Ancient History of the Middle East

The Sumerians – 4000 BC -› 1700 BC

First villages were built in Fertile Crescent

Successful farming settlements grew into city-states◦ Erech, Ur, Kish◦ Drained marshes for

farmingWorshipped in ZigguratPriests controlled daily

lifeDeveloped writing

system – cuneiformInvented wheel, sail,

plow

Egyptians – 3000 BC -› 300 BCFounded in Cultural

Hearth of Nile River Valley

Series of 3 stable Kingdoms

Trade and agriculture important◦ Nile River is “beating

heart” of regionReligion

◦ Pharaohs were divine◦ Belief in the afterlife

Eventually conquered by Greeks (Macedonians)

Located in Northern Mesopotamia

Briefly controlled Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Northern Tier

Eventually conquered by subjects (Babylonia)

Assyrians – 2500 BC -› 600 BC

Israelites/Hebrews – 1700 BC -› ?

Founding father was Abraham

Their history is written in the Bible

Lived in Canaan (modern-day Israel)

Divided into 12 tribesBecame a monarchy

under King DavidConquered by the

Assyrians in 800 BCHebrew people still

live today

Hittites – 1800 BC -› 1100 BC

Ruled Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor

Warlike peopleAdopted cuneiform

and other techs. from Babylonians

Mastered iron and had fast, light chariots

Transported culture, but didn’t contribute anything culturally

Babylonians - 1700 BC -› 539 BCConquered territory

in Fertile CrescentHammurabi – 282

laws◦ Stressed equality

and justiceBuilt the Hanging

Gardens◦ One of the Seven

Ancient WondersConquered by the

Persians

The Phoenicians – 1550 BC -› 300 BC

Formed a maritime trading kingdom in Lebanon

Cedar trees and murexEstablished trade

coloniesBuilt fast ships with

keel◦ Invented Bireme

Spread knowledge w/alphabet◦ 22 consonants

Traveled to British Isles

Persians – 600 BC -› 330 BC

Also known as Achaemenid Empire

Empire at height extended from India, into Europe, and throughout M.E.

Began in modern-day Iran

Founded by Cyrus the Great◦ Great military leader◦ 3 innovations

Fought in “off-season” Mounted cavalry on

camels Used engineers in army

The Persian EmpireDarius I divides

kingdom◦ 20 provinces◦ Based on

ethnicity◦ Satrap ruled each

Built roads to increase commerce and aid communication

Standardized coinage

Persian Religion - Zoroastrianism

Ancient Persians believed in many gods

Magi were intermediaries

Zoroaster (600BC?) prophesied to be born

Magi tried to kill himLife was battle

between good and evilGods Ahura Mazda

(good) and Ahriman (bad)

The Greeks (Macedonians)334 BC -› 146 BC

Greeks small city-states

Major victory over Darius II at Marathon

Gold discovered in Macedonia in 359 BC

Challenge GreeksAlexander the Great

becomes leader of Greece and Macedonia (334 BC)

Rise of the GreeksSoldiers,

hoplites, organized into phalanxes

Innovations◦ Wore shoes◦ Full body armor◦ Tower shield◦ 12 ft iron spear◦ Short-bladed

sword◦ Formations (300-

ish)

Alexander vs. Darius IIIUsed cavalry and

infantry togetherDefeated Darius at

Issus and GaugamelaAlex pushes army

into IndiaDied in 323 BCEmpire dividedGreek culture

blended with Middle East – Hellenistic civilization

Alexandria, Egypt

Hellenistic Culture

Greek culture was transported to Middle East through conquest

Aspects of the indigenous cultures were diffused with the Greeks

Roman Empire – 27 BC -› AD 476 Extended from Rome

to control much of Middle East by 115 AD

Army held empire together

Trade flourished, roads built throughout empire◦ Still used today

Increased spread of ideas and technology◦ Leap year calendar◦ Language

The enduring Roman influence is reflected pervasively in contemporary

language, literature, legal codes, government, architecture, engineering, medicine, sports, arts, etc. Much of it is

so deeply imbedded that we barely notice our debt to ancient Rome.

Consider language, for example. Fewer and fewer people today claim to know Latin — and yet, go back to the first

sentence in this paragraph. If we removed all the words drawn directly from Latin, that sentence would read;

“The.”

-Reid, T. R. (1997). "The World According to Rome". National Geographic 192 (2): 54–83. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/.

Christianity in RomeConstantine

spread Christianity

Moved capital to Constantinople

Split in Empire◦ Bishop of Rome

(Pope)◦ Eastern Patriarch

Byzantine Empire lived on after fall