Mesopotamia

Location: Between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers of the Middle East - On the Arabian Peninsula Geography: Swampy - due to the rivers (allowed the use of clay and reeds for writing) - This also allowed irrigation for Farming Government: City States were self-governing - Metropolitan centers surrounded by farmland Philosophies and Religions: Polytheistic - Gods were malevolent and responsible for the hardships in the world Ex: Gilgamesh ( Fictional King *2/3 God - 1/3 Man) was a tyrant who ruled Ur they were god fearing people, and, by looking at the epic of Gilgamesh, you see that they also feared the kings. thats also why they didnt unite, they distrusted authority, so they just remained in city states.
 * Never one society - a cluster of warring states
 * Kings ruled City States
 * Religious Leaders also played a large role in leadership

Important People:

Important Terms: - The Oldest Stories ever told - they were myths about Gilgamesh (the Sumerian God King) and his quest for immortality. We see the Mesopotamian religion through these texts as well as the implication of aggressive and brutish leadership.
 * The Epics Of Gilgamesh

- One of the oldest written expression - it was the first language after pictographic formations in Mesopotamia. This language was used on clay slabs and written with reeds from the swamps of the region.
 * Cuneiform

- A large set of regulations and laws regarding life in Mesopotamia. We see a look into the culture and attitude of Mesopotamian punishment and government.
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Hammurabi's Code