The Assyrians ~~~

Reported by G4
The Assyrians
• Assyria, kingdom of northern
Mesopotamia that became the center of
one of the great ancient Middle East.
• They are located in the mountains region
north of Babylon. It stretched from the
Tigris to the lofty mountains of Armenia.
• Known as the 3rd Empire of Mesopotamia
• Date: 2500-605 BCE
• Name from an ancient city of Assur
• They are grouped into 4 different stages
The Assyrians
• The Early Assyrian period - was the earliest stage
of Assyrian history, preceding the Old Assyrian
period and covering the history of the city of Assur,
and its people and culture, prior to the foundation of
Assyria as an independent city-state under Puzur-
Ashur I C.2025 BC. Very little material and textual
evidence survives from this period. The earliest
archaeological evidence at Assur dates to the Early
Dynastic Period,c. 2600 BC, but the city may have
been founded even earlier since the area had been
inhabited for thousands of years prior and other
nearby cities, such as Nineveh, are significantly
older.
 The Assyrians
• The Old Assyrian period - was the second stage of Assyrian
history, covering the history of the city of Assur from its rise as an
independent city-state under Puzur-Ashur I c. 2025 BC to the
foundation of a larger Assyrian territorial state after the accession
of Ashur-uballit I c. 1363 BC, which marks the beginning of the
succeeding Middle Assyrian period. The Old Assyrian period is
marked by the earliest known evidence of the development of a
distinct Assyrian culture, separate from that of southern
Mesopotamia and was a geopolitically turbulent time when Assur
several times fell under the control or suzerainty of foreign
kingdoms and empires. The period is also marked with the
emergence of a distinct Assyrian dialect of the Akkadian language,
a native Assyrian calendar and Assur for a time becoming a
prominent site for international trade.
The Assyrians
• The Middle Assyrian Empire - was the third stage of Assyrian history,
covering the history of Assyria from the accession of Ashur-uballit I c.
1365 BC and the rise of Assyria as a territorial kingdom 1 to the death of
Ashur-dan Il in 912 BC. The Middle Assyrian Empire was Assyria's first
true period of ascendancy as an empire, although Assyrian kings had
existed from perhaps as early as the 25th century BC, and from the 21st
century BC Assyria had controlled trading colonies in Anatolia and had
economic and military influence in Southern Mesopotamia, and from the
late 19th century BC had been an integral part of the "Empire of Shamsi-
Adad", sometimes called the Old Assyrian Empire. Though the empire
experienced successive periods of expansion and decline, it remained the
dominant power of Mesopotamia and often the entirety of West Asia
throughout the period. In terms of Assyrian history, the Middle Assyrian
period was marked by important social, political and religious
developments, including the rising prominence of both the Assyrian king
and the Assyrian national deity.
 The Assyrians
• The Neo-Assyrian Empire - was the fourth and penultimate
stage of ancient Assyrian history. Beginning with the accession
of Adad-nirari Il in 911 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire grew to
dominate the ancient Near East throughout much of the 8th and
7th centuries BC, becoming the largest empire in history up to
that point. Because of its geopolitical dominance and ideology
based in world domination, the Neo-Assyrian Empire is by
many researchers regarded to have been the first world empire
in history. It influenced other empires of the ancient world
culturally, governmentally, and militarily, including the
Babylonians, the Achaemenids, and the Seleucids. At its height,
the empire was the strongest military power in the world and
ruled over all of Mesopotamia, the Levant and Egypt, as well as
parts of Anatolia, Arabia and modern-day Iran and Armenia.
The Assyrians
• The post-imperial period - was the final stage of ancient Assyrian
history, covering the history of the Assyrian heartland from the fall of
the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 609 BC to the final sack and destruction
of Assur, Assyria's ancient religious capital, by the Sasanian Empire
AD 240-250, though Assyria was to endure as the geopolitical entity
of Asoristan until the mid 7th century AD. There was no single
independent Assyrian state during this time (apart from a patchwork
of semi independent states during the Parthian era), with Assur and
other Assyrian cities instead falling under the control of the
successive Median (615-549 BC), Neo-Babylonian (612-539 BC),
Achaemenid (539-330 BC), Seleucid (312-c. 141 BC) and Parthian (c.
141 BC-AD 224) empires. The period was marked by the continuance
of ancient Assyrian culture, traditions and religion, despite the lack of
an Assyrian kingdom. The ancient Assyrian dialect of the Akkadian
language went extinct however, completely replaced by Aramaic by
the 5th century BC, a process that had begun during the Neo-Assyrian
Empire.
Their Discoveries/Contributions
• First to develop many of the advance
technologies and practices that we take
granted nowadays.
• They developed the concept of zero as
a mathematical entity in its own right.
• They were among the first to study
the movements of celestial bodies and to create
detailed star maps, in astrology.
• They were the one who came up with the idea of a
360-degree circle.
 Their
Discoveries/Contributions
• They developed a calendar that was
highly accurate and was used throughout
the Middle East for centuries.
• They developed a distinctive style that
can be seen in their great palaces and
temples.
• They also created some of the earliest
examples of written literature, including
epic poems
and religious texts.
Important Individuals
• Ashur-uballit (1363 and c. 1328 BC) -was the first
king of the Middle Assyrian Empire. After his father
Eriba-Adad I had broken Mitanni influence over
Assyria, Ashur-uballit I's defeat of the Mitanni king
Shuttarna Ill marks Assyria's ascendancy over the Hurri-
Mitanni Empire, and the beginning of its emergence as a
powerful empire. Later on, due to disorder in Babylonia
following the death of the Kassite king Burnaburiash II,
Ashur-uballit established Kurigalzu lI on the Babylonian
throne, in the first of what would become a series of
Assyrian interventions in Babylonian affairs.
 Important Individuals
• Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) - was the king of the
Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his father
Sargon Il in 705 BCE to his own death in 681 BCE.
The second king of the Sargonid dynasty,
Sennacherib is one of the most famous Assyrian
kings for the role he plays in the Hebrew Bible,
which describes his campaign in the Levant. Other
events of his reign include his destruction of the city
of Babylon in 689 BC and his renovation and
expansion of the last great Assyrian capital, Nineveh.
 Important Individuals
• Esarhaddon (681-669BCE) - was the
king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
from the death of his father
Sennacherib in 681 BCE to his own
death in 669. The third king of the
Sargonid dynasty, Esarhaddon is most
famous for his conquest of Egypt in
671 BCE, which made his empire the
largest the world had ever seen, and
for his reconstruction of Babylon,
which had been destroyed by his
father.
 Important Individuals
• Ashurbanipal (669-631BCE) – Known as the last great
king. He built vast libraries and initiated a surge in the
building of temples and palaces. Aššur-bāni-apli,
meaning "Ashur is the creator of the heir") was the king
of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 669 BC to his death in
631. He is generally remembered as the last great king
of Assyria. Ashurbanipal inherited the throne as the
favored heir of his father Esarhaddon; his 38-year reign
was among the longest of any Assyrian king.Though
sometimes regarded as the apogee of ancient Assyria, his
reign also marked the last time Assyrian armies waged
war throughout the ancient Near East and the beginning
of the end of Assyrian dominion over the region.
Their Impact to history
• Military Power - They were known for their use of advanced
military tactics, siege engines, and armored chariots, which
allowed them to conquer vast amounts of territory.
• Architecture - They often used ornate decorations and reliefs
in their buildings, which influenced later architectural styles.
• Literature - They were known for their epic poems, myths,
and histories, which have been studied and honored for
centuries.
• Medicine - They were known for their understanding of
anatomy and were able to treat serious illnesses and injuries.
• Religion - Their religious beliefs influenced later religious
traditions in the region. Their religion is Polytheistic Assyrian
Religion reffered to as “Ashurism” by some modern Assyrians.
 Facts about the
Assyrians
• Among the greatest of their achievements, however, was the
Aramaic alphabet, imported into the Assyrian government
by Tiglath Pileser III from the conquered region of Syria.
• The Assyrians had several advantages that they had been
developing for generations while other empires came and
went. They were the first in the area to develop iron
weapons, which were superior to the bronze weapons their
enemies were using.
• Their skill at ironworking allowed them to make weapons
and protective items more cheaply, so more soldiers could
use them. In addition, they were the first army to have a
separate engineering unit, which would set up ladders and
ramps, fill in moats, and dig tunnels to help the soldiers get
into a walled city.
Facts About The Assyrians
• Assyrian society was characterized by a
centralized and hierarchical structure. At the top
of the social and political hierarchy was the king,
who held absolute power and was considered the
highest authority. The king was believed to be the
representative of the gods on Earth and played a
pivotal role in religious ceremonies and rituals.
• The Assyrians made significant contributions to
art and culture. They excelled in various forms of
artistic expression, including sculpture,
metalwork, and ivory carving.Assyrian sculptures
were characterized by their naturalistic details,
depicting both humans and animals with intricate
craftsmanship.