Assyria

Definition

Assyria was a Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Ashur. It can be seen to be the first empire in history, as at its peak Assyria extended from Anatolia in the west, to Armenia in the north, to Media in the east, and to Egypt in the south.

In the Old Assyrian period (20th to 15th centuries BC), Assyria controlled much of Upper Mesopotamia. Assyria grew out of the economically powerful city-state of Ashur, which established merchant colonies (called karum, Akkadian for "port") in Cappadocia. Ashur was an oligarchical city state, with the power divided between the ruler ("Steward of Ashur"), the assembly of elders, and the high priest. Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1791 BC) conquered Ashur, made it his capital, and conquered the kingdom of Mari. His empire now encompassed northern Mesopotamia. Hammurabi of Babylon soon after defeated Shamshi-Adad's successor and made Assyria a vassal state.

The Middle Assyrian period (15th to 10th centuries BC) started with Assyria being a vassal of Mittani, until Ashur-uballit I (1365-1330 BC) seized the throne of Assyria, and conquered lands at the expense of Babylonia. Assyria conquered Babylon and expanded at the expense of the Hittites, reaching Carchemish and beyond. Tiglath-Pileser I added the Phoenician ports at the Mediterranean sea to the empire.

The Neo-Assyrian period is usually considered to have begun with the ascension of Adad-ninari II in 911 BC, lasting until the fall of Nineveh at the hands of the Babylonians in 612 BC. During this period Assyria grew from being a kingdom of northern Mesopotamia to being an empire. Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC) expanded Assyrian control to Judaea, Sumeria, and southern Anatolia. The Assyrian power further expanded to incorporate the kingdom of the Medes, Elam, and Egypt. Under the reign of Ashurbanipal (669-627 BC), Assyria was at the peak of its power, but crumbled: Rebellions occurred in Babylonia, Media, and Egypt. With Lydian help, Egypt declared its independence, and Cimmerians invaded from the north. The Babylonian king Nabopolassar, along with Cyaxares of the Medes finally destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC, marking the end of the Assyrian empire.

Written by Jan van der Crabben, published 28 April 2011.

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Articles

• Assyrian reliefs

  Mostly dating from the period 880-612 BC, these carved scenes are found on free-standing stelae and as panels cut on cliffs and rocks at distant places reached by the Assyrian kings during their campaigns. The most spectacular use of stone reliefs, however, was as panels which decorated the mud-brick...

• The Evolution of Cuneiform Script

  The cuneiform script proper emerges out of pictographic proto-writing in the later 4th millennium BC. Mesopotamia's "proto-literate" period spans the 35th to 32nd centuries BC. The first documents unequivocally written in the Sumerian language date to the 31st century, found at Jemdet Nasr.The Sumerians...

• History of Assyria

  The foundation of the Assyrian dynasty can be traced to Zulilu, who is said to have lived after Bel-kap-kapu (ca. 1900 BC), the ancestor of Shalmaneser I. The city-state of Ashur rose to prominence in northern Mesopotamia, founding trade colonies in Cappadocia. King Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1791 BC) expanded...

• The Ancient Assyrians: Skilled in the Art of Ancient Warfare

  The heart of the original Assyrian civilization was located off the western coast of the Tigris River in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). At its height, the Assyrian empire stretched far and wide, encompassing several territories and uniting the Near Eastern region for the very first time. This included territories...

• The Family in Ancient Mesopotamia

  In ancient Mesopotamia the family was the basic unit of society that was governed by specific patriarchal rules. Monogamy was the rule, even though the nobility could have concubines. The purchase of wives from their fathers was common, but the practice became less common after 3000 BC...

Illustrations

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Assyria Books

• A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC Marc Van De Mieroop Wiley-Blackwell (16 October 2006) Price: $32.27

• Assyrian Palace Sculptures Paul Collins University of Texas Press (01 October 2009) Price: $29.85

• Atlas of Empires Peter Davidson New Holland Publishers Ltd (22 February 2011) Currently unavailable

• The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 1: Chaldaea... George Rawlinson (24 March 2011) Currently unavailable

• The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 2: Assyria... George Rawlinson (24 March 2011) Currently unavailable