Unit 4 The Art and the Architecture of Babylonia and Assyria

1. Read and translate the text.

Babylon and Assur were two of the greatest cities of Mesopotamia. They became the centers of the empires of Babylonia and Assyria. Their histories were closely connected, as one or the other controlled the fertile region between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

The Babylonians and Assyrians were influenced to a great extend by the artistic and intellectual achievements of the Sumerians. Like the Sumerians, they built their temples and palaces of brick made from mud dried in the sun or kilns. In the center of each city was the shrine of a local god. As a city grew in size and importance, its shrine became more elaborate until it might end up as a magnificent temple. The temple building was based on a large platform reached by ramps and staircases. It was crowned with a high tower. The Babylonians made some towers in the form of might steps up to seven stories, and these were known as ziggurats. The Biblical Tower of Babel was probably a ziggurat. A small temple stood on the top, it was usually covered with blue glazed tiles.

The Babylonians and Assyrians decorated their public buildings in different ways. The Babylonians covered the walls with colored glazed brickwork. The Assyrians preferred carved slabs of limestone or alabaster. The sculptures depicted scenes of war and hunting or religious and court scenes. Many of them showed the king as a distinguished figure with a beard and curly hair, while the people by him looked all alike and comparatively insignificant. The hunting scenes were vivid.

Outside the gates of the Assyrians’ temples and palaces, lions or bulls with human heads kept guard. The cities were well planned with wide avenues. Great aqueducts were constructed to supply water.

Vocabulary:

1) to a great extent – в большой степени;

2) mud – грязь;

3) kiln – печь для обжига;

4) shrine – храм;

5) ramp – наклонная плоскость;

6) mighty – могущественный;

7) slab – плита;

8) depict – описывать;

9) vivid – яркий, живой.

2. Answer the questions.

1. What country controlled the region between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates?

2. How did they make bricks?

3. What was in the center of each city?

4. How can you characterize their shrine?

5. What was the difference in the decoration of Assyrian and Babylonian buildings?

6. What did the sculpture describe?

7. What were usually outside the important buildings?

8. Can we see the remains of ancient Babylon? Where are they?

3. Fill in the gaps with right prepositions: of, by(2), to, in(2), with, on.

1. The shrine was built ____ a large platform reached ____ ramps and staircases.

2. The arts ____ Babylonia and Assyria were influenced ____ the Sumerians.

3. The temple was crowned ____ a high tower.

4. These cities rapidly grew ____ size.

5. They tried ____ construct great temples.

6. The bricl was made ____ mud dried ____ the sun or kilts.

4. Match the beginning of the sentences to their ends using information from the text.

1. The Babylonians and Assyrians were influenced	a) a large platform reached by ramps and staircases.
2. The Babylonians covered the walls with	b) war and hunting or religious and court scenes.
3. Great aqueducts were constructed to	c) made from mud dried in the sun or kilns.
4. The temple building was based on	d) colored glazed brickwork.
5. They built their temples and palaces of brick	e) to a great extend by the artistic and intellectual achievements of the Sumerians.
6. The sculptures depicted scenes of	f) supply water.

5. Translate the following phrases into Rusiian and make four sentences with them.

To be crowned with a tower, to a great extend, look all alike, distinguished figure, keep guard, a local god, colored glazed brickwork, be known as, closely connected, in different ways.

6. Write a written translation.

1. In the 10^th century B.C. Southern Mesopotamia fell to the Assyrians a warlike people from the north.

2. The Assyrians built great cities and lined the walls of their palaces wuth huge stone reliefs.

3. The Tower of Babel was built high upon a pyramid of stepped-up brick platform, as the country was constantly menacad by floods.

4. Within the walls splendid palaces were built and a profussion of flowers, drooping from the famous “hanging gardens”, were irrigated with water from the Euphrates by means of advanced hydraulic system.

5. These gardens couldn’t have been built without the invention of the arch, which allowed the beds to be placed hogh over brick or stone vauits.

7. Make five questions (all types) to the following sentence.

The Babylonians and Assyrians decorated their public buildings in different ways.

8. Write a written translation.

Ассирийские владыки стремились превзойти все, что было создано до них. Ассирийские дворцы поражали роскошью, включали в себя и храмы, и зиккураты. Так, храмовый ансамбль Ашшура состоял из большого двора, обнесенного массивной стеной с воротами и двумя зиккуратами. Дворец включал в себя 200 помещений, богато украшенных рельефами, росписями, изразцами.

Рельефы и росписи были связаны между собой, изображали жизнь и быт дворца. Яркость цветов, четкость контуров делали рельефы легко читаемыми.

9. Retell the text “The Art and the Architecture of Babylonia and Assyria”.