HIS 101 Lecture 2: Lecture Notes Week 1.2
Document Summary
Gradual introduction and increase in farming societies: more stable, only have to stay in one place, less dangerous, easier for families to grow. Why would people want to live in a large community vs. a small town: power in numbers. Usually a king but no real idea where he came from and took power. Series of city-states located in the valley of the rivers. These troubles effected how the people saw the world and saw the gods. Social hierarchy (legally distinct categories: king, nobles/priests, commoners, slaves. Ziggurat: dedicated to the patron deity, massive central structure. He goes on a quest to become immortal. Gave sacrifices and offerings to placate the gods. Sargon of akkad (2,340 2,285 bce) and the revival of ur. City states in sumer go to war with each other. Sargon emerges and takes over warring city states: he assimilated and adopted sumerian culture, but made akkadian the official language, successors ruled from akkad.
