Power Point 2 Slides--Mesopotamia

Question 1

What does the word Mesopotamia mean and where does the word come from?

Answer 1

Means “Land Between Two Rivers” coming from the Latin words Meso and Potamis.

Question 2

What two rivers is Mesopotamia located between?

Answer 2

Tigris and Euphrates

Question 3

Why is Mesopotamia considered the first “state”?

Answer 3

It had a complex society with written records, armies, taxes, etc.

Question 4

What dates did the Mesopotamian society exist?

Answer 4

3000-1595 BCE.

Question 5

What were some of the factors that led Mesopotamia to be able to form a “state”?

Answer 5

Their society learned to control floods with irrigation which led to sustained agriculture which led to a division of labor.

Question 6

What is the shaping power of geography and environment in Mesopotamia?

Answer 6

The Mesopotamian culture and outlook was inseparable from the hostilities of their natural environment including the hot, dry climate paired with the unpredictable flooding of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.

Question 7

What was the impact of the environment on Mesopotamian religion?

Answer 7

Unpredictable and Violent Rivers = Unpredictable, Violent Gods
GODS must be appeased through sacrifice and offerings but EVEN THEN, they may not listen
Led to increased role for the priests in their society.

Question 8

What is the impact of the environment on the political system?

Answer 8

the default political situation of Mesopotamia is:
Like their unpredictable environment, they developed an unstable government.
There was much rivalry between city-states–competition for scarce resources.
History of Region is series of wars and counter-rebellions.
Need a heavy hand to control this culture–leads to military/religious elite.

Question 9

How was the king viewed in Mesopotamian culture?

Answer 9

He was seen as the human representative of the gods.

Question 10

What are the three signs of civilization that Mesopotamia displays as described in your professor’s power point lecture?

Answer 10

1. urbanity (city states)
2. monumental architecture built with non perishable materials (stone temples)
3. the creation of writing

Question 11

What is an example of Mesopotamian monumental architecture?

Answer 11

Ziggurat (stone temple) “Mount of the gods” and city center

Question 12

At what city was there a famous ziggurat?

Answer 12

UR

Question 13

What is the most important cultural contribution of the Mesopotamian society?

Answer 13

Writing

Question 14

What is the name of Mesopotamian writing?

Answer 14

cuneiform (means wedge-shaped writing)

Question 15

What is an ideo-grammatical form of writing?

Answer 15

Does not use an alphabet–used pictures or symbols to represent ideas.

Question 16

What was the result of having a system of writing?

Answer 16

It led to an explosion of intellectual and technological ideas. Ideas can be preserved and shared. Laws can be standardized and shared.

Question 17

What was an example of Mesopotamian literature.

Answer 17

The Epic of Gilgamesh–about the quest for eternal life

Question 18

What was the important example of laws during Mesopotamian times.

Answer 18

Code of Hammurabi

Question 19

How did writing evolve over time in Mesopotamia?

Answer 19

It went from pictures to a system of standardized wedge shapes representing objects and ideas.

Question 20

What was a “Tablet House” in Mesopotamia?

Answer 20

It was where scribes were trained to write in cuneiform–it took a long time to learn to master this system of writing.

Question 21

Why were scribes so important in Mesopotamia?

Answer 21

Most of the population was illiterate. Scribes controlled information.

Question 22

What was the “cult of the bull”?

Answer 22

As in earlier cultures, the bull was a symbol of vitality and manliness for the Mesopotamians.

Question 23

What was Mesopotamian mathematics like?

Answer 23

They had a system of symbols representing numbers. They had no zero. They had a basic ability to add and subtract.

Question 24

What was the Structure of Mesopotamian Religion?

Answer 24

POLYTHEISM to the EXTREME–many gods

The gods are generally Anthropomorphic–man-like but also Zoomorphic–animal like

Religion is Rooted within the surrounding Environment–gods represent animals, rivers, and other parts of their natural world

Human relationship to the Gods is CONTRACTUAL in nature– “I do for the god/s so that you [god/s] will do for me”

Question 25

What is the “cosmic drama”?

Answer 25

Humans are players on a stage, interacting with the gods. It includes the belief in Transcendence–that there is something bigger than our daily lives.

Question 26

Who were Innana and Enki?

Answer 26

Examples of Mesopotamian gods.

Question 27

What was the Babylonian Ascendancy?

Answer 27

Rise to power of Babylonia under Hammurabi–1792-1750–achieved unity of the city-states through war and law.

Question 28

Who was Marduk?

Answer 28

The chief Babylonian god under Hammurabi.

Question 29

Why was the unity of Babylonia brief?

Answer 29

Hammurabi was a strong leader but once he died, the unity he enforced could not be maintained.

Question 30

What does the Code of Hammurabi tell us about Mesopotamian society?

Answer 30

Reflects the strict hierarchy of classes–social pyramid with kings, nobles, priests on top. Laws apply to people at different levels differently–penalties vary according to who committed the crime and who the victim was. (Lower penalties for committing a crime against a slave, for ex. )

Question 31

What are the levels of Babylonian society?

Answer 31

Priests, nobles, kings on top.
Free commoners and clients.
Slaves on bottom.

Question 32

How does the Code of Hammurabi reflect the environment in Mesopotamia?

Answer 32

Need stability in a harsh and unpredictable environment. Only by people following the rules can people survive. Necessary to strictly enforce the rules with harsh punishments. “Eye for an eye”

Question 33

How did Hammurabi make sure everyone knew the laws they were to follow?

Answer 33

He had large stone tablets carved with the Code on them set up throughout the land.

Question 34

Did women have any rights in Hammurabi’s Code?

Answer 34

While women were not treated as equals they did have some rights when it came to marriage and divorce.