THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE By: Meghan, Lauren, and Blakeley

Location The Assyrian Empire can be found in north Mesopotamia It was located within five modern countries: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and for a little while, Egypt Two rivers run through it, the Tigris and Euphrates There are also mountains located to the north and east of the Assyrian Empire, which are the Taurus and the Zagros mountains Assyria also touches the Mediterranean sea which is great for trade

Time-Frame The Assyrian Empire lasted for nearly 300 years, from B.C.E. This picture depicts some of the military campaigns held by the Assyrians throughout their history

Characteristics

Society Assyria emerged in Northern Mesopotamia It was organized into three social classes: free landowners, farmers and artisans, and lastly slaves The Military was very important in the Assyrian Empire. All males were expected to enlist and there were many different types of ranks. They even enlisted males from lands that they conquered. They are famous for creating a vast empire and conquering many lands Native Assyrians and conquered people were not separated and all people were given legal protection, and could expect to be enlisted to the military or for labor service Most people living in the Assyrian Empire were farmers which created many agricultural surpluses. Other people worked as government officials, religious experts, merchants, artisans, or the army. The artisans would make tools, clothing, and pottery, and this was used in trade Women in Assyria were treated harshly. The husband could divorce for no reason, and could leave the wife with no money. Women caught for adultery could be killed, and women always had to wear a veil.

Politics The Assyrians believed the gods chose their king to rule as their earthly representative The king chose one of his sons to be his successor and his choice was confirmed by divine oracles All the land and the people belonged to the king Even the highest ranking officials were the king’s servants The king was responsible for the military, elaborate public and private rituals, and the upkeep of the temples

Religion Their chief god was called Ashur The kings were buried in the reverend city of Ashur All state actions were carried out in the name of Ashur Military victories were seen as proof of Ashur’s superiority

Intellectual Endeavors There were many relief sculptures depicting hunts, battles, sieges, and executions all over the royal palace Artisans manufactured pottery, tools and clothing

Technology The Assyrians used iron weapons which gave them a large advantage over opponents They constructed tunnels under walls They built mobile archer towers and battering rams For battles they had: Slingers that shot projectiles Calvary equipped with bows or spears Four man chariots

Economics Many worked in agriculture which allowed numbers of people to engage in specialized activities Individual artisans and workshops manufactured pottery, tools, and clothing and most trade took place locally State fostered long distance trade for imported luxury goods such as metals, fine textiles, dyes, gems, and ivory brought in substantial amount of revenue and found their way to family and elite classes Silver was the basic median of exchange before the invention of coins Taxes were paid and oversaw by provincial officials Traded within the empire because the empire was so vast Outside of their empire, their main trading partner was Egypt

Most significant Leaders Kings are literally and symbolically the center of the Assyrian universe Made decisions, appointed officials and heard complaints Military leader and was often away from capital commanding operations in the fields Kings responsibility also included supervision of state religion Consulted gods before everything All state actions were carried out in the name of Ashur Sennacherib is a famous Assyrian King, he was defeated at the gates of Jerusalem and is mentioned frequently in the bible Assur-nasirpal II was a harsh Assyrian king who helped the Assyrian Empire to become one of the most efficient fighting forces

Terms Neo Assyrian Empire- ( BCE) first to rule over far flung land and diverse people Ashur- The chief god Library of Ashurbanipal- more than 25,000 tablets or fragments of tablets were discovered here. It contained official documents as well as literary and scientific texts

Big Picture Like Egypt- Assyrians believed that the king was an earthly representative chosen by god and conquered other lands to exploit them Continuity- the Assyrians were a brutal Army that could intimidate almost anyone with their tactics of throwing people in fires, skinning prisoners alive, and hanging severed heads of defeated rulers on the wall. They also forced communities to settle elsewhere which was a common method in ancient civilizations, but used on a larger scale by the Assyrians Change- eventually the Assyrian military dominance faded, and they gradually were defeated by others armies like Babylonians and the Medes. One of the lessons that we can learn from them is to not stretch yourself to thin. Empires throughout history have fallen because they have conquered too much land. This can be seen in the fall of the Roman Empire. Similar to the Chinese dynasties, the Assyrians had provincial officials to govern over faraway lands

Works Cited "Assyria." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept "Geography." Brief History of Assyrians. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Assyria (ancient Kingdom, Mesopotamia)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 16 Sept "Ancient Assyrian Kings List (Black Obelisk, Bible History Online)."Ancient Assyrian Kings List (Black Obelisk, Bible History Online). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept