Chapter 3: Mediterranean and Middle East, 2000-500 BC

Warm Up

1. Explain oracle bones and their purpose:2. Explain the Mandate of Heaven and what

empire instituted it:3. Compare and Contrast Confucianism and

Daoism:4. Nubia was first under what empire?5. 1200 BC civilization in the Americas:6. Civilization that set the stage for the Incas:7. Fall of Chavin (reason and date)

• I. Cosmopolitan Middle East– A. Western Asia– Assyria was involved in trade in tin and silver– Hittites used chariots, copper, silver, and iron– Mesopotamian culture now begins to spread across

Western Asia

– B. Commerce and Communication– Middle East was an important crossroads for

metal goods– Access to bronze was vital to all cities states of the

period but was obtained from far away– Copper, tin, silver, and gold were abundant and

therefore trade of these increased– New transportation included horses, camels, and

chariots

• II. Aegean World, 2000-1100 BC– A. The Minoan Crete– Named after King Minos, legendary king of Crete (the

Minotaur story)

• a creature that was part man and part bull It dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction built for King Minos of Crete

• Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had made the Labyrinth so cunningly that he himself could barely escape it after he built it.

• http://www.loggia.com/myth/minotaur.html

• II. Aegean World, 2000-1100 BC– A. Minoan Crete– Located on the Island of Crete– First Greek civilization and were defeated by the

Mycenaeans– Minoan civilization was influenced by Egypt and

Mesopotamia– B. Mycenaean Greece, 1600 BC– Mycenaeans are considered to be the first Greeks

because they spoke a form of the Greek language– Iliad and Odyssey spoke of the Mycenaean people – Were epic poems about the gods and wars (Troy

and Posidean)

• after a fruitless 10-year siege of Troy, the Greeks built a huge figure of a horse, in which a select force of men hid. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the Horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the Horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greek army entered and destroyed the city, decisively ending the war.

– Rose to power on profits from trade and piracy however piracy strained relations with other countries

– City State description: included hilltop citadels with thick walls protecting palaces and buildings, luxury filled tombs for past rulers, and large houses for the aristocracy

– Controlled economy and exported olive oil, weapons, crafts, slaves, and mercenaries

– Imports included amber, ivory, grain, and metals– Collapsed due to famines, invasion by outsiders, war

between the Mycenaean cities, and the end of trade• By 1100s BC the Mycenaean cities were mostly in

ruins

– C. Fall of the Bronze Civilization– Old centers of civilization in Middle East were

destoyed– Hittites and Syrians empires fell– Egyptian empire has fallen and lost control of

Nubia– Mycenaean civ fell because of political decline and

external aggression

• II. Assyrian Empire– A. God and King– Kings were seen as gods on earth and had secular

and religious duties– Secular duties included: hearing and deciding on

complaints, carrying out diplomacy, and military leadership

– Religious duties included: supervision of state religion, rituals, and gaining approval of the gods

– Assyrian kings were depicted in statutes as fierce and mean therefore people feared the kings

– B. Conquest and Control– Assyrian military was ½ million strong and were

divided into specialized units– Military technologies included iron weapons,

cavalry, couriers, signal fires, and spy networks– Terror Tactics and mass deportation: – Assyrians used terror tactics to destroy morale of

the enemy – The Assyrians were also diabolically cruel, they skinned their victims alive, cut

off their hands, feet, noses, ears, eyes, pulled out tongues, made mounds of heads and many more atrocities to inspire terror in those who were demanded to pay tribute.

– Assyrians also used mass deportation of civilians to transfer needed laborers to areas of empire

Assyrian Spy Report

Assyrian Terror Tactics

– Assyrian officials collected tribute from other countries and taxes from own people to maintain law and order in society (Rome had first police), raise army, and maintain public works

– C. Assyrian social classes (below government)– 1. Free landowning citizens– 2. farmers and artisans– 3. slaves– Assyrians also created the first library in Ninevah

• IV. Israel– A. Origins, Exodus, and Settlement– Origins of the Israel people can be found in the

Hebrew Bible and archeological excavations– Biblical accounts include: stories of Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob. Story of Cain and Abel, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

– B. Rise of Monarchy– Israel established a monarchy with Saul as the first

king– King Solomon built the first temple in Israel – Women in Israel were equal socially but not equal

politically– Legally women could not: inherit property or

initiate a divorce– Women in Israel: bear children, maintain

household, farm or herd, some worked outside the home

– C. Fragmentation and Dipersal– Solomon dies and Israel splits into 2 kingdoms– Israel in the north (Samaria)– Judah in the south (Jerusalem)– During fragmentation Israelites were monotheistic

however foreign gods from Canaan were attractive– Assyria conquered Israel– Babylon conquered Judah– Jewish Diaspora: Jewish people have been

displaced from home but keep traditions and rituals until they return back to Jerusalem

Warm Up

1. Importance of the camel:2. Two reasons why Minoans are not the first “real”

Greek civ:3. Explain why the Iliad and the Odyssey are

important?4. How did the Assyrian people rule their empire?

Why?5. Explain the role of women in Israel:6. Why do the Israelites get blamed for bad things

throughout history?

Nebuchadnezzar II King of Babylon

• V. Phoenicia and the Mediterranean, 1200-500 BC– A. Phoenician City States– Cities of Phoenicia deeply involved in commerce– Invented the first alphabet which is the basis for

our English alphabet– Tyre is capital city– Phoenician people had little farm land between

the mountains and the Med Sea so they had to trade to survive

– Began to dominate trade in the Med Sea

Location of Phoenicia

Phoenician people made

great profit from the

trade in the Mediterranea

n Sea!!

– B. Expansion into the Mediterranean – Phoenicians established colonies outside of their

country to expand their empire and to access more resources

– Carthage was first colony. Located in Africa

– C. Carthage’s Commercial Empire– In 814 BC Carthage was established and their form

of government had 2 judges and a senate– Carthage’s navy was its power. Trade is a huge part

of commerce so they must protect trade routes– Trade routes included Spain, Med Sea, France, and

Sub-Saharan Africa– D. War and Religion– Carthage was not a territorial empire, but an

empire of trade routes and ports– Religion was based on appeasement and human

sacrifice (mostly children)– Some scholars believe this was also a form of birth

control or population control

• VI. Failure and Transformation, 750-550 BC– A. Consequences of the Assyrian Conquest– Assyria destroyed Israel and deported Jewish

people– Assyrians threatened Phoenicia and forced them

to create colonies– Kingdom of Medes conquered Assyria and

Babylonians absorbed much of the land

Kingdom of Medes is Modern Day Iran

We will know these people as Persians