city-state?

A

a town or city and the surrounding land it controlled (division of government)

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13
Q

What were three Sumerian city-states?

A

Ur, Uruk, Kush

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14
Q

What did each city-state contain?

A

1) town wall
2) its own government
3) government supervision
4) polytheistic theocracy
5) priests with government authority
6) military

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15
Q

What was a ziggurat?

A

temple/shrine with housing, designed to be very tall, impressive, and imposing. Made of clay brick. At the base, there was usually a marketplace where you could find artisans and merchants.

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16
Q

What was the general view of the gods?

A

They were viewed as cruel and unloving, each person was property of the gods. Their image was based on the harsh lifestyle and climate of the land.

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17
Q

What was the Sumerian written language like?

A

1) Cuneiform
2) used to keep records
3) wet clay slate left to dry
4) time/date written down
5) wedges

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18
Q

What were the Sumerians best known for?

A

1) Cuneiform
2) The Wheel
3) Ziggurats
4) Bronze
5) The Arch (strong)

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19
Q

Who were the Akkadians led by?

A

Sargon

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20
Q

How long did the Akkadian empire last?

A

200 years

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21
Q

What were the Akkadians best known for?

A

A centralized language that united its people

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22
Q

Who were the Babylonians led by?

A

Hammurabi

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23
Q

What was Hammurabi’s Code?

A

laws written by Hammurabi to deal with issues and conflicts of everyday Babylonian life. These laws were known for having a stern sense of justice, in which some laws were very harsh. Laws posted in public and enforced by state.

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24
Q

What were the Babylonians known for?

A

1) an organized government
2) high levels of diplomacy, trade, and business
3) astronomy/astrology, divination and superstitious medicine

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25
Q

Where were the Hittites located?

A

Asia Minor

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26
Q

What were the Hittites known for?

A

1) Pre-Republic ideas (democracy)

2) Iron (advantageous)

27
Q

What was the image of the Assyrians?

A

tough and cruel, brutal takeovers of other lands

28
Q

What cities did the Assyrians establish?

A

Ninevah and Assur

29
Q

What is cavalry?

A

soldiers on horseback

30
Q

What is a siege weapon?

A

battering ram to knock down walls

31
Q

What were the Assyrians known for?

A

1) immense expansion and strong, brutally efficient military
2) library system
3) stone art
4) road system
5) chariots/cavalry/siege weapons

32
Q

What did the Chaldeans basically do?

A

Rebuilt Babylon

33
Q

Who led the Chaldeans?

A

Nebuchadnezzar rebuilds and revives Babylon

34
Q

What were the Hanging Gardens?

A

A terrace garden with abundant water built by Nebuchadnezzar for his wife

35
Q

Why did the Chaldea/Revived Babylonia fall?

A

Nebuchadnezzar died and his son was an ineffective ruler

36
Q

What were the Chaldeans known for?

A

1) The Hanging Gardens
2) Revival of Babylon
3) Nebuchadnezzar

37
Q

What language did the Persians speak?

A

Indo-European

38
Q

Who was Cyrus the Great?

A

A fair and skilled leader who ruled the largest empire of that time. Refused to enslave conquered people and was tolerant towards other religions, such as the Jews. Used best innovations from the lands he conquered and advanced them further. Conquers Medes and Lydians.

39
Q

Who invaded Greece?

A

Xerxes, son of Darius

40
Q

Who was Darius the Great?

A

1) Built Persepolis
2) Established a drainage system (plumbing)
3) Expanded Persian empire
4) paid workers according to their skills
5) Built a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean
6) Had an army called the 10,000 immortals

41
Q

Who were the 2 great leaders of Persia?

A

Cyrus and Darius (the Great)

42
Q

Who were The Eyes and Ears of the King?

A

People who spied on governors to make sure they were doing their job

43
Q

What was special about the government of Persia?

A

Divided the empire into provinces, ruled by governors, also known as satraps

44
Q

What were the Persians known for?

A

1) Very large empire
2) Cyrus and Darius
3) Provinces

45
Q

Why did the Persian Empire fall?

A

Alex the Great of Greece and weak rulers

46
Q

What were the two smaller states/kingdoms?

A

Phoenicians and Lydians

47
Q

What were the Phoenicians known for?

A

1) Purple cloth

2) Created 22 letter alphabet

48
Q

What were the Phoenicians also known as?

A

“Missionaries of Civilization”

49
Q

What were the Lydians known for?

A

1) active trade

2) invented money/coins

50
Q

Why was bartering inefficient compared to money?

A

Money was something everyone needed, portable, made trade easier, main system of exchange

51
Q

Who were the Hebrews?

A

Nomadic people from the Meso-Arabian desert. Descendants of modern-day Jews

52
Q

What place do the Hebrews invade in 1230 BC?

A

Palestine/Canaan

53
Q

Who were the two great leaders of the Hebrews?

A

1) David - Poet, built Jerusalem (capital), conqueror

2) Solomon - Wise, built temple, rich, writer, kingdom’s height

54
Q

Who was the god of the Jews?

A

Yahweh, A loving godly figure

55
Q

What was the book if the Jews

A

the Torah

56
Q

What were the guidelines for the Jews?

A

The Ten Commandments via Moses

57
Q

What is Ethical Monotheism?

A

A belief in a single, loving, righteous god who demands righteous conduct of people

58
Q

What are some beliefs of Judaism?

A

1) Monotheism
2) High moral standards
3) God is ultimate judge
4) Prophets can foretell the future
5) Believe all people are important
6) Belief in heaven/hell
7) No pork or shellfish

59
Q

What are some holidays of Judaism?

A

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah

60
Q

What is Rosh Hashanah?

A

Jewish New Year

61
Q

What is Zionism?

A

A movement for the establishment of a Jewish homeland (Israel)

62
Q

What is a Bar Mitzvah?

A

The “coming of age” of a boy or girl at the age of 13. After this age they will be held accountable for their sins.

63
Q

What is divination?

A

The act of foretelling the future by means of the supernatural

64
Q

What is the Pentateuch?

A

1st five commandments of the Torah

65
Q

Who is the Father of Judaism?

A

Abraham

Ancient Civ (6 decks)

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