Name: ______Date: ______Period: _____

Who were Sargon, Hammurabi,Ashurbanipal, and Gilgamesh?

The following names are mentioned in the They Might Be Giants song The Mesopotamians. Follow the directions in each section to learn more about these important people from the history of the Fertile Crescent.

Sargon

Biography: Sargon is famous for creating the first empire in human history.

Read page 52 in History Alive!

Question: What did Sargon do to keep control over his large empire?

Hammurabi

Biography: Hammurabi is famous for having created the first code of laws that were written down and put on display for everyone to read.

Read: the following are some of the laws from Hammurabi’s code of laws:

#6. If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.

#55. If any one open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn for his loss.

#196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.

#200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.

#205. If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off.

Question: do you think Hammurabi’s laws were fair? Explain. (I think…because…)

Ashurbanipal

Biography: Ashurbanipal was the emperor of the Assyrian Empire for nearly 40 years. He was known for being very cruel to the people he defeated. For example, he made a defeated king live in a dog kennel attached to a chain. Later, he defeated his own brother in a war. On the other hand, he made many contributions to art and education. He created the first organized library with more than 30,000 clay tablets, so much of what we know about Mesopotamia comes from his library.

Question: do you think that Ashurbanipal should be remembered more for his good actions or his bad actions? Explain your opinion. (I think…because….)

Gilgamesh

Biography: Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk who became a character in a famous epic poem.

Read: page 53 in The World and it’s People.

Question: what lesson would Sumerians learn by listening to the story of Gilgamesh?

Reflective Question

Why do you think They Might Be Giants wrote this song? (I think…because….)

What you need for the reading portion of the “We’re the Mesopotamians” lesson.