from agriculture to city-states sumer, akkadia, and religion
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATESSumer, Akkadia, and religion
![Page 2: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
HOMEWORK REVIEW QUESTIONS Vocabulary (define and give an example sentence):
rural, urban, city-state, Sargon, empire, polytheism, priests, social hierarchy
Analysis: In Sumerian religious practices, what did priests do to try
to please the gods? Why do you think governments are usually located in
cities?
Critical Thinking: Before people settled in agricultural cities, they tended to
be equal in society. Why did agriculture lead to social hierarchy developing?
You are the King/Queen of a Sumerian city-state. Write a letter to your priests asking them to make offerings to the gods in order to protect your farms from possible floods.
![Page 3: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
THE RISE OF SUMER
Around 3000 BC, in southern Mesopotamia a people known as Sumerians created an advanced society. Most people lived in rural areas – area outside of
a city, countryside But they were governed from urban centers –
inside a city. These city-states – cities and the regions
around them controlled by a single government – relied on their military strength to gain and protect territory. City-states with stronger militaries could control
larger areas
![Page 4: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
THERE WERE MANY CITY-STATES IN MESOPOTAMIA…
![Page 5: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
THE AKKADIANS AND KING SARGON
~2300 BC, the leader of the Akkadians, named Sargon, built a very large army.
Using his army, he defeated and took control of all of the city-state of Sumer, and also northern Mesopotamia.
As the ruler of this large area, Sargon established the world’s first empire
It would last for 150 years
![Page 6: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
![Page 7: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
THE RISE OF RELIGION Religion came to play a very
important role in most aspects of Sumerian public and private life
The practiced polytheism – the worship of many gods They believed their gods had
enormous powers – they could bring a good harvest, or a flood, good health, illness, or great wealth
Whether the gods gave a person good or bad fortune depended on pleasing the gods
Each city considered one particular god to be their protector
![Page 8: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
THE PRIESTHOOD
People relied on a special class of people who could speak to the gods, interpreted their wishes, and made offerings to please them
![Page 9: FROM AGRICULTURE TO CITY-STATES Sumer, Akkadia, and religion](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022070404/56649f385503460f94c545c2/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
SOCIAL HIERARCHY
Different levels of people appeared Before, as hunter-gatherers, all people had been very similar in
social power But now, different levels of wealth and power can into being.
At the top was a king – the ruler Below him were priests and nobles – the upper class. The middle level included skilled craftsmen and merchants Below them was the very large working class – farmers and
unskilled laborers At the bottom were slaves – people who were forced to work
for no money (usually taken as prisoners from war) Women: The role of most women was limited to to the home
and raising children… but some women of the upper class were educated and some even became priestesses.