Early Empires
I. What is an empire?
A.
Conflicting images
B.
Characteristics
C.
Two forms
1.
hegemony
2.
dominance
II. The
Earliest Empires
A.
Akkadian (2331-2200 B.C.E.)
1.
Sargon's conquest & rule
2.
influenced by Sumerian culture
B.
Egyptian New Kingdom (~1550-1050
B.C.E.)
1.
cosmopolitan population
2.
conquered
a)
Nubia
b)
Levant
C.
Assyrian (900 -- 612 B.C.E.)
1.
Nineveh excavated (1839)
2.
warfare & brutality
a)
sophisticated military organization
--
skilled soldiers
--
technical knowledge
b)
How controlled people?
--
calculated terrorism
--
deported whole population
D.
Persian(539-330 B.C.E.)
1.
Where & who?
a)
Iranian Plateau
b)
Indo-Europeans
2.
Imperial Policies
a)
Cyrus II (r. 559 - 530 B.C.E.)
--
founder of the empire
--
allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem
b)
Cambyses II (r. 530 - 522 B.C.E.)
-- overextended
--
emotionally unstable
c)
Darius I (r. 522 - 486 B.C.E.)
--
satrapies
--
Royal Road
--
Zoroaster (- 600 B.C.E.)
--
good vs. evil (with choice)
--
Ahurmazda Ahriman
--
last judgment & eternity