Map Transparencies
Babylonian Empire Under
Hammurabi
Use this transparency to discuss the geography of
Hammurabi’s empire.
BACKGROUND
Much of Southwest Asia’s land is a difficult place
to live. Hammurabi and emperors both before and
after him carved out an empire in the most fertile
parts of the region.
The “land between the rivers,” that is
Mesopotamia, formed the core of early empires
in the region of Southwest Asia. Two major
rivers—the Tigris and the Euphrates—water the
land. Seasonal flooding brings more water and
silt to the land. But the flooding is unpredictable.
People living in the area devised ways to store the
water for later use.
QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Which landforms isolate this empire from
other parts of the region? (Syrian Desert,
Zagros Mountains)
2. On which of the two rivers are more cities
located? (Euphrates)
3. In what direction do the two major rivers
flow? (southeast)
4. Into which body of water do the two major
rivers flow? (Persian Gulf)
5. Have students look at the map of Asia in the
Atlas section of the text, page A21. Ask them
to make a list of the modern day countries
found in the former empire of Hammurabi.
(Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Syria)
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Expansion of the Persian Empire
Use this transparency to help students see the
expansion of the Persian Empire.
BACKGROUND
The Persian people were one of many cultures that
occupied the region between the Mediterranean
Basin and the sub-continent of India. Tribes of
people moved throughout this region and control
of territory changed hands as one group grew more
powerful and another became weaker.
Persia was once a part of the larger Chaldean
(New Babylonian) empire. Along with its neighbor,
the Medes, the Persians successfully rebelled
against the Chaldeans. Still not strong enough to
stand alone the Persians were dominated by the
Medes until the rise of Cyrus in 550 B.C. Cyrus
defeated the Medes and incorporated their lands
into the Persian lands. It was the first step in the
building of a huge empire in Southwest Asia.
Successors to Cyrus expanded the empire even
more. Cyrus son, Cambyses, moved into Egypt.
His successor, Darius, began to expand toward the
Greek city-states, but was stopped by the Greeks
during the Persian Wars.
QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Which city is found in the original Persian
homeland? (Persepolis)
2. Study the map, in which directions did the
empire expand under Cyrus? (north, east,
and west)
3 Which area did Cambyses conquer? (Egypt)
4. Which landform appears to have halted
the northward movement of the Persians?
(Caucasus Mountains)
5. Using the map of the Persian Empire on
page 120 and the map of the Assyrian empire
on page 130 of the text, have the student
compare and contrast the areas controlled by
each empire.
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User’s Guide
Map Transparencies
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